FLIP!
Photo by: Tristram Kenton
FLIP! by Racheal Ofori
‘CC’ are the best friend duo that consists of Crystal (Jadesola Odunjo) and Carlene (Leah St Luce); not only do the duo have a lot in common, they also have a lot to say and they want people to hear it. From general catch ups, to trending hot topics and reaction videos you can find it all on their ‘WE PIPE’ channel.
Crystal is in her ‘celebrity era’ and is pushing for content as their fame increases. Like many influencers today, she understands that with fame comes influence and in turn checks! On the flip side, Carlene is submitting several job applications applying for jobs but is facing numerous an overwhelming amount of rejections. Following a recent cancellation from their We Pipe site, the girls move to FLIP!; the new social media app that's taking the world by storm. Unbeknownst to them, this app would be the real rise and fall of the CC duo.
With Ofori’s storytelling and Aboud’s direction, they are able to shine a light on a compromise many are willing to make; the pursuit of fame and money at the expense of morality. Their ability to interrogate our societal ills whilst leaving room for the audience to crack a smile is commendable.
FLIP! Similar to Tiktok, but not Tiktok. The app that allows you to post 6-second videos that others can flip. Depending on your level of engagement, your flips can make you money. Upon their arrival on the app, Crystal and Carlene grow their following quickly; from slow-mo dances to trendy statements, the cancellation from WE PIPE slowly fades away. After getting actual celebrity attention, one half of the pair makes a live mistake causing her perpetual cancellation.
Set on a simple yet practical stage in the Upstairs room of Soho theatre, FLIP is a perfect take on cancel culture, the growth of artificial intelligence and our lust for fame. In this 70-minute play, the audience is kept engaged with an array of content (no pun intended) and so much food for thought as we see a beautiful friendship breakup right before us. The play carefully touches on crucial topics such as consent, mental health and bullying without stripping them of their importance through pace or humour. The interweaving theme of the reality of social media is what stands strong through all these topics. Social media is real; it is as real as you and I and there are real people behind every page.
Through great use of music and sound, the pair are able to bounce across the room pacing themselves with grace under Alaine David’s movement direction and Eliyana Evans sound and composing. As each dance move and gesture unfolds, another level of flavour is added to the scene. As the duo take on other roles within the play, from news anchor to french models - the sound effortlessly aligns with the energy required with each adaptation.
The play comes to a close in a monologue-style speech from Carlene; “everything is funny or nothing is funny…” leaving the audience with an unsettling and open end. However, it can be argued that this is the exact point. The question is left to the audience to challenge how much of ourselves we have given to social media and technology in general.
An apt food for thought, that sheds light on our relationship with technology and challenges our future use of it as we know it.
By Eniola Edusi.
★★★★☆
FLIP! Is running at Soho Theatre till the 25th November 2023.
