Hard Pill: A Review
Review by Zoe Paddock
Four people. One waiting area. It’s the perfect comic formula. The newest ‘People You Know’ production, Hard Pill, sees Astrid (Iris Hedley) waiting for the morning-after pill at ‘Boots Pharmacy’. Though she may seem reluctant to divulge her prescription to the snide Pharmacist (played with biting wit by Aubrey McCance), Astrid ultimately revels in her sexual freedom.
Before we know it, a cast of eclectic characters saunter in. Hanna (Liv Douglas), disturbs the clinical atmosphere with her gum-chewing brashness. Then appears Astrid’s friend Sonia (Natalie Urusov), bringing with her the aesthetic of a French New Wave actress with added stiltedness. Harry (Matt Clegg) then comes bounding in, tearing away at a very structurally sound baguette. One character quips that he is a football-playing “half man half sandwich,” and never has any description been so fitting.
Many elements of this play were a revelation: never has student comedy theatre felt so refreshing and urgent whilst veering sharply away from the realms of pretentiousness. The first element that contributed to this was a hitherto underused setting, that of the newly refurbished St Andrews Heritage Museum and Gardens. Instead of the usual theatrical black box of the Barron Theatre, the exhibition space was light and airy. With an array of different lamps and lights sourced from living rooms up and down St Andrews, the space felt more organic and, dare I say, artsy. It perfectly emulated ‘Boots’; it felt both clinical and familiar.
Lindsay Martin and Chloe Annan should be congratulated on their set design. The design elements consisted of three white panels dividing the space with a window through which the Pharmacist could interject catty comments. It was sparsely decorated, with only a homemade ‘Boots’ sign and three rows of condoms adorning it. In the most complimentary way possible, it felt akin to a child’s play area version of ‘Boots’, mimicking the idea that ultimately Astrid and co. are still playing with the boundaries of adulthood in a distinctly fun and messy way.
It was Loulou Sloss’ masterful comic writing, however, that made the whole production shine. Hard Pill saw her flexing every comic muscle she had, whilst simultaneously maintaining superb characterisation and pacing. The play was a concoction of word play, surreal anecdotes, killer punchlines and hilarious physical comedy. At the very top of the play, McCabe’s Pharmacist outlines the comically superfluous number of steps to getting your hands on the morning-after pill. The pharmacist sternly says, “We don’t just give it out to anyone – unlike you”. No opportunity for comic patter was missed. The anecdotes, most notably Harry’s, aren’t just vehicles for comic prowess but reveal the vulnerabilities of past versions of each character.
At the heart of the play is a discourse on virginity, and as such it requires sensitivity. These anecdotes of fumbling awkwardness, Cointreau-fuelled first encounters and missed chances diffuse any taboo. Sex is not crow-barred gratuitously but comes up organically in conversation. It is more about the people than sensationalism.
Sophia Hattiangadi directed the assorted cast of characters brilliantly. She wasn’t afraid to pair the exaggerated stereotypes of the Mrs. Doubtfire-on-a-bad-day Pharmacist and the abrasively gregarious Hanna with the more naturalistic, grounded performance of the play’s lead, Astrid. There is nothing worse than when you watch theatre and feel like the words don’t fit in the actor’s mouths, drawing attention to the artifice of the play. However, Hedley’s portrayal of Astrid felt real, her delivery was an amalgamation of many conversations I have overheard in Taste.
Urusov’s Sonia, inhibited and tense, acted as a foil to Hedley’s easy candidness. Urusov brought an anachronous energy to the piece, she gave Sonia the comportment and diction of a girl who has gone to finishing school. She felt more designedly theatrical. This theatricality perfectly contrasted Clegg’s portrayal of Harry. He gave the character an easy, boyish, bounding brand of comedy whilst being earnest and unguarded.
It was clear that the cast were having fun. The piece almost had the sporadic unpredictability of improv, but in a more polished format. In other words, Hard Pill was artfully crafted but endlessly consumable. An easy pill to swallow, if you will.
See Hard Pill at St Andrews Heritage Museum, 12 North Street on 4th and 5th November.
Graphic by Hanna Sabu
