FRUIT SALAD at Etcetera Theatre 30 – 31 October 2026

‘a wonderfully energetic performer but clarity in direction and story is needed’ ★★

FRUIT SALAD written and performed by Ioana Feneru is a darkly comedic solo show following a young woman, Annie, obsessing over her weight and body image until it becomes something much more sinister and slowly begins to take over her life. She explores what it means to constantly be measured and counting calories in today’s society.

Feneru is a charismatic and energetic performer who immediately connects with her audience. For a subject matter with so much weight to it, she adds lightness and comedy throughout, making eye contact with audience members and even getting us to interact with her questions. Feneru was in her element, never letting her energy dip and taking the audience along on her character’s very personal and complex journey.

Although I understood the message behind this production, FRUIT SALAD failed to present a clear story. I really enjoyed the character of Annie that Feneru had created.  Her struggles with calorie-counting and weight were evident as she compared her body and dieting habits to different fruits at the beginning of the show. But for a 50 minute piece the plot was incoherent and at times non-existent, I came away genuinely not sure what happened to her character or how this related to the psychological horror genre that had been described. Video footage of political rallies, yoga coaching and music transitioned us from scene to scene with no explanation as to why they were there, and as some were in a foreign language we also couldn’t interpret the meaning for ourselves which was a missed opportunity. 

I feel that this piece could greatly benefit from an outside director. At times the staging was clunky and paired with lack of clarity in the story it was difficult to follow. Producing a show on Halloween night offers a brilliant opportunity to unsettle an audience and I believe Feneru’s performance alongside a clearer script and stronger staging has the potential to create an exciting and moving piece of theatre.

Feneru is a wonderfully energetic performer but clarity in direction and story is needed to develop FRUIT SALAD into the unsettling, dark comedy that it has the potential to be.