Review: Natalie Palamides - 'WEER'
@ Soho Theatre Walthamstow until January 24th 2026
A one-woman show in which Natalie Palamides - who also wrote and directed the piece - plays Mark and Christina, two characters in a staggeringly toxic relationship in the late-90s, WEER is an absurdist feat of stagecraft and performance. Palamides takes her dual-role as both halves of this relationship quite literally: on one side of her body, she is Mark, dressed in checked shirts, denim jackets and sporting an absurdly long, flaccid penis, while on the other she is Christina, decked out in various outfits that undergo all manner of trauma as the show progresses. Conversations, arguments and even sex scenes between the two characters require Palamides to jump backwards and forwards like she is in the grip of a seizure, all while delivering breathless dialogue between the two characters that is hilarious and just a little emotional too.
The stamina required to sustain a show like this for almost 85 minutes is remarkable, and Palamides puts herself through the ringer to get laughs from an audience that is sometimes asked to contribute to the show, which adds a further layer of improvisation and chaos. The stage is a mess of props and fluids that require Palamides to maintain an acute level of control over the proceedings while performing the show as though it is endlessly slipping through her fingers. The dialogue is so similarly scattergun, particularly when both characters are all but speaking simultaneously, that it’s a minor miracle that Palamides doesn’t just pass out from exhaustion.
Throughout the show, Palamides subjects her characters - and thus herself and her own body - to a maelstrom of calamities, which leave her bruised and battered by the end. The show premiered in Edinburgh, which is apparent in its sheer lunacy and Palamides’ indefatigability, and she still performs as though she is trying to launch it to a much larger audience and garner as much attention and approval as possible. Like when film stars hurl themselves into some physically and mentally grueling role to win an Oscar, it feels like Palamides is aiming to demonstrate her entire skill set and then some in a single show. Miraculously, she manages this.
Accordingly, WEER is almost as knackering for the audience as it is for its star. At no point, however, is it anything other than a thrill. As we are bombarded with hilarious sight gags, ludicrous dialogue and a steady stream of 90s bangers, it's clear that we're witness to something quite singular and special. If a gag doesn't quite land, it's immediately followed by one that does, so pacy and punchy is the humour. Furthermore, the show and the performance on which it all hinges are just dizzyingly inventive and impressive: it's a total riot, and well worth the trip to Walthamstow.
Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐