Monday, 16 October 2017

Fleabag by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. NHB


Key words

Twenties
Women
Comedy
Brash
Sex
Alone
Insecure
Wild
One-woman
Honest
Up front




Characters (1. 1Female)

Note from the writer: "Other characters can be recorded voices, played by other actors or played by Fleabag.
Pauses and beats are indicated by the space given between lines.” (Waller-Bridge, 2014, pg2)

Fleabag - 26

Time and setting

The location of the play is not specified and the dialogue does not suggest any necessary dialect. The time of the play seems to be modern day, give or take a few years either way.


Synopsis

Written and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge this comedic play is perhaps better known for its TV show counterpart of the same name.

Fleabag is not your average lady. She likes sex, she likes to talk about sex, she likes a good drink, she says what’s on her mind and runs a failing guinea pig café. Yes, really.

The play opens with Fleabag completely flunking a job interview as she accidentally exposes herself in front of her potential employer. She goes on to tell the audience that her on-again, off-again boyfriend has recently broken up with her, again.

As the play goes on we learn of Fleabag’s dead best friend, Boo, with whom she opened the guinea pig café. We get an insight into her fraught relationships with both her sister and father after her mother’s death and her willingness to engage in sexual activity with, well, anyone.

This hilarious play gives an audience a brief insight into the life of a mid-twenties woman trying to get it together when everything is crumbling apart. Being a one woman show this piece offers a whole host of monologues for a female actress to showcase a range of emotions: brash and bold, comedic and spunky, sensitive and real.

Monologues and duologues etc...

All of the monologues within the play from Fleabag and there are lots to choose from. However, that does not rule out the option of exploring some of the other characters in a little more depth in the name of scene work. Below I have highlighted some of the monologues which I feel have the most performative value

Pages 5-6. Fleabag’s opening monologue depicts her average night to herself. She talks about ordering a “very slutty pizza”, Zac Efron, Obama and having a “horrible wank” on YouPorn. This piece ends with the revelation that her boyfriend, Harry, has once again broken up with her.

Pages 6-7. She goes on to describe a threesome she once had with Harry in detail and how she plans to get over their break up. This somehow leads her to reveal the circumstances surrounding Boo’s death.

Pages 12-13. Here Fleabag gives us an insight into her family background. She tells of her mother’s death, her father’s Lothario response and her sister’s uptight nature.

Pages 21-23. As a drunk Fleabag is poured into a cab by her fathers she attempts to find a way to not spend the night alone. She tells of a girl she fooled about with and a man she met at a festival, both whilst she was still with Harry.

Pages 25-25. This monologue highlights a more sensitive side to Fleabag. She voices her concerns for others around her, such as her sister, and discusses how Boo had a favourite guinea pig that got her through her hardest times.


Other Work

Unsure as I cannot seem to find her own website.



Written by: Olivia Seaton-Hill

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