Simon Ward reviews The Whisper Comes Before The Plant at the Hen and Chickens Theatre

Nia Braidford’s new play, in which she also plays the role of Faith, is an ambitious and compelling exploration of the reality of living with mental illness and the after-effects of a coercive-controlling relationship. It is also a laugh-out-loud odd-couple comedy of manners, where English reserve clashes with Australian brashness. In Wesley Bozonga’s directorial debut, he manages to bring both aspects to life convincingly, as well as choosing the particularly compelling musical backdrop.

The setup is very simple – Faith lives alone in a flat in London Bridge and has advertised for a flatmate to take the second bedroom. Turning up unannounced the night before his interview is Timmy (Louis Walwyn), the aforementioned OTT Australian. What we can see, although Timmy cannot, is that there is a third presence in the room, The Whisper (Sonny Pilgrem), the black-clad embodiment of all Faith’s self-loathing and insecurity. Braidford shows us Faith battling with the Whisper’s undermining words, sometimes succumbing, sometimes just trying to ignore him, but never able to make him disappear.

Despite her initial reluctance, and the harsh warnings of the Whisper, we come to realise that Faith actually has very little choice in the matter – her life has shrunk so much that she is desperate for the income a flatmate will bring. She tries very hard to remain at arm’s length with Timmy – and there is an amusing montage sequence in which she tries to dodge him at every turn – but we can tell that it cannot last. The crunch point comes when he brings a houseplant into the flat, leaving it in the living room so it can have enough light. Her reaction is so disproportionate that they both come to realise that she has bigger problems than simply great British froideur. But it is not until a fire alarm goes off that the full extent of her illness is apparent – her fear of going outside is greater than the fear of being trapped in a burning building.

If that seems absurd, Braidford is utterly convincing, in both her writing and her performance. We believe in her fear. And we know that it will take a lot of work to help her to overcome it. Timmy is the unlikely catalyst for a breakthrough, but once she realises that underneath his happy-go-lucky exterior he is riddled with problems as well, she is able to find a kind of solidarity. Walwyn’s performance elegantly manages the transition from clown to confidant just as Braidford shows the slow dismantling of her walls of reticence and restraint. And she has to find the strength to confront The Whisper and banish him from her life, at least for the time being. We leave her at the precipice, but ready to take the plunge.

The Whisper Comes Before The Plant is running as part of the Camden Fringe at the Hen and Chickens Theatre, 109 St Paul’s Road, London N1 2NA until Sunday 16th August