Flip Review at Alphabetti Theatre Newcastle
FLIP! By Racheal Ofari
Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne
11th October 2023
I have been treated to some wonderful theatre in the last couple of weeks and today I was spoilt again with a world premier of a production by Fuel in association with Alphabetti Theatre. This is a timely production that deals with some weighty topics in a high energy performance from the two very endearing performers.
FLIP! tells the story of close friends Carleen and Crystal who are in the business of creating content for a social media platform in the shadow of a new craze on the internet known as FLIP! Ofari’s script challenges the audience to consider what they know about the plethora of short video applications available, the huge surge in the rise of influencers and ‘pubescent internet millionaires.’
The play starts affably with Carleen (Leah St Luce) and Crystal (Jadesola Odunjo) creating videos for their growing army of followers. They dream of making this their main employment but without a great deal of success. The girls are outspoken and speak of anything they want to talk about, running the ever-present modern risk of being cancelled for saying the wrong thing about the wrong person or the wrong subject.
The energy shown by their two superb actors is quite exhausting as they take on a myriad of characters to drive the story to a conclusion that is as emotional as it is hard-hitting which is a credit to award winning director Emily Aboud.
There is a comparison between this play and an episode of Black Mirror and it has oodles of soul and warmth. The friendship between the two girls is genuine and even when they fall out there is the sense of a very close bond.
While there are some humorous laugh out loud moments there are also some weighty topics discussed including but not limited to body shaming and modification, racism, homophobia and even death. The lighting design by KJ was particularly effective and complements and jolts the action at the appropriate moments in the story.
FLIP! at Alphabetti plays with the audience’s sense of what they are watching to examine the frivolity of social media juxtaposed with the rising dangers associated with AI technology. I thoroughly enjoyed this 75-minute one act play and I recommend that everyone gets along to see it.
Before I sign off for the evening from Alphabetti there is a writing workshop inspired by and collaboration with FLIP! by Racheal Ofari which is open to anyone who has a ticket to see FLIP! These free workshops are being held on 18th and 19thOctober at 5.30pm. The Alphabetti Website states ‘What does it mean to write and create in a way that champions teens and young people in new and exciting ways?
Inspired by and in collaboration with FLIP! by Rachel Ofori (hyperlink). We’re running some FREE (if you have purchased a ticket to the show) script writing workshops.
Are you interested in script-writing?
Are you interested in writing for teen and young people?
This is a script writing workshop, suitable for all over the age of 14. This could be for those emerging, experimenting or just trying to get over a current block.’
Further information about FLIP!, the writing courses and Alphabetti’s up and coming productions is available at: https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/whats-on