Review of And the winner is… at the Vault Festival 2018

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/197560/review-and-the-winner-is-vault-festival-2018/

And the winner is...They do say ‘be careful what you wish for’ and I think most of us can agree with that at various points in our lives as the thing we thought we wanted turns out to be a mistake. And down at the Vault Festival, Paul Westwood explores this idea in his one-act play And the Winner is…
This short show, running time around twenty minutes, is a difficult one to describe. But let’s start with the easy bits. The production started with the small audience, nine all together including yours truly, meeting at the entrance to the Vault and then being taken for a short walk to a caravan parked around the corner. We entered and sat down, the door was closed and for a few moments, we all sat there unaware of what to do now. There was a little small talk and then the caravan door opened and the performance began. The story basically revolves around Julie (Julie Yammanee) a young attractive actress in her first big starring role in the movie ‘Redemption’. She is very excited, and also nervous, as this is day one of shooting. But she is not alone, she has her own PA, Emma (Claire Redcliffe) and Ryan (Tim Allsop) to bring her a morning coffee and protein bar. Even her costume is delivered to her by Wardrobe Assistant Jenna (Naomi Belle). Nothing is too good for Julie, and Producer Justin Walsh (Karl Wilson) is determined his new star has the best of everything.
Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all I can tell you without giving away any spoilers as And the Winner is… is one of those productions that work best when experienced and without any form of prior knowledge. Paul Westwood has written a very impressive piece that, particularly in the current climate, is extremely relevant and really gets its message across.
Astonishing writing and a fabulous cast bringing the words to life. Julie Yammanee in the role of Julie was perfect. A highly excited, rather irritating actress who verges on arrogant but probably wouldn’t have enough self-awareness to know she had strayed over the line.
Karl Wilson as Producer Justin Walsh is also extremely well cast. His Justin is an experienced benevolent figure who has a lot of faith in Julie’s potential and wants to help her realise it. The other characters all add to the realism of the busy film set, helping the actress get moving, but always aware of the importance of looking after the Producer.
All in all, And the Winner is… will remain with me for quite a while. The intimate setting means that the audience are firmly in the show, sharing the story as it unfolds in front and around them. There is no place to hide for either audience or actors so everything needs to be spot on. Luckily this production really is. The caravan looks lovely, the costumes are perfect and the overall production both in writing and performance works very well. I’m not going to say I enjoyed And the Winner is… (you’ll understand why when you see it) but I was totally engrossed in the story from start to finish and left the caravan in a pretty emotional, thoughtful and contemplative mood.
5 Star Rating
Review by Terry Eastham for www.LondonTheatre1.com

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