Lamesha Ruddock
A fast-paced, brutally honest, sensational theatrical delight!
This is How I Got Arrested… takes us on a series of holidays from England to Zante, to Kavos to Magaluf to Ireland and every border crossing in between. Here, Sophie finally finds escapism from her neglectful family life that has normalised the drug business like it’s the family business.
This Is How I Got Arrested… (after smuggling drugs across the border but never actually getting caught with any drugs) is wildly entertaining, actively welcoming the audience into Sophie’s coked-up world from stewarding the timer to representing different characters in Sophie’s life. Owning the tableaus of chaos whilst holding the controlled moments of deep vulnerability, and self-reflection.
From Ibiza Weekender to Educating the East End, we’ve seen an abundance of real-life working class lived experiences that can evoke a sense of overfamiliarity with real and complicated lives. These are systems at play that limit, control and standardise options, setting folks on the path of chasing the last high, the last good feeling.
This Is How I Got Arrested… carefully handles drug abuse, toxic family structures and toes the line carefully to avoid being a working class troop through balancing accountability and naming their exploitation.
Centred around a suitcase stuffed with Sophie’s life story, the show comes alive with clever, intentional design. As the story progresses we are introduced to characters through playful drawings, gorgeously illustrated by Time4Soup, which are then savagely ripped up later on.
Azaelia Slade brilliantly brings Sophie to life, brimming with energy as she spends most of the show running around – Sophie took the long way to get there. She comes of age through an unveiling of layered clothes like a Russian doll, from a purple baby doll dress to vibrant boxing shorts. A familiar movement motif, guided by Eve Phillips, highlights the revelation of the different characters with a raised arch presentation accompanied by shimmering sound effects.
This is a show that demands you witness the violence, the journey, the joy, the drug banging, and the verbal abuse. Yet, Sophie persists, and she is hopeful she will find her people, find somatic bliss. But you know when the come-up is euphoric, the come-down is gonna feel like absolute shite.
Recommended Drink: Rum and Coke Zero.
You can catch This Is How I Got Arrested… at ZOO Playground (Playground 3) from August 22-30 at 19:40 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Shay Mace
Oli Fuller
Issy Cory
