Katie is youngish but troubled because, perhaps because of her intensity, her relationships – or “projects” –  always founder. Now she’s in a wellness centre trying to sort herself out with a digital detox, relaxation classes and aspirational slogans. While there – obviously – she reminisces about the past and specifically about two failed love affairs, one with a man and the other with a woman.

Loosely speaking, it’s Talking Heads territory but with a lot more, sometimes pointless, grinding round the set so that there’s something to look at. And Katie is less interesting than most of Alan Bennett’s creations.

Like many new bijou plays The Project is well intentioned and well enough done but you’re left asking “so what?” Katie has got it off her chest and we’ve listened, sometimes touched and sometimes with a chuckle but there’s no resolution so it’s oddly unsatisfying. This woman hasn’t moved on and failed to convince me that she is going to – and perhaps that’s the point but it doesn’t make particularly fulfilling theatre.

First published by Sardines: https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/review/the-project/