Review: Freya Bardell’s ’20 something’ at the Bike Shed Theatre

Last week our Stephanie Walker managed to get a rare night out at the Bike Shed Theatre to see Freya Bardell’s ’20 something’ Here’s what she thought of it..

A night out is fairly rare for me at the moment. A six month old makes it difficult to leave the house without knowing for certain when she will next need me. However, said baby has been regularly sleeping until midnight for a few weeks, so it was with much glee that I skipped out of the house last Tuesday evening. I was off to meet a friend at the Bike Shed Theatre, another of Exeter’s well known gems that was on my list but that I’d never yet managed to make a visit.

I wasn’t disappointed.

We met for a drink in the lovely underground bar that I wish I’d ventured to earlier. Full of large table to gather round and cosy corners to shrink into, the bar is the perfect place to meet friends.

However I wasn’t just there for a drink with my friend Rach, we were going to watch Freya Bardell’s ‘Twenty Something’, billed as;

a comic look at a millennial trying to navigate her way to adulthood as best she can, but finding that she may be failing at every turn.

Having just exited my twenty somethings I wondered what parts of my experiences, if any, would be mirrored in Bardell’s performance.

It is a one woman show that is performed and written by Freya Bardell. The 45 minutes of performance felt like riding a roller coaster as she shared various highs and lows of the last few years of her life. Bardell is energetic and vivacious in her performance and commands the stage and your attention. The play is truthful and honest with a bucketful of vulnerability thrown in for good measure.

I enjoyed the use of music and one of my favourite parts was the use of the clips of Simon Sinek talking about millennials and Freya responding.

Laugh out loud, and yet so uncomfortable in parts that I would of watched from behind a cushion if one had been available. Although I think it’s these uncomfortable moments in the play that actually make this unmissable. The intimate nature of the Bike Shed Theatre really lends itself to this performance.

With the perfect amount of cringe, laughs and awkwardness, Twenty Something is definitely worth a watch.

About the Author: Stephanie Walker

Originally from Coventry with a slight detour via Wolverhampton and Luton, Steph moved to Exeter in January 2013. She lives in the St Thomas area of the city with her husband Chris, their 3 daughters and springer spaniel Freddie. 

A primary school teacher gone rogue, Steph currently works for Makelunch a national charity seeking to end holiday hunger for children and also runs weekly singing sessions for toddlers and their grown ups. 

Steph is passionate about building community, being honest about parenting ( in particular our birth experiences and post-natal mental health) and food!