When Eleanor Hill wrote the lockdown web series SadVents in the run-up to Christmas 2020, it was clear that a unique and interesting talent had burst onto the theatre scene.
Fast forward a few years, and her latest show, a solo multimedia piece of semi-autobiography called Overshare, is staged at Greenwich Theatre.
I’m viewing an excellent video copy filmed from a variety of angles, with sharp sound and visuals, capturing the screens Hill navigates as she performs the show.
Overshare covers all the difficult topics in a high-energy performance, written and performed with tight precision.
Hill is a complex talent, exposing her own trauma and experience through the lens of social media, music, and live streaming.
Overshare stems from her very real breakdown that was livestreamed on Instagram, highlighting the lack of mental health support during the pandemic.
Now expanded and developed into a full-length piece, it is far from an easy watch, but it also encourages you to laugh at the absurdity of life.
Overshare is loud, intense, messy and very in-your-face. It’s set in a bedroom designed by Constance Villemot, backed by a large screen simultaneously broadcasting memes, images, and Hill’s confessional video.
Is this the real Hill? Are we really seeing what she feels, thinks and does? Or is it a carefully curated and misleading projection of what we assume we know about mental illness and psychological damage?
It’s very direct and even dangerous. Hill is a performer who is often fearless in tearing away the protective layer most people call privacy.
The death of a parent, a toxic relationship, and a health crisis all come under the lens of Hill’s dark humour. It’s deeply personal and often uncomfortable, but that’s inevitable with solo autobiographical theatre.
Overshare offers food for thought about our online consumption and how much we share of ourselves. It certainly isn’t a show you can easily ignore.
My thanks to Eleanor Hill for letting me review this video of her performance. I recognised a lot in Overshare from SadVents, while her skill and confidence continue to grow.
Hill’s future plans include a commission for Camden People’s Theatre, and you can keep up with her work and, well, oversharing, via her Instagram account.
4 stars for this one.
Image credit: Joe Twigg