Review: WEER at Soho Theatre Walthamstow
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Five Stars)
As the debut show in the newly-opened, beautifully renovated Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Natalie Palamides’ WEER sets the bar high. Following acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and Soho Theatre, WEER lands in London’s newest theatre as an 85-minute rollercoaster of 90s rom-com homage, physical comedy, and inventive storytelling.
Managing to hit all of the classic rom-com tropes, we first meet our star-crossed lovers, Mark and Christina, on New Year’s Eve 1999 before jumping back in time to experience their meet-cute, watch them fall in love and follow them through their (tumultuous, x-rated, and hilarious) relationship up until the night of that fateful Y2K party. The twist: both Mark and Christina are played by Palamides in this one-woman show. Palamides splits herself in two down the middle with one side of her hair, makeup and clothing depicting Christina while the other depicts Mark. She masterfully switches between the two characters, angling her body and altering her voice and physicality to indicate who's speaking at any given time. The result is hysterically funny and incredibly impressive.
Palamides’ energy on stage is nothing short of superhuman. She hurls herself (at times literally) through a barrage of physical comedy, rapid-fire dialogue, swift costume changes, and whip-smart improvisation. Every moment is alive with unpredictability, yet it’s all anchored by her unwavering control and comic instincts.
Although WEER is a one-woman show, Palamides truly manages to engage the audience so thoroughly that we all become part of the story. Certain audience members are even assigned supporting roles in the show, whether they’re ready or not. In WEER, the fourth wall isn’t just broken: it’s smashed into glittering pieces in an example of immersive theatre at its most anarchic and delightful.
By the end of WEER, my cheeks ached from grinning and my sides from laughing. As the christening production for Soho Theatre Walthamstow, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser and set the tone for this exciting new venue.
WEER runs at Soho Theatre Walthamstow until 10th May 2025.
Photos by Traverse Theatre