Everyone’s Worried About Eve – Plucky Productions / The Bread & Roses Theatre, London

Everyone’s Worried About Eve is a sharp, pop-culture-infused solo show that explores grief and neurodivergence with humour and heart.

Everyone’s Worried About Eve

Two new (to me) pub theatres for this week, as we check out the Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham. Perhaps I should look into running that pub theatre guide after all?

But in actual fact, I was here not because I eventually hope to try out all of London’s theatres, but at the invitation of Alex John, who we memorably saw as a drug-peddling crab last summer. That show was on its way to Edinburgh, while John had taken her solo show there in 2023. Everyone’s Worried About Eve is about a young woman navigating grief. She uses numerous analogies from film, TV, and popular culture. The blue and red pills from The Matrix. The familiar format of the sitcom. What it all boils down to is whether Eve will continue to deflect or will try to face things head-on.

Figuring this out isn’t easy. She doesn’t feel supported by her family. And as a neurodivergent woman navigating a neurotypical world, things can get confusing – John uses a particularly clever analogy from Mario Kart to explain this experience. The central conceit of this hour-long, one-woman show is the sitcom, at least in the British, fourth-wall-breaking sense. When Eve mentions Miranda, it all fell into place for me: the first part of the show has that same sort of high nervous energy which can be funny but also full on

I liked Everyone’s Worried About Eve once the mask started to drop. In the quieter and more genuine moments, I felt more connection to the character. Which is as designed, only I thought the piece is weighted a bit too far towards the opening gambit. The pacing leans heavily on the rapid-fire, reference-laden humour, which is effective in establishing Eve’s coping mechanisms but risks overstaying its welcome before we get to the emotional core. When the show finally slows down and allows for vulnerability, the impact is undeniable.

Grief and Identity

That said, there’s a lot to appreciate here. John is a charismatic performer who navigates the shifts between comedy and introspection with skill, even if the transitions could sometimes be smoother. The script is sharp, packed with references that will resonate with many in the audience, and it successfully balances specificity with accessibility. While Eve’s neurodivergence is an important aspect of her character, it’s not the sole focus of the show, which is refreshing. Instead, it’s woven into the narrative naturally, giving representation without making it the defining feature.

Visually, the production is simple, as one might expect from a fringe theatre setting, but it makes use of minimal props and lighting to mark shifts in tone and reality. However, there were still moments where the staging felt busy, the props in a jumble. A bit more differentiation in movement or design might help maintain engagement throughout.

Overall, Everyone’s Worried About Eve is a solid, promising piece. It’s funny, heartfelt, and offers a welcome perspective on grief, identity, and the ways we use pop culture to process life. With a bit more polish – particularly in balancing the pacing and transitions – it could be something truly special. Certainly a piece worth watching, especially for those interested in neurodivergent representation in theatre.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3/5

Everyone’s Worried About Eve on at the Bread & Roses Theatre until 24 March 2025 only. More information about Plucky Productions here.