Little Lark of London

“A bit Fleabag, isn’t it?”

Walking into Dazzling, you are greeted with a large white backdrop covered in sayings, with a spotlight shining on the word “dazzling.” On the stage itself, things are haphazardly strewn around and an actor is messing around with them, trying to throw straws into glass bottles, switching lights on and off, dancing around and reading random papers they pick up from the ground. 

Alex Addinall takes on the role of Alix, a young adult who recounts the time they first fell in love and how their life fell apart. To quote one of their opening comments, “You don’t always know your first love until you’re deep in it,” and Alix falls quickly and deeply in love with Fiona, a person they meet at a party while out with their “platonic soulmate,” Jan. Alix makes a move on Fiona and they end up kissing before the night is over, leading to the start of their relationship. 

But, even with their dreamy relationship with Fiona, things aren’t perfect for Alix. Jan works at McDonald’s and is doing his best to get by while Alix is working at an office job, feeling like it is draining their creativity. Alix had been going through some difficult times a year ago and, as their love/obsession with Fiona deepens, they begin drinking more and start having panic attacks, depicted on stage with a high-pitched whining noise, flashing lights and Addinall shaking, describing how they threw up in the toilets as their thoughts grew obsessive and violent. The depiction of Alix’s panic attacks is well done in that Addinall doesn’t overact them and instead uses the contrast of silence and heavy breathing to illustrate the stages of panic. Alix quotes their job to pursue their dream of being a famous poet and their relationship with Jan starts to fracture, as Jan cannot afford the flat they are living in on McDonald’s wages alone. 

As observed by Alix, the whole show is incredibly similar to Fleabag, constantly breaking the fourth wall (there’s a hilarious moment when Alix talks about feeling trapped in these four walls before looking at the audience and saying, “Well, three . . .”). The internal monologues are incredibly relatable, particularly for those who also struggle with anxiety and have gone through similar situations. 

The humour of the show is very much based in the early 2010s, with references and sayings that reminded me of my younger years in grade school, like saying “Cringe” after having a panic attack and being random even during some more serious moments. Even though it is a bit dated, the show is still funny, including Addinall’s hilarious impression of Alix’s mother telling stories of her fling she had in Italy. 

It is sometimes a bit difficult to hear what Addinall is saying over the loud music and sound effects, particularly in scenes set in clubs, which may be a part of the show, but is a pain when trying to understand what is happening in a show entirely dependent on one actor. 

Even though he is never actually portrayed on stage, through Alix’s memories, Jan is able to have his own desires and sense of purpose, being forced to make a choice to stand up for himself and his wellbeing over supporting Alix. As he says, heartbroken, “I love you, but I’m broke.” The relationship between the pair had become one of dependence, with Alix relying on Jan, who was already struggling with his own problems. The ending is very abrupt and quite sad, but also realistic, making it even more heartbreaking for not only Alix but the audience as well. 

Ultimately, Dazzling is an interesting one-hander that tackles love, obsession and mental illness through the tale of one person’s relationships and mind. The use of internal monologues is great and truly gives us insight into Alix’s mind, but some bits go on for a bit too long, leaving the audience wanting more variety in the scenes they witness. Addinall does a fantastic job of portraying Alix and their emotions, both high and low, going from love to obsession and fear to mourning. 
Dazzling runs at the Riverside Studios Bitesize Festival from 3 to 4 February. For tickets, click here. For more information on the Bitesize Festival, click here.