It’s the final episode of the reality TV show, Miss I-Doll. Mia dreams of winning the show in order to make a real difference. She’s made it this far, all she has to do is beat the competition. When an accident backstage causes a rude awakening to the truth behind the makeup, will she be the first to reveal all?

This production has been in the works for a number of years, which were spent re-writing the show, trying to ensure that it makes the right kind of statement. It was first performed at Seven Dials Playhouse in 2023. The current production at The Other Palace marks its official off-West End debut.

Design wise, the stage is set to look like a backstage area/deconstructed TV show set; a clever subversion of expectation considering that the action happens both backstage and on air. The lighting and colour aesthetic of the set definitely hits you with the full force of women’s reality TV show stereotypes, telling you exactly what the show is going to be about from the outset. Even the pre-show music really helps to set the mood with a very stereotypical pop girl culture atmosphere. There is only one costume in the show, which is a very smart choice in a one-person musical as it assists the actress on stage in becoming an ‘Everyman’ in order to embody a wide variety of different characters.

Directorially, the show could be a lot more interesting because there are times where the direction gets a bit repetitive. Essentially the show is divided into directorial sections: audience reactions and adverts play on a screen, the contestants are hot seated/spotlighted one by one moving across the stage, the actress changes places by moving side to side in order to have a conversation with herself, a character gets spotlighted. This could be experimented with and thinking outside the box may discover some more visually interesting ways of performing the action of the show.

Speaking of acting, Daisy Steere, who plays every character in the show, is a truly rare talent. She thoughtfully and skilfully changes everything she can about herself from her facial expressions and physicality to the pace, tone and pitch of her voice to create ten uniquely distinct characters. Additionally, she is able to switch between the seven she plays on stage with ease, which makes the conversations the characters have with one another even more compelling. It is worth highlighting how impressive it is that she sings an entire song, which sounds gorgeous to listen to, whilst doing a thick Italian accent that is so far removed from her natural voice.

The voice of the show itself is thickly rooted in satire. Usually when we think of theatre satire, we tend to think of shows like Dr Strangelove, Oh, What a Lovely War and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. As a concept, Miss I-Doll seems like the least likely musical comedy satire and yet it works incredibly well. The use of offensive comedy, which is well-paced (aided by Steere’s perfect comedic timing) blends with witty British comedy to highlight how ridiculous some people view reality shows such as Love Island to be, but also how insane it is that we can let producers profit from extreme sexism. The jokes come in thick and fast, allowing audiences to laugh without considering what they’re laughing at, deliberately creating a sense of discomfort within the audience when they are challenged to confront the consequences of this.

Fundamentally, this show makes a really impactful statement about society’s ability to turn women inside out trying to walk contradictory lines, whilst also blatantly and purposefully, shedding a spotlight on the extent to which we ignore the range of female identities that proudly exist by defining a ‘woman’ according to sex as opposed to gender. It doesn’t blame the problem solely on the patriarchy, it places the blame on everyone, arguing that to watch and, unintentionally or otherwise, participate in these sexist narratives causes more harm than good. It tells us that we need to wake up and stop being complacent by supporting media that profits from suffering and actively encourages women to tear each other down or stay silent. To reinforce all of this, there is only one male character in the entire show. This is a statement.

Daring and sharp, bubblegum aesthetics really can deceive. Empowering and very much needed.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Megan O’Neill

Miss I-Doll plays at London’s The Other Palace until 9 March, with further info here.