Review: Fluff (Touring)

Sunday, 16th March 2025 at Theatre 41, Monkgate 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fluff is a pretty clever piece of storytelling in which one actor takes on various roles to gradually unravel the truth about our confused lead. It’s no spoiler to say that the show centres on dementia and Fluff’s relationship to it, but the story told delves deeper. It looks at dementia through a familiar lens and with familiar sentiments and sensitivity, but by exploring a range of peripheral traumas, this story sets itself apart from similar narratives as it marries social commentary with elements of mystery, painting a dark but sympathetic picture of one woman’s struggle through life.

Directed by Danäe Cambrook, Tayla Kenyon (who is also co-writer of the piece, alongside James Piercy) stars and manages to hold us for the full 75 minutes. Admittedly, the show begins a little unsure in footing, with shifts between characters feeling abrupt and perhaps too unassisted by staging, but as the rhythm of the piece begins to be felt, the shifts between the various characters become crisper and more meaningful.

The show, once it hits its stride, moves between humour and heartbreak with barely a seam on show and Kenyon impresses as she moves through a rollercoaster of emotions felt by a plethora of characters in increasingly quick succession. Ultimately, we find ourselves working alongside Fluff, mapping details to piece together the puzzle provided by fragments of past and present.

By the end of proceedings, it’s not just about Kenyon’s brilliant, layered performance, but the clever structuring of a tale that seemed relatively predictable before the strands started finding each other. There are genuinely surprising revelations in the mix, alongside a knowing satisfaction when the dots begin to join as you may have suspected – and the humour plays no small part in ensuring the full scope of Fluff’s ups and downs are felt.

All in all, Fluff engages and deals with delicate subject matter with vital sensitivity, but it also does well to plant seeds of mystery with rewarding returns – and that darker side sets it apart.

Fluff continues to tour until April 2025 – more information and tickets can be found here.