Review: Gobby

Bri (writer-actor Jodie Irvine) is hosting a party, but it’s not going well. No one’s mingling, most of her friends keep to themselves and then they leave early. A self-admitted big mouth, Bri is being slowly pushed out of her social circle with no clear idea how to make her way back in.

Gobby initially promises to be a tale about overcoming social anxieties and learning how to host 'a really good party'. But something curious happens in the first act. Bri starts to undermine her status as a reliable narrator, as we begin to get hints at past trauma and emotional abuse that she is struggling to move past.

Irvine’s script is lively and animated, but it’s her sparkling performance that makes this show so thoroughly entertaining. Through delightful touches of mime, and inspired pieces of party-gear appropriation, Irvine crafts an infinitely-relatable story about what it is to be loud and what it is to be heard. Gobby is a love letter to self-care, self-acceptance and female friendships. It's warmly presented as a comedy but bears a wealth of truths and insights on the nature of blame, resilience and empathy.