Nina Lou Bricard writes and performs this half-hour glimpse into the world of Maeva, a French woman in her twenties who has just run away from her own wedding.
The Waiting is not quite sure of its purpose yet, and it takes a bit to figure out who this young woman is who comes charging into the space.
Why is she there and what has happened? Who is she talking to, beside the unseen waiters and customers? Who is she and who is the groom?
As The Waiting unfolds, Maeva opens up and becomes far less confident and much more vulnerable.
We realise it isn’t a simple matter of a runaway bride, but something far more serious and disturbing that has brought her here.
Bricard’s writing does offer moments of close reflection, but it is when the character strips down (emotionally and physically) that a raw and engaging style peeks out.
Developed from a one-minute monologue, Maeva clearly wishes to communicate and has something to say.
The Waiting offers a glimpse of the half-world that exists in Maeva’s mind, in which the audience may well be complicit participants.
The personal, the politic, and the primal all have meaning in this world in which one woman is putting on a show while cracking open inside.
It’s a deeply perplexing piece in its current form. Experimental, introspective, and just out of reach.
Further performances at the Voila! Festival in November will allow the play to honed further, and eventually expanded into something that has more accessibility and focus.
The shows offers a very strong performance from Bricard, who clearly has enough faith in her story to make a lasting impression on those watching.
The Waiting is currently an intriguing watch that could evolve into a potent and powerful full-length drama.
The Waiting ran at The Glitch as part of Camden Fringe. It runs in November 2025 as part of the Voila! Festival.
3 stars.