In her one-woman play analysing anxiety, burnout, and sexual politics, Bebe Sanders gives a sensational performance as Sylvie, the struggling millennial facing universally relatable issues of romantic, professional, and emotional stress. Hilariously brilliant, Snail is both written and performed by Sanders, who instantly captures the audience the second she walks, or rather jogs, onto the stage. Her comic timing is perfect; there were multiple times throughout the play when the audience was in stitches, and yet her humour in no way undercuts the real issues outlined in Sylvie’s story.

Snail tells the story of a young woman, Sylvie, as she tries to navigate life while still maintaining an upbeat, ‘girl boss’ attitude, striving for promotions, fitness, a healthy relationship with her mother, and basic mental stability. Of course, these do not come easily, and throughout the play, we see her gradual mental deterioration, catalysed by the stress of everyday life. What hit me the most in this play was Sylvie’s repetitive mantra of “I’m just tired”, as I can very easily relate to the unhealthy habit of dismissing mental health issues, choosing instead to smile and carry on. This play is brilliant in highlighting the dangers of allowing anxiety to fully take over our lives, punctuated by a very intense, though I would say rather confusing, ending sequence. The comedy and overall pace of the play are amplified by the sound and lighting design by Kayode Gomez and Catja Hamilton, which at times catches the audience, and Sylvie, off guard, giving us a deeper insight into her mind. 

Despite this being a one-woman production, Sanders fully captures a range of characters in a way that does not feel forced, including Sylvie’s severe yet sex-crazed boss, a seven-year-old girl, a pupil’s father (whereby Sanders’ comic timing comes into play) and Sylvie’s mother, armed with judgment and disapproval. Also, when considering characters, one cannot ignore Nigel the class snail, voiced by Hayden Wood, who somehow manages to drive most of the chaos in the play. I enjoyed the metaphor of the cracked snail shell about Sylvie’s journey. When the snail shell gets chipped, it develops into a crack if not properly taken care of, whereby the snail would die. This mirrors mental health, if not properly monitored and taken care of, anxiety can snowball into complete self-destruction and chaos. Sylvie struggles to find a way to manage her anxiety, just as she struggles to find a way to fix Nigel’s shell. It is a simple metaphor, but incredibly effective. Overall, I would highly recommend Snail, which is running at VAULT Festival until March 5th. 

Read all of Ellie’s reviews here

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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