Overwhelm - Review!

I was super fortunate to have been invited to the Press Night performance of Overwhelm at the Bread and Roses Theatre. This show follows the struggles faced when people face drug abuse and mental health issues, particularly highlighting its importance for males. It also highlighted the struggles that many people faced attempting to adapt back to society after covid, which was a story line I particularly loved.

The stage in this theatre is rather low, and due to the seats not being tiered, I did struggle to see a lot of the performance as there were many people in front of me, and the cast spend the majority of the show sat down. However, the seats in this theatre are not reserved and you can sit where you would like, so I would recommend sitting close to the front for the best view.

At first, I struggled to understand the story line, particularly as Riley performs in monologues on the stage, it wasn’t clear to me if he was alive, present in the room or just in a different place at the same time. This all became clearer as the show progressed, but I did have a lot of questions throughout the beginning. This led to particular moments throughout the performance in which I struggled to remain engaged in the story.

I found the dialogue incredibly humorous and the way in which they switch between serious conversations and more lighthearted ones was so real. I also loved how you were able to clearly tell that each character on stage had their own struggles and it was so clear through the way in which they chose to present this.

I feel that the message of this story is so incredibly important to society today, particularly about male mental health as I feel this is not spoken about enough! Some content warnings to note include: strong language, themes of violence, substance abuse, sexual references and misogyny. The acting in this show was so raw and real and truly added so much value to the performance. Louis Martino played Miles and I genuinely had goosebumps in the scene in which he breaks down. It was absolutely chilling. Every single persons crying was so real and compelling, truly showing the struggle that they face.

One of my favourite parts of the show was the use of the central aisle as a walkway into the house, this made the entire performance feel so immersive. The scene towards the end in which they break down crying before leaving the house was so impactful and raw.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

{Gifted Invite}