Currently performing at the Drayton Arms Theatre is Everleigh Brenner who stars in her own play: Brave Face. The feminist play is a dark comedy which tackles many difficult topics and breaks down harmful, misogynistic stereotypes, whilst making you laugh throughout. Only starring one woman (with the exception of the cake bringer of course), Brenner is spectacular as Em, the protagonist with a big personality and a myriad of problems.

Brave Face approaches heavy topics like sexual assault cautiously and brings a new perspective onto the stage, showing how trauma doesn’t disappear overnight and you are left with the after effects forever. At first, Em appears to be a typical outgoing uni student that parties and studies, but quickly the audience are shown her vulnerable side. 

The Drayton Arms is a beautiful venue and above the pub (where you can have a refreshment beforehand) is a small, intimate theatre. For this play, the intimacy of it is what makes it work. Brenner breaks the fourth wall throughout, and she engages the audience, making eye contact and even handing her phone to an audience member. It makes the performance feel much more personal than if it were in a large open space. The minimalist set also works incredibly well; a wooden table in the middle is adapted into a bed, a desk and a dance floor. Similarly, the backdrop is formed of different projections onto a screen, causing seamless scene changes and creating an eerier feel for Em’s sudden flashbacks. The lighting is cleverly used, being bright throughout and getting darker whenever Em let herself be vulnerable. The audience are pulled into that darkness around Em whether they like it or not and this is incredibly effective.

The script itself is beautifully written. A one-woman show can be difficult to pull off but nevertheless, Brenner does it with ease. We see this seemingly happy student unravel, then we watch as she tries to find her way but loses her path. Brave Face shows the side of sexual assault where women feel as if they had no control, so Em tries to make up for this by controlling men the only way she knows they’ll listen: sex. Her oversexualisation is her cry for help.

Nowadays in the media, women are “slut shamed” constantly but Brave Face shows that the real crime is the society that women are forced to live in. A society where to be safe, women have to go to extremes. A poem is featured in the play showing an insight into Em’s mind and all the emotions that she feels. Brenner’s acting is amazing at this point in the play, slowly breaking down with tears in her eyes until she reaches the end of the poem, when she quickly jumps back up and smiles as if nothing ever happened: a metaphor for how it is after experiencing trauma. Juxtaposition is used throughout the play, making Em’s happier times seem bright and joyful, but her trauma makes her character darker and distraught. At the end, Brenner speaks to the audience as herself and leaves us with the line: “I will always love you, even from behind the comfort of your brave face.” The words are a comfort to everyone sat in the auditorium.

Directed by Maria Cristina Petitti and produced by Hoohah Productions, Brave Face is a play that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. It is powerful, hilarious and heartbreaking, all in its 50-minute runtime. Everleigh Brenner deserves a lot of recognition for her remarkable script and her phenomenal acting. It is a night that leaves the audience educated, laughing and on the verge of tears.

Don’t miss out on this wonder of a play. 

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Daisy Lee

Brave Face plays at the Drayton Arms Theatre until 10 February, with tickets available here.