16 Postcodes review one-woman patchwork psychogeography of London

"Written and performed by Regan, who originally staged it at the Edinburgh fringe in 2024, she begins with arrival in London from Ireland, as a drama student at Rada. The 16 postcodes are displayed on cards in the backdrop and she tells stories about them in the order the audience chooses, moving between two chairs and a fold-away table in a show that melds improve spirit with dramatic monologue."

"There are adept switches in accent and some lovely turns of phrase: Camden, she observes, looks like a borough that has been dipped in tie-dye. The River Thames is the clogged artery of the city. She tells of mice in one postcode, and the humiliations of being hired as a children's entertainer in another."

"The final postcode addresses the precarity of the housing market and extortionate rents for Generation Rent but only in with a few brief comments before a dewy-eyed rendition of Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner, which feels like a thoroughly missed opportunity. There is no clear story arc either because of its pick-and-mix structure."

Jessica Regan performs a one-woman show where audiences choose the order in which she tells stories about 16 London postcodes she has lived in. Originally staged at Edinburgh Fringe 2024, the performance combines improvisation with dramatic monologue, using minimal staging with two chairs and a fold-away table. Regan shares anecdotes about her experiences as an aspiring actor in London, including stories about auditions, romantic encounters, eccentric flatmates, and various humiliations and adventures across different neighborhoods. She employs skilled accent switches and vivid descriptive language, such as describing Camden as looking tie-dyed and the Thames as the city's clogged artery. While the show contains moments of genuine tension and clever storytelling, its pick-and-mix structure lacks a clear narrative arc, resulting in a nostalgic amble through London rather than a penetrating exploration of urban life.

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