"Welcome to this first session of the everything explained course!" We're welcomed by Anna, in a church, a self-opinionated, counselling, do-gooding, egoistic "helper" of the worst kind, who is "Lucky to be normal"

 

Were addressed directly by Anna and invited to look her  legs. Anna has eagle eyes; Anna is  a woman who runs with the wolves. And Anna is surrounded by an entourage of the people she "helps". In Ros Adler's sharply written Jubilate!, Adler plays Anna and all of the characters around her. This series of character monologues demonstrates Adler's fine character acting skills

 

Much of the material contains the observational wit of a Victoria Wood, the characters are well observed and realised by a highly accomplished performer. The slightly echoing church venue doesn't entirely lend itself to the kind of intimacy a piece like this requires.

 

We explore life, domesticity, sexuality, tantric plumbing, body hair,

loss -a lot of ground is covered in fifty minutes. A sound and voicetrack links the pieces and the flow isn't always

consistently clear, impacting on the show's accessibility.

 

What's refreshing about a production that is based around character monologues is the length of the monologues, each a few minutes only. Yet not a word is wasted, none feel hurried, and they're full of clever and sensitively written observation, with well drawn characters, ably performed by Ros Adler. A little more work on the narrative flow is needed; sitting somewhere between collage and story, 

 

All the characters revolve around Anna, ultimately the self-important

villain of the piece, the Church doesn't come off well for giving her

a place from which to build her empire of therapy-disguised

interfering and control.

 

Overall this is a well written one-person play, impressively performed, enjoyable, touching and often funny.