Shedding a Skin – Soho Theatre, London

A funny and relatable one woman show by Amanda Wilkin, Shedding a Skin will leave only the coldest heart unwarmed

Shedding a Skin

Hardly ever have I seen the set design for a play so cleverly used to mirror the narrative itself. But Rosanna Vize’s set starts small. Just a sliver, from which Amanda Wilkin’s character Myah emerges to tell us about a bad day at work. Over the course of the 90 minute monologue, as Myah learns to take up more space in the world, her physical space becomes larger. Walls are broken down, blinds raised, spaces remade and reformed to tell Myah’s story. It’s effective, and very, very clever.

Shedding a Skin, then, is about this process of taking your place in the world. It’s not just about one bad day in the office, though. Through the course of the narrative we follow Myah as she simultaneously loses her job, boyfriend and home; rents a room from elderly Mildred; and manages to slowly rebuild her trust and connection to the world. I’ve written before about this tendency in plays right now to focus on ‘human connection‘, but this feels different. It’s about what we can learn from each other, about the little moments when we act or look away.

This last point is made in the interludes between scenes. A stellar web of interconnections is projected over the set, while a voiceover narrates incidents between strangers far away. We have all faced those moments: do we act? Should I say something? Is it better to stay out of it? Shedding a Skin lands firmly on the side of community, interconnectedness, and kindness. I found these interludes a little clunkier than the rest of the play, but appreciated their message.

Taking Up Space

A lot of the humour and the heart in Shedding a Skin is a result of Myah’s inner monologue, as shared with the audience, feeling so relatable. Part of Myah’s struggle is to do with her mixed race heritage – she is sought out for a diversity photoshoot at one job, and can’t help but notice how many Black people work in her new office or the one across the street. Other parts of her struggle come from feeling unsure of herself, living a life that suddenly feels precarious, or feeling lonely while surrounded by millions of people. All of these things can make you self-conscious – too aware of your body, wanting to melt away or make yourself small. And a lot of these things will resonate, in some combination, with audience members. I for one could certainly see parts of myself in Myah.

Myah’s teacher as she learns to stand tall and feel comfortable in her skin is Mildred. Wilkin also inhabits this character, switching effortlessly (just as we saw recently in The Death of a Black Man) between her own accent and a Jamaican patois. A lesson the play teaches us is about what the generations can offer each other, if we are open to the experience. Elayce Ismael as director manages to strike the right tone here. There is a real warmth which keeps it from feeling preachy, and if I had the odd tear in my eye by the end then I think that shows how effective it was.

Amanda Wilkin won Soho Theatre’s Verity Bargate Award in 2020 with this play, chosen from amongst almost 1,500 entries. It was a joy to watch. Tickets are now sold out but the play will be live streamed on 15 July.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4.5/5

Shedding a Skin on until 17 July (with live streamed performance on 15 July)

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