Who wouldn’t be enticed by the idea of getting rich quick? Particularly, if it feels like your whole life is in tatters. In Emma-Louise Howell’s play, Belles (also played by Howell) has reached rock bottom. The once popular playground queen bee has been fired from her job as a Disney princess and is living at home with her disappointed mum with no cash in her bank account. Luckily for her, an Instagram DM from a stranger might hold the answer: but can a pyramid scheme really be her saving grace?
Hetty Hodgson’s pink stained, manic production glances into the world of all things girlboss. Surtitles type out the play’s script, while the stage is lit with messages on phone screens. The sound design by Holly Khan sends text tones blaring, and wine emojis flash to signify nights in drinking. The result is a whirlwind of technology, zooming out at a dizzying rate.
At the centre of it all is Belles, who is hypnotised by the potential profit, but has sworn to herself she won’t become another girlboss clone. But, gradually, the phrases of her fellow Get Rich Quick girls start to slip into her own tongue. Soon, she too is consumed by her social media presence and growing following. As she is sucked further into the company, her curated personality becomes her focus. But, ironically, Belles’ sense of actuality is lost in the process.
Howell’s script spills out in random bursts of consciousness, but her language runs like a song. Rhyme and rhythm are fused into Belles’ monologue, while Hodgson’s direction enhances the feeling that she’s inside a retro video game. The women who are part of the pyramid scheme are introduced to us in the style of character selection, each with their own personality and strengths. Holograms and graphics make it seem like Belles is trapped behind the walls of a computer screen: even though the script is littered with comedy, this is a dark existence she is unable to escape.
It is a picture of panic and it could benefit from slowing down a notch. But Howell is astute in her analysis of feminism and capitalism in the social media age.
• At Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh, until 26 August
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