Pass It On by writers from the Yellow Coat Theatre Company Collective – Theatre 503, London

COMPANY B

Lane Swimming is written by Lucy Dobree, performed by Alessandra Perotto and directed by Ella Murdoch.

Untitled is written by Khawla Ibraheem, performed by Hazal Han and directed by Bettina Paris.

Period Pills is written and performed by Emma Lamond and directed by Caron Kehoe.

Dirt, Moss and Pigeon Shit is written by Sherry Newton, performed by Nicola Rockhill and directed by Sherry Newton and Belle Bao.

PA’ing is written by Emma Dawson, performed by Leila McQuaid and directed by beth drury.

That’s Not My Name is written by Siân Rowland, performed by Corinne Strickett and directed by Tania Black.

Grown Ups is written by Claire Marie Perry, performed by Lucy Renton and directed by Belle Bao.

The Argos Delivery is written by Annette Brook, performed by Roli Okorodudu and directed by Ella Murdoch.

Seaside is written by Martha Reed, performed by Marina Johnson and directed by AK Golding.

Let’s Talk About Tea is written and performed by Caron Kehoe and directed by Fiona White.

The full line-up of monologues that makes up Yellow Coat Theatre’s Company B performance is delivered in 60 minutes by ten different actors, each of whom stands up from the side of the stage and steps in the limelight when their moment arrives. The consistent quality of both writing and performance is a real achievement – and there are Companies A and C too! All ten plays are involving, unpredictable and carefully honed pieces. They are by women and about women, but that’s where any similarity ends. Subjects and styles range from a woman asserting herself in the middle lane of the local pool, to a PA fighting her instincts to tell the new starter how she’s really treated to a girl practising fleeing the bombs in Gaza, and finding herself doing it for real. All ten authors do not miss a beat, and the actors deliver their work with uniformly involved performances

The piece that perhaps stood out from a high quality bunch was The Argos Delivery by Annette Brook, about a woman with a surprisingly strong attachment to her toaster. It was offered a perfect side-angle on mental illness and isolation while also being genuinely funny and strange. Roli Okorodudu performed it with a disarming openness, and hints of a lot more hiding behind the mask.

Yellow Coat Theatre Company have something very impressive going on here, and Pass It On is a guide to the theatre of the future.