Streaming on Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Assembly Showcatcher platform, Joanna Griffin’s Miss Honey is filmed at The Glory in a new digital version.
A new one-woman show, this is a gossipy and sometimes toe-curling glimpse into the world of a private tutor (“I’ve got no teaching qualifications at all”) who is bursting to make you, the viewer, her new best friend. From the moment you sit down, it all comes pouring out: work, friends, gossip, love. All the relatable minutae of sisterhood.
With constant technical interruptions – social media and dating apps are never quiet, phone calls seem constant – and a sense of an ordered life descending into boozy hysteria, Miss Honey has several surprises wrapped into its forty minute running time.
Using the venue’s nooks and crannies to maximum effect, Griffin’s earnest honesty and over-sharing does not always work in the context of the ‘talking to you’ framework, but it has a very good final few minutes which put the show in context and bring you firmly on side.
This is a show which touches on privilege, sexuality, and when it is right to speak up or out. This central character seems bubbly, chatty and confident at the start, but this facade slowly cracks upon as the play progresses.
As one half of the comedy duo Lola and Jo, Griffin is well versed in the comic reaction and physical facial contortions of character humour, and these set her in good stead her to bring Miss Honey to life. Director Róisín O’Mahony (of comic duo Róisín & Chiara) gives this a good balance of a stand-up turn and a complex drama short.
Fringe review: *** (and a half)
You can watch Miss Honey at the Edinburgh Fringe until 30 August – book your ticket here. For more on Lola and Jo, visit their website.