Review: HEAR ME RAW, Arcola Theatre

In her brutally honest and refreshingly unique story about addiction and self-fulfilment, Daniella Isaacs performs a personal response to her experience of the Wellness industry. Placing a sharp focus on our understanding of beauty in the current social media charged climate, this one-hour piece is a brave sharing of one's inner suffering.

But it's not bleak, infact; it's quite the opposite. Isaacs speaks without shame, and recounts her past with a sense of pride at what she's overcome. Speaking without a filter, it feels cathartic for her to go through this process, and it's this aura of bravery that makes the show highly watchable.

The show doesn't necessarily hit you with a guttural punch, but you happily go along for the ride, fully engaging with everything there is to say. Themes of body image, eating disorders and mental health are all discussed in a light-hearted, yet tasteful manner. There are lots of jokes, but even these have a clever underlining subtext beneath them.

At times Isaacs crams too much content in, and therefore some of her message is lost. The piece is messy in its composition, deliberately so; however this lack of conventional structure occasionally prevents the story from progressing seamlessly. Nonetheless, this style does allow Isaacs to appear free and comfortable in her delivery, which is lovely to see.

It's quite charming overall and does pose important questions on image standards and idolisation. Who are these people we see as godly? What qualities do they possess that I don't have? How do I get to their level? Isaacs never avoids the ugly, and this openness for discussion on such tricky topics is something that we desperately need more of.

Satirical, yet serious and raw yet romantic, this piece challenges, provokes and awakens perceptions. Be a vegan. Eat meat. Drink. Smoke. Or don't do any of that. But whatever you do, be healthy about it. Try to feel good about yourself.

Hear Me Raw at the Arcola Theatre until 24 February

Photo courtesy of Daniella Isaacs / Lipsink Theatre