Hi Everyone
I would like to congratulate Phoenix Benham and all the cast and crew on their phenomenal show, You Won’t Help Me, which I went to see at the Network Theatre in London on 1st September.
I saw the show when it was on previously at the Other Palace Theatre. It was amazing then, but even more amazing when I saw it again and witnessed the astonishing amount of growth and development the play has taken since.
Phoenix wrote it and the story is based on her own life. She produced it and gathered together the most incredible team of people for this play.
Domestic abuse is a very tough subject to portray on stage and something that definitely needs to be highlighted. This play however, looks at it from every angle. It not only shows what affect it has on the victim, but also those closest to the victim who do not see, or do not want to see the signs, or they do see the signs, but feel they can’t say anything. In fact, every sort of scenario of that kind was shown through the best friends of David and Sarah. Kelly, played by Rebecca Everest, Michelle, played by Katie Doran, Michael, played by Drayk Wayer and Callum, played by Cameron Robinson.
Some of the most compelling moments in the play, for me, was when the characters spoke aside to the audience, especially Sarah. This took us into their inner most thoughts, which almost beckoned us right into the play. It was as though the whole theatre was the stage and each one of us in the audience was the fifth friend of Sarah’s who knew the real truth all along.
As with the previous version, the acting was so good, I had a compelling urge to get up and shout. “I’ll help you”. The fact that I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, because I was an audience member watching a play, still made me feel uncomfortable and went against my instinct to get up and help. It’s almost like Sarah implores somebody in the audience to do something and when the killer line comes near the end, it hit me just as hard this time, as it did the first time I saw it.
The difficult scenes were as uncomfortable to watch as they should be. This no holds barred production was incredible.
I always judge a good play on whether or not it makes me laugh and cry at the same time and this definitely does that in spades. Drayk, always in character brilliantly and comically interacted with the audience at the end of each scene, which gave hilarious light relief in an otherwise highly charged, highly emotional play.
All the actors were incredible, but I have to give a shout out to Peter Lewis who played David. He gave an outstanding performance. He had a great responsibility in playing the abuser. A very demanding role and he did an incredible job.
The fight scenes in this version were not in the original version, but they were great and choreographed to perfection. I think some of it must have been spontaneously acted, because it felt so real. I really thought Peter was going to fall off the stage after he was thrown extremely roughly to the ground, he ended up very close to the edge. The shouting that went with it made me feel like I was in the middle of an extremely tense bar brawl. It was so well done, I felt myself lean back in my seat with trepidation during this moment in the play.
The scene at the police station had changed from the previous version and was so much better. I don’t want to give anything away, but the subliminal message shown during this scene was extremely well done. D.I. Harding was played by Sophie George and D.I. Peters was played by Ryan Radley.
If this ever comes to the stage again, it’s a definite must see.
The last word goes to Phoenix. If she puts her mind to something, she sees it through with everything she has and she has done an incredible job. She has inspired me in my own writing. I look up to her and I admire her greatly. She is an inspiration and someone I adhere to.
I wish her all the very best in her future projects and endeavours.
Rosalind Winton
Editor and Lyricist
https://www.onevoiceeditingservices.com
