Young Critic Review: KATIE ARNSTEIN – Everything Will Be Alright

Katie Arnstein’s one-woman storytelling, stand-up hybrid was an extremely moving and impactful performance. Arnstein’s ability to connect with her entire audience, despite its variety, through such a real, authentic story astounded me, proving why she is recognised internationally, as she humbly admitted early in the show. Throughout ‘Everything will be alright’ Arnstein’s greatest strength was clearly her cultivation of a connection with her audience; her use of eye contact, her deviations from the script and her use of off-handed cultural references made me feel like I was having a cafe catch-up with an old friend or on facetime with one who moved away. As someone who loves to tell ‘normal’ stories in the most dramatic way possible, this performance medium felt familiar and comforting despite its niche, alternative nature. But perhaps this was true for all in attendance because, as Katie observed, we are all storytellers in our own right.

Arnstein’s chosen story recalled the terrifying moment she received a call explaining her friend’s hospitalisation and the following days she spent caring for her friend’s daughter. Although the specific circumstance may have been fairly unique, she encouraged her audience to relate to and identify with her by framing it as the common experience of being responsible for a kid, even if just for a short while, and needing to convince them ‘everything will be alright’- a repeated central motif, as the play’s title.

Arnstein’s embodiment of ‘Pip’, the child, was uncanny; her gestures becoming more exuberant and her pitch soaring as she regressed to childishness in front of our very eyes and transitioned back to Katie instantaneously. Her acting skills alone were stellar, but her own personality made her only more engaging. Katie’s openness about mental health, her jokes about the pandemic and other, adjacent stories, about meeting the Kinks’ frontman, for example, were so endearing and made the performance feel all the more intimate.

Arnstein’s use of props furthered the authenticity of her performance, with her and Pip’s letters providing a physical manifestation of their emotions and keeping the elaborated story distinctly human and based in truth. Katie did not use much set or many props, as the show was about her real life. However, by positioning a few emotionally significant props on a piano, the audience immediately felt like they knew her; the piano suggested her work life and her later exposure of personal letters reassured her audience of familiarity. Katie’s casual costume added to this sense of intimacy and comfort, a key focus of the show-it felt like a very safe, welcoming and familiar environment. This mirrored the show’s structure- through which the audience progressed from a peep into Arnstein’s life to a more complex understanding of her relationships and feelings through the approachable, comforting medium of storytelling. Having never attended any other show resembling stand-up before, I was left in awe of how much one person can communicate and how personal the performance felt.

By Amy S