REVIEW: SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE at Golden Goose Theatre, 6-10 June

‘It’s easy to believe in the world that MacDonald has created … subsequently the drama that unfolds feels engaging and relevant’ ★★★★

Many will be able to appreciate the importance of a solid relationship with a good hairdresser. It’s a strange, intimate exchange, where it’s possible to feel either horribly vulnerable or tremendously empowered. In Simon MacDonald’s new monologue, it’s easy to imagine that Allie (Alice McCracken), our protagonist, would make a wonderful, comforting presence in the salon. Her warmth and openness make her immediately endearing and enables her to tell her difficult story with little hesitation. Although this is her workplace, her colleagues feel more like family, her regulars more like friends. It’s easy to believe in the world that MacDonald has created here, and subsequently the drama that unfolds feels engaging and relevant albeit a little rushed.

Ostensibly based on the true story of salon owners who banned gossip magazines and tabloids in the wake of Caroline Flack’s suicide, this rather complicated story feels a little under-developed in places. Allie introduces us to one salon apprentice, then that apprentice’s boyfriend, then a second apprentice within the first few minutes of the play. Each of these characters are important to the action, but the individual sections within the story feel under-explored. There’s seriously weighty material here that deserves more attention. Much of the action is anchored to an enormous open secret with the local community, however this plot point feels secondary to the play’s stated raison d’etre. As a result, the climax of the play feels unbalanced and unsatisfying in places.

Despite this, the more subtle aspects to the writing create room for reflection. There are clear attempts to deal with the barriers created by economic and social class in modern Britain. At one point, Allie admires the expensive hairstyle worn by an undercover reporter, which immediately blows her cover beside the salon’s usual clientele. Further, more nuanced observations help to coax the audience into examining their prejudice. Nina, who is to become tabloid fodder, is largely shielded from us as a character. The intricacies of her relationship and the situation with her family are kept as enigmas. There is the sense that Nina does not quite fit securely either within the world of the salon or in the world she comes from. It is Nina’s choices that propel the action, however as a character she remains inscrutable and therefore compelling.



Alice McCracken’s performance as hairdresser Allie is delightful and absorbing. McCracken slips into other characters and accents throughout the piece, which really helps to achieve the sense of community that the story demands. There is the rather strange directorial decision to place McCracken behind her hairdresser’s chair for much of the performance, which inhibits her movement significantly. As a result, the performance really shines in those moments when McCracken steps out from behind the chair and uses more of the space.

Rennie & White Productions present

SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE by Simon MacDonald at Golden Goose Theatre 6 – 10 June 2023

Box Office https://www.goldengoosetheatre.co.uk/sometime-somewhere

Reviewed by Natalie Mackinnon