Review: Sharp-Witted Girlboss Satire – “I Really Do Think This Could Change Your Life”

Who wouldn’t be enticed by the idea of getting rich quick? Especially if life seems to be falling apart. In Emma-Louise Howell’s play, Belles (also portrayed by Howell) has hit rock bottom. The once popular playground queen bee has been fired from her job as a Disney princess and is now living at home with her disappointed mother, with no money in her bank account. An Instagram DM from a stranger might offer the solution: but can a pyramid scheme really be her saving grace?

Hetty Hodgson’s pink-tinted, frenetic production explores the world of so-called girlbosses. Surtitles display the play’s script, while the stage glows with messages on phone screens. Holly Khan’s sound design sends text tones blaring, and wine emojis flash to symbolize nights spent drinking. The result is a whirlwind of technology, zooming out at a dizzying pace.

As she is sucked further into the company, her curated personality becomes her focus

At the core is Belles, mesmerized by the potential profit but determined not to become another girlboss clone. Gradually, she starts using phrases from her fellow Get Rich Quick girls. Her social media presence and growing following become her primary focus. Yet, ironically, Belles loses her sense of reality in the process.

Howell’s script bursts forth in random streams of consciousness, yet her words flow like a song. Rhyme and rhythm are intertwined in Belles’ monologue, with Hodgson’s direction giving the feeling of being inside a retro video game. The women in the pyramid scheme are introduced like characters in a game, each with unique personalities and strengths. Holograms and graphics make it seem as if Belles is trapped behind the walls of a computer screen: although the script is laced with comedy, this is a dark reality she cannot escape.

It’s a picture of panic that could benefit from slowing down a bit. But Howell is perceptive in her critique of feminism and capitalism in the social media age.

• At Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh, until 26 August