“Fleabag, in its original 65-minute form, is a slow-burn fuse of a play — bright throughout, then shattering. But it argues (helpfully, maybe) that sometimes the worst possible thing happens, and we pull our sweaters back down and keep going anyway.” ~ New York Times, April 10, 2020
Maybe you’ve watched the Amazon series for the past two seasons? Maybe not. Either way, we have a rare opportunity (April 10 — April 22) to witness Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the author and star of the original theater production, morph into Fleabag in a stripped down theatrical version — but still as clever, funny and shocking as the Amazon show.
First performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013, Fleabag is the story of a dry-witted woman (with zero filter) who navigates life and love in London while trying to cope with tragedy. She’s an angry, grief-riddled woman trying to heal yet rejects anyone who tries to help her. Fleabag keeps up her bravado (and insanely funny sense of humor) through it all.
A key element of the TV series is “the fourth wall” — when Fleabag turns to the camera to speak directly to the viewer, interspersing jokes and an analysis of the situation she found herself in at that moment.
The play is quite different. Fleabag addresses the audience for most of the show, but she does still clearly separate the moments where she’s speaking to another character. She darts around from the guinea pig cafe to job interviews to taxi rides to dates, but those surroundings are left entirely up to the theatre audience’s imagination as Waller-Bridge barely shifts from the tall stool she’s sitting on for the 65-minute duration.
Waller-Bridge shared that “All money raised ($5 rental fee) will support the people throughout our society who are fighting for us on the frontlines and those financially devastated by the crisis, including those in the theatre community. Thank you in advance to those who donate. Now go get into bed with Fleabag! It’s for charity!” Click here to rent on Amazon Prime.
