EDINBURGH 2025: Review: DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU, Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Two
A fearless tale of illness and identity
Dear Annie, I Hate You is a visceral, captivating account of survival which fuses raw storytelling with inventive theatricality. Written and performed by Samantha Ipema, this semi-autobiographical work confronts the life-altering impact of a brain aneurysm diagnosis at the age of twenty, crafting a narrative which is as darkly funny, as it is deeply affecting.
The set design is a cluster of old-style television sets flickering with family voices and personal accounts, becoming both a memory bank and a chorus of commentary. Through these screens, we meet Sam’s mum, dad and adopted brother Micah, whose warmth, humour and unflinching faith in her resilience provide a counterpoint to the medical trauma. Micah, who has Down Syndrome and believes Sam to be a superhero like Batman, emerging as an emblem of unconditional love.
The piece reaches back to Sam’s youth, where her sensitivity to social rejection leads her to choose new friends over playing make-believe games with Micah. Her love of soccer ends abruptly when a head injury prompts medical tests, which reveal the severity of the issue. From here Annie is born, loud, breaking into musical numbers and a constant voice of warning urging Sam to make better choices. Annie is played energetically by Eleanor House.
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The decision to undergo surgery is shadowed by anxiety, moments of misjudgement and a surreal highlight in the form of a game show led by Annie which forces Sam to confront the terror head-on. The aftermath is unflinching with a long list of possible side effects such as nerve damage, the painstaking relearning of motor functions and the slow reclamation of self.
Samantha Ipema is a supremely talented actor, captivating with overwhelming star quality. The script is both captivating, neuroscience informed and well paced.
With fearless writing, inventive staging and a performance which crackles with authenticity, Dear Annie, I Hate You is a triumphant and unflinching work of theatre which leaves the audience moved, unsettled and, ultimately, inspired.
Dear Annie, I Hate You runs at Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Two until 25 August
Trigger warnings: This show contains intense flashing lights, strobe effect, very loud and sudden noises, haze, audience participation, strong language, graphic content, scenes of a medical nature and scenes depicting blood and violence.
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