REVIEW: Eloise Snape's First Play, PONY is a Brilliantly Funny Exploration of Facing Impending Motherhood In The 21st Century.

Tuesday 23rd June 2023, pm, SBW Stables Kings Cross

Eloise Snape makes the shift from performer and producer to playwright with PONY, her wonderfully comic and insightful debut one woman play.  Developed with director Anthea Williams, this piece theatre is filled with amusing observations, believable experiences, and an impressive, oversized rocking horse/merry-go-round pony that links with the work’s title’s musical inspiration and impending parenthood topic. 

The premise of PONY is that the 37-year-old Hazel, (Briallen Clarke) is pregnant and whilst she may be married, she’s not really sure she’s ready or able to give up her life to become a mother.  Having seen her best friend Liv’s journey into motherhood and the resulting shift to Liv’s life and unexpected attitude to childrearing Hazel is concerned that she too will lose sense of who she is and what her values are.  PONY is presented purely as Hazel’s story as she shares her thoughts with the audience, reenacting impersonations of the various characters that have touched her life, from her distant mother Clementine, her sports coach midwife Trish, nerdy but loving husband Patrick and rebellious grandmother Esme and many more.  She shares her experiences and worries along the journey, including the ingrained doubts stemming from her own relationship with her parents that lead her to an unusual way of reconnecting with the memory of her father. 

Snape’s writing, informed by her own recent pregnancy, is clear and honest as she has Hazel share honest observations and opinions.  Throughout the performance, there are laughs of recognition, sighs of sympathy and gasps of amused shock.  Snape has ensured that Hazel echoes the sentiments of many modern women that don’t buy into the hype that the world should stop just because a child has been born and that some parents are pretentious and ridiculous.  She expresses the concern that some parents have that they’ll lose sight of who they are or that their values will shift so far from their recognized behaviors to become someone they once mocked. 

Supporting the 95 minutes of brilliant monologue delivered with natural ease and sass by Briallen Clarke is the fabulous set dominated by an enormous rocking horse/merry-go-round pony that spins and can be climbed upon.  The pretty pink prop is set off beautifully with a shimmering backdrop which helps connect the work to Hazel’s wilder experiences particularly the connections to music that inspired the title of the show, Ginuwine’s ‘bump ‘n’ grind anthem’ Pony that played at Hazel’s cousin’s bachelorette party.  The equine theme is reinforced with the costuming as a Western aesthetic is given sparkle that connects with characters the community radio host Hazel repeatedly encounters through her story. 

PONY is a brilliantly funny piece that is so much more than what the marketing blurb would have one believe.  At face value, the publicity makes one believe that Hazel is a younger selfish party animal, but Snape and Clarke have ensured that Hazel has depth and complexity.  Well worth seeing, regardless of your attitude towards children. 

Pony - Griffin Theatre Company

Photos: Brett Boardman