REVIEW: THE HIGH LIFE by Forest Theatre Company at Barons Court Theatre 14-18 February 2023

‘Mendes did an impressive job of taking on a two-act show all by herself’ ★★★

Scott Younger’s The High Life told the story of 24 year old Kalya’s (Feyisara Mendes) attempts at making a name for herself in the big wide world as she gains a swanky new job at a PR firm, a work bestie, a social schedule filled with booze and nights out, and a fiancé. But after Kayla reaches the high life, things rapidly take a turn for the very very worse.

Younger’s play tried to be heartfelt and comical, but it lacked a gripping storyline and circumstances that were true to life. With a 24 year old women getting engaged to her new boss within a year, cheating on him with her best gal pal during post-work drinks, being cheated on my her now ex-fiancé, becoming an alcoholic, and almost getting evicted - the dramatic life of Kayla felt far from realistic making it hard for the audience to truly empathise with the story and its characters. It was difficult to gage what the audience was meant to have gained from listening to two hours of Kayla’s highly dramatised circumstances that were so far removed from reality.

Most alarmingly the leading character of Younger’s one woman show, Kayla, felt drowned in gender stereotypes and an unrealistic understanding of what it actually means to be a young black woman working in today’s corporate world. Notions of workplace grooming and microaggressions were brushed over by Kayla in a way that was hard to justify. The issues of being a young woman in a corporate world and the institutional racism within these corporations were trivialised; making High Life, at times, hard to digest.

Despite these issues, Mendes did an impressive job of taking on a two-act show all by herself. She committed fully to the problematic character and storyline that was given to her. 

Sarah Githugu’s direction was good and she used the exciting space at Barons Court Theatre well. It would have been good to see the secondary characters that Mendes imitated developed further and more exciting transitions between each of the different events and storylines. This would have helped lift the piece that at times felt long-winded and pedestrian.

Unfortunately, Younger’s play didn’t quite hit the mark with a trivial and predictable storyline. Problematically, the leading character was drowned in gender stereotypes and a lack of understanding.

THE HIGH LIFE by Forest Theatre Company at Barons Court Theatre 14-18 February 2023

Director: Sarah Githugu

Writer: Scott Younger

Producer: Olivia Burgin

Performer: Feyisara Mendes

Designer: Josie Ireland

Reviewed by Amy Tickner

Amy is a theatre maker based in North London. She has directed for many companies at various pub theatres across London and her debut play ‘Jammy Dodgers’ had successful runs at Theatre N16, Etcetera Theatre, The Cockpit, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.