Review: INSTRUCTIONS FOR A TEENAGE ARMAGEDDON, The Garrick Theatre
What do Yorkshire Puddings, Taylor Swift and Scouts have in common? Well Besties, the answer is Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon which will be capturing the rollercoaster ride that is your teenage years for the next five Sundays at the Garrick Theatre.
Written by Rosie Day, initially as a book, this darkly comedic story has been transformed for the theatre. Day starred in the original stage production in 2020 but she now passes the baton to Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran who makes a spectacular West End debut. Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon is incredibly funny, but it is not a show for the faint-hearted so make sure you read the trigger warnings. The central theme of the play is an exploration of grief and how it spills into all corners of life, namely ‘Girl’s’ experience of losing her sister Olive to anorexia. However, that is not all this teenage misfit has to deal with; her parents’ divorce, sexual assault and betrayal are also on the cards.
Directed by Georgie Staight, Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon is heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. This teenage stream of consciousness conveys a powerful and urgent message, especially in the current mental health crisis amongst young people. Staight and Day are a talented team and any show that promotes the virtues of speaking openly about your feelings should be applauded. Anyone who see this show will leave knowing there is no shame in asking for help.
The series of monologues are signposted with Scout badge descriptions narrated by Maxine Peake as Sensible Scout Leader Susan. They sometimes give an idea of the topic that will follow but chiefly breakup the eighty minutes of beautiful but intense storytelling. Snippets of video, designed by Dan Light, accompany the voiceovers. Shelley Conn, who also plays Chandran’s mother in Bridgerton and Phillip Glenister make cameos as Girl’s parents. They are joined by Isabellas Pappas as Ella, Girl’s friend at her Scout Group. The videos are cleverly spliced into the performance at carefully selected moments, so you still feel this is a one woman show not one woman acting with characters that happen to be projections. Chandran interacts with the videos but at times simply provides her own voices.
A one-woman show is surely daunting for any actor let alone one so young and tackling issues of such gravity, but Chandran is magnetic and utterly compelling. Her vulnerability shines and so does her maturity. This is no child-like performance ‘Girl’ feels deeply human which is befitting for the dark subject matters. One-minute Chandran is dancing and lip-syncing to Britney Spears’ Toxic and the next she is sharing the traumatic tale of losing her virginity. Chandran leads this hilarious but hard-hitting play with ease.
Gen Z are clearly the key target audience but unlike many similar shows the references to social media are limited and instead calling and messaging are the chosen forms of communication. This roots the story in the 21 st Century but not overtly in the 2020s giving the show an almost timeless quality. Set and costume designed by Jasmine Swan, centrally Girl’s white bedroom with pastel purple highlights, assist in this endeavour. A chair works overtime transporting us from her bedroom to car, train and beyond. Girl’s wardrobe is filled with subtle props and costume pieces which cleverly guide us between scenes. However, Girl doesn’t have a prop phone which gives her the freedom to speak more directly to the audience.
Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon perfectly captures the exuberance and hardships of youth. If you are young or have ever been young, this is a must-see show.
***** Five Stars
Reviewed by Sophie Luck