A show about brain injury and illness might seem like it should be completely miserable. However, in Dear Annie, I Hate You, Sam Ipema avoids the melancholy with an engaging piece of theatre that explores disability, and how we cope with trauma.
Dear Annie, I Hate You is a true story, following writer and actor Ipema’s diagnosis of a brain aneurysm at the age of twenty. It recounts a childhood spent trying to fit in, before being confronted with illness, and a life-or-death decision: whether or not to undergo surgery. Either way, she tells us, the risk of death was real.
The show is visually captivating, with several televisions placed around the stage, connected by glowing wires that mirror the brain’s synapses. These light up throughout the performance with interjections from other characters, creating a striking multimedia effect. This staging is a real highlight, adding depth to Ipema’s world. A scene set at a college party is particularly effective, brought to life through this design.
Another standout moment sees Ipema perform “brain surgery” via one of the televisions. The sequence is slightly graphic, but utterly fascinating, and a brilliant example of how technology and set design are used to heighten the theatrical experience.
The beginning of the show felt somewhat slow. I struggled to build an emotional investment at first, as the storytelling leaned heavily into exposition and was not as immediately captivating as it might have been. Some of the writing could be more dynamic, particularly at the start, to heighten the emotional impact and connection with the audience. I would also have liked to see more humour, which could, in turn, have deepened the emotional response.
That said, the show quickly gained momentum, and by the end Ipema was clearly more confident on stage, delivering a heartfelt and compelling conclusion.
Eleanor House plays Annie, the personification of Ipema’s aneurysm. Loud, disruptive, and decked in fluorescent pink, she bursts into song and bounds across the stage, derailing Sam’s story. Annie works as a clever metaphor and brings welcome lightness to the piece, while House’s exuberant performance adds a playful energy.
Dear Annie, I Hate You is running until 25 August at Pleasance Two, Pleasance Courtyard.
Buy tickets here.
Image courtesy of Charlie Flint, provided to The Student as press material.