REVIEW: IF NOT ME by Boo Jackson at The Hen and Chickens Theatre 7 – 9 August 2026

‘Highly original and absorbing one woman show’ ★★★★

It’s relatively common, that amongst friends and acquaintances, one party can start to believe that the relationship is much stronger than it is. Sometimes this escalates, like those stories in the news about a person who is having a problem with a stalker, but what about the other side? How does someone become so obsessed, and at what point does the self-delusion kick in?

This highly original one person show, written and performed by Boo Jackson, goes a long way to enlightening us and showing that maybe, there’s a little stalker in all of us, or at least a tendency to delude ourselves.  We always hope that we wouldn’t take an obsession to the extremes of the character being portrayed here, but Jackson has made her subject very real. It is easy to go on the journey with her and to care about her story.

It’s hard to write a review without giving the whole plot away and this would be a shame, because part of the charm of the show is that anyone with any curiosity, must want to know how things pan out.  It has a very satisfying plot, starting with a discussion of faith and this keeps returning throughout the show which gives more depth by asking a fundamental question. It is answered, to some degree, at the end of the show, but you’ll have to see it to fully appreciate the outcome.

It is certainly no strain to watch Jackson as she is very personable, with excellent direction from James Wren, there is a stillness. This makes a change from frenetic shows blasted at us (reminding us of supposed low attention spans and the need to be constantly bombarded with effects and speedy dialogue). Whilst there is plenty of action, it is carefully considered.

I don’t recall any sound at all, the story-telling is rich enough without it,  but the lighting design, which is understated and sparsely used, provides an essential highlight.  It allows an illusion at one point in the show, purely based on what is in our heads to create what might, in a high-budget production, be part of a bathroom.   It all ties into a refrain in Jackson’s show of holding breath under water.

The show is not without humour, and those lighter moments feel shared with other audience members, unusually there is time to think during this production and to make some thoughts of our own. This kind of theatre is rare, isn’t it? Sometimes we’re being told what to think and sometimes we’re playing catch up or struggling with blurred lines.  So, it’s a pleasure to be given a show which has clarity and a leisurely pace.

IF NOT ME at The Hen and Chickens Theatre 7 – 9 August 3pm 2026

Part of Camden Fringe

BOX OFFICE https://camdenfringe.com/events/if-not-me/

Produced by Unrestricted View & The Hatchery

Performed and written by Boo Jackson

Directed by James Wren