Reader Reviews
The Girlfriend Experience (Royal Court - Jerwood Theatre, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | I nearly pee'd my pants! - Granny Smith | 01 Oct 08 |
| Sorry, I'm having a bad day! As I have buggered this up twice I shall leave five stars now to balance it out - I hope it works! - rds | 30 Sep 08 |
| Apologies, I meant to leave 4 stars. - rds | 30 Sep 08 |
| Original, touching, funny and thought provoking. The action takes place in a Bournemouth brothel which offers their clients "The Real Girlfriend Experience". The basic concept of the piece is for the actors to speak the dialogue whilst simultaneously listening to the recorded dialogue of the actual prostitutes and their clients on headphones. It starts with one of the actresses explaining this to us before we hear both her and the real person speaking. That doubling is slightly confusing at first, but the confusion doesn't last long as the recordings are faded out and only the actors voices can be heard. It is the sort of concept that will polarise audiences. One couple sitting in front of me almost started a fight with each other as she demanded he left with her. She should have given it more time to see how the characters eventually endeared themselves to us. A tart's lot is not a happy one, but these girls get through it, hobbling pensioners and all. It has to be said that the skill of the actresses pull this piece off, it could so easily have gone for nothing in the wrong hands and also to the one man who plays the ten punters, my favourites perhaps being Dickbrain and Glove Man (don't ask!) All credit then to Alecky Blythe, the writer for such an imaginative concept, Joe Hill-Gibbins for his bold direction and the Royal Court for taking the risk with it and ultimately pulling it off. - rds | 30 Sep 08 |
| 4.5 if there was such a points system. Absolutely wonderful, may have its flaws but overall a fantastic night out, can't reccomend it highly enough. - Greg | 25 Sep 08 |
