Review: The Edit at Belvoir 25a

Review by Grace Swadling

Reality television has a tendency to bring out the very worst qualities of human beings; greed, jealousy, apathy, judgement and worst of all, the desire to win at any cost. Despite all this, reality television continues to have a chokehold on our social ecosystem, the guiltiest of pleasures. But what happens when that cost turns out to be the loss of our humanity? THE EDIT by Gabrielle Scawthorn, presented by Unlikely Productions and Legit Theatre Co. taps into the dark underbelly of reality television to explore the realities and consequences of the notion of “at any cost.”

Writer and Director Gabrielle Scawthorn has drawn on her lived experiences and extensive research into the world of reality television to deliver a twisted game of cat and mouse. The Edit tells the story of influencer Nia (Iolanthe) who has set out to win the primetime reality dating hit, Match or Snatch and her Producer Jess (Matilda Ridgway), who wants to orchestrate Nia’s every move to secure a win for both of them. But what will the win cost both women? 

Scawthorn’s script commanded darkly comic and punchy lines, as well as raw moments of depth and pathos. This razor-sharp two-hander serves as both a biting commentary on reality tv and an unflinching exploration of the lengths that people will go to for control. The power struggle between the two women was beautifully executed. The chemistry and tension between Iolanthe and Ridgway was palpable. Both actors gave nuanced and layered performances and the shifts between power and vulnerability were impressive. 

Iolanthe has incredible stage presence and dazzled as Nia, whose sexiness and ambition gives way to darkness and pain as she is forced to reconcile with the situation she finds herself in. Ridgway was utterly captivating - Jess’ desperation and ruthlessness was like watching a beautiful trainwreck you couldn’t take your eyes off.

The technical elements of The Edit worked well to bring this seedy world of tv sets and fakeness to life. Ruby Jenkins’s set was simplistic yet impressive - the use of a photoscreen throughout was a fantastic element. Phoebe Pilcher’s lighting design was at times overwhelming with flashing strobes which, when combined with Alyx Dennison’s suitably ominous and raucous sound design, worked to craft an uneasy and distracting environment.

The twists and turns of this play kept the whole audience on their toes - audible gasps and groans could be heard throughout the entire thing. As the complexity of the play unraveled, audiences were consistently asked to question the reality of these two women, which parallels the ‘he said, she said” nature of reality tv. We are only shown what has been carefully curated and selected, presented to us as authenticity and truth. Therein lies the danger of ‘reality' television. The Edit is confronting and uncomfortable at times, in the way that powerful theatre should be. It is provocative in all the right ways and holds a mirror to audiences in order to force them to question; just how far would they go to get what they want?

Image Credit: Robert Catto