Words: Elodie Marriott

4 stars

Sam Ipema is the writer and performer behind Dear Annie, I Hate You. She stages an unflinching and candid production based on her real-life experience of being diagnosed with a life-threatening brain aneurysm at 20. Alternating between scientific explanations and emotional reactions, her performance is powerfully emotive and engaging.

Ipema’s aneurysm is personified, comically embodied by an abrasive pink sequined woman. She nicknames The Weekend-loving cerebral bulge ‘Annie.’ Annie forces her to confront reality and express the dark feelings that increasingly arise throughout her recovery. The show is filled with diverse elements; an interactive beer pong match, superhero costume changes, chunky bygone televisions displaying the personal testimonies of her family. These features expand and add heartfelt humour to her story.

Dear Annie, I Hate You sincerely portrays the horror and loneliness that accompanies life-altering news. Breaking the fourth wall, Ipema cultivates a confessional tone that invites the audience to step into her shoes. Her friends abandon her. She may never play football again. She’s constantly told how “lucky” she is, when it actually feels devastating. 

Through violent physical tussles with Annie and brutally stark footage of brain surgery, (beware if you are squeamish!) the show reflects the misery that comes before optimism, which feels earnest and refreshingly honest.

Dear Annie, I Hate You
Zoo Playground- Playground 2
16:50
Aug 17-25