Cast (L-R): Josie Hatch; Natacha Stevenin; Gilles Fernandes Mota; Allesandro Stasi;
Credit: Helen O'Mahony/Chronicle.lu
On Thursday 3 October 2024, Chronicle.lu had the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal of the BGT English Theatre company’s new play The Good Guy? which is premiering this weekend at Neumünster Abbey in Luxembourg-Grund.
The playwright Ferelith Kingston took the inspiration for this play from the book Men who Hate Women which examines the rise of online extremist communities that promote and spread the message of hatred of women through social media. Multiple workshops and draft productions since 2021 have culminated in the version that is on stage this weekend.
The Good Guy? tells the story of two 20-something year olds, Katie and Dylan, and their individual but parallel journeys in the digital age. The very relevant and contemporary subject of online misogyny and extremism, and the ease with which young minds can be radicalised and polarised is central to the theme.
The stage is split in half to accommodate monologues from each of the main characters. This creative choice, in which each character is illuminated or darkened as required, concentrates our attention all the more. Katie is shown in her home whereas Dylan is at his desk, surrounded by his laptop, computer games and many pizza boxes.
Dylan, played by Allesandro Stasi, is a lonely and socially awkward young man. He is, in his own words, “weird” and searches online for companionship and dating advice. He is happy to find likeminded people whom he considers to be friends. However, following a very funny dating disaster scene, he becomes more and more polarised as he is gradually drawn into the toxic belief that women are the cause of all his difficulties. The actor skilfully manages to evoke some empathy for his situation as his character develops from a young man wanting to belong in society to one that embraces more extreme views.
Meanwhile, Katie, portrayed by Natacha Stevenin, is initially a happy, fun loving girl. She is a light-hearted TikTok creator who reluctantly attends a TED Talk on feminism. Having no previous interest in the subject, she finds herself enthralled by what she hears and becomes fascinated with feminist online groups. Her extreme passion, however, quickly becomes tiresome for her friends and family and she feels increasingly isolated.
Both characters are consumed with absolute anger when something terrible occurs to a friend of each one. This leads to a decision by one of the characters with far reaching consequences, and it becomes clear that their paths will cross as the other character reacts.
The play may spark interesting reactions and attitudes in the audience as they apprehensively await the outcome of the eventual explosive meeting.
Both actors are compelling in their portrayal of the ease with which someone can be drawn into online communities with very serious results. They show that not everything is clearcut or black and white. We get an understanding of why a “Good Guy” can be sucked into this world, and the actors cleverly manage to evoke simultaneous empathy and anger for their characters.
The two supporting roles of Katie’s brother Gavin and her friend Laura, as well as other minor roles, are competently played by Gilles Fernandes Mota and Josie Hatch respectively.
The play is directed by Tony Kingston and June Lowry is in charge of lighting.
This captivating play is full of light-hearted and funny moments despite the seriousness of the topic. For those who have not yet purchased a ticket, it is highly recommended to do so. There are inevitably some dark moments but this is offset by many laugh-out-loud scenes.
Performances of The Good Guy? are set to take place on Friday 4, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October 2024 at 19:30; at the time of writing, the Friday and Saturday shows were already fully booked. For more details, visit https://www.neimenster.lu/evenements/the-good-guy/.
