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"So
you really want to be famous? Watch out, it might become an
addiction. Soap star Beverly has checked into The Priory
because she suffers from an agitated depression. She’s doing
much better now, thanks. All actors over-identify with their
soap-characters, but when you change from the series darling
to the hate-mailed bitch, your private life is influenced as
well. While she delivers her witty monologue about the up and
down sides of fame, identity and addiction, interspersed with
hilarious soap-acting, Bev (Natalie Haverstock) keeps the
audience captivated from start to finish. She’s a
recognisable, sympathetic character with a good story to tell,
and she tells it very well indeed. Highly entertaining."
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"Excellent
script, well acted, worth checking out"
"Funny
well observed and convincingly acted"
"Intelligent,
thought-provoking and highly recommended"
"Clinically
hilarious"
"Kudos
Ms Haverstock"
"entertaining,
intelligently funny"
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"Clinically
Famous is based in part on personal experiences in the Priory
Clinic, Caroline Gold has in the past written and performed
her own stand-up, moving on to radio and TV intros and
sketches. The show is a glimpse into addictions, soap operas,
television culture, alcohol, drugs and depression.
The set consists
of a treatment couch two tables and some bare essentials, our
actress enters giving us some details of her background and
reasons for entering the Priory clinic. She discusses the
goings on both inside the clinic and in her life leading up to
her alcoholism and depression. She addresses us directly and
although asks questions carries on not wanting or expecting an
answer. The final few moments of the show explain why she has
been giving us so much information and also why she is doing
it in this way.
Natalie Haverstock
as the actress Natalie has appeared in Fringe productions
before. She has been in several films and on television as
well as appearing regularly with an improv troup. This
particular piece was written with her specific talents in mind
and I believe this is shown in the excellent performance. We
are swept away on her life's journey seeing little comical
episodes where things might have easily seemed depressing.
A beautifully
written and performed show which takes us on a journey into
the dangers behind TV Soap addiction."
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"Other than being
potentially cathartic for those involved, confessional theatre
has very few functions for its audience. In this piece
Caroline Gold finds a very interesting key to dealing with her
own demons in an entertaining way by bringing together her
personal experience of the Priory Clinic and her addiction to
soap operas. At least the latter would potentially serve to
bond her with the similarly inclined audience members.
Appropriately groomed and
with a sparkle in her eye, Natalie Haverstock rises to the
challenge of playing the soap actress Beverley Beresford,
currently undergoing treatment for depression. Being only
superficially aware of the world of soap operas, I am not sure
exactly how convincing Haverstock’s performance is. However,
the show definitely reads like an A-Z of celebrity culture’s
highs and lows."
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