You will come out of the theatre wondering how you would cope if Spoonface Steinberg were your child. Lee Hall’s monologue was written for radio and aired in 1997. It became an instant classic and was repeated within a week. It went on to sell 800,000 copies on cassette. You may well have heard it. It has been seen on television and stage. You may well have seen it. Lee Hall is the author of Billy Elliott, the film and the musical. He wrote The Pitman Painters. He also wrote the screenplay for Warhorse.
Spoonface Steinberg is the nickname for a 7-year-old autistic girl who is dying of cancer. She is in her bedroom surrounded by her toys. She tells us about her parents who are going through a difficult time in their marriage, she being part of the problem. She tells us what the doctors have said and the tests she has gone through. She talks about the children who died during the Holocaust. She talks of the infinite variety ways Jews have of praying. She has a great love of opera and we listen with her to some great arias. Lucy Hollis’s performance, convincingly childlike and touching, is something special. She has been extremely well directed by Max Barton and is well served by her lighting and sound designers. Hollis deserves full houses.