After its smashing success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, KAREN arrives at The Other Palace to take the audience on a rollercoaster ride of Female Rage(™) unlike any other. 

This 60 minute show wastes no time, throwing you head first into what is possibly one of the most mortifying experiences anyone could ever face: getting broken up with on your birthday. While you are eating a calippo. 

From that moment, Sarah Cameron-West, who embodies the neurotic-yet-lovable and utterly relatable protagonist, takes us through the chaotic aftermath of the breakup as she returns to work only to find her ex is now dating her arch nemesis: Karen. 

For 60 minutes it’s almost impossible to blink. The performance is mesmerising in its hilarity but also in its rawness. The writing is so brilliant in its simplicity, it flows so naturally that it’s easy to forget you are watching a show and not just hearing your office friend tell you what happened over the weekend while you stand in the kitchen on Monday morning. 

Paired with expertly timed lighting cues and a perfectly chosen soundtrack, KAREN manages to present a perfect picture of mental turmoil, of a mind nearing its breaking point, all without losing humour through it all. 

The greatest strength of the show is that it knows exactly where it’s going. It’s so effective in going from point A to point B without losing focus, which is a testament to how carefully it’s been workshopped and cleaned over the course of its development. This is the staple of a magnificent writer, who I hope to see more of in the future. 

For me, this show is a five-star triumph—worthy of all the praise and, of course, a brand-new calippo.