“It’s ok to not feel ok.”

Libby has always enjoyed the ‘stability’ of a monogomous relationship. From the age of 19-29, she has been with her boyfriend Rob – so pretty much her whole adult life. But a break-up out of the blue knocks Libby for six and she faces the daunting task of moving on… Directed by Katherine Timms, and written and performed by Natasha Santos, Getting Over Everest is a light-hearted account of one person’s transition from coupledom to singledom. By Libby’s own account, her job is something she ‘does’, rather than a chosen career and she doesn’t really have any outside goals, interests or passions. The only rock of stability in her life is her relationship with Rob. But once that ‘carpet’ has been pulled away, what does she have left?

Santos goes through the checklist that most people do when ‘grieving’ about relationships – albeit with humorous intent. Numbness, anger, depression… they all manifest at some point or other. And most people will certainly recognise Libby’s impulse to play songs such as Nothing Compares 2 U on a loop, checking their ex’s Facebook profile and the urge to let them know how much they’ve ‘moved on’.

Accompanying Santos on stage is Grace Dunne and George Vafakis as the respective people in Libby’s life. Far from being an ‘echo chamber’ for her woes, they show her how behaviour looks like on the outside and the fine line between ‘nursing one’s wounds’ and ‘self-indulgence’.

It is, however, a meeting with a stranger at a clinic that opens Libby’s eyes to the kernel of her situation and why despite having lengthy relationships, some people decide that something is missing…

Getting Over Everest accentuates the visibly comical aspects of break-ups. But beyond the laughs, the play asks questions about the ‘foundations’ of our lives and whether we depend on other people (instead of ourselves) to give our lives meaning.

© Michael Davis 2019

Getting Over Everest ran at Hope Theatre on 28th and 29th April.