Theatre Review: Dear Diary

Theatre Review: Dear Diary

A St Andrews Mermaids Production

26/10/2025-27/10/2025

Directed and Written by Kaitlin Shaw

Produced by Lucy Callaghan

Review by Mariya Guz

Dear Diary, last night I went to an excellent student performance. The party hats issued to all members of the audience brought the party spirit to everyone present and involved us in the drama on stage. Laughing, cringing and sharing in a disliking for some characters we were caught up in the turbulent and complex dynamics of university friend-groups, complicated even more by the presence of “one bottle per guest”. 

Written and directed by Kaitlin Shaw, this theatre production is set in the close and intimate space of Poppy’s (Layla Montague) and Jamie’s (Sofia Hattiangadi) flat. Even before guests arrive we gain insight into their friendship and distinct personalities, portrayed wonderfully by the actors. Poppy is confident everything will go well, while Jamie overthinks the placement of glasses set out for guests. As friends (and enemies) start to arrive, the apartment becomes smaller and the tension of unresolved drama starts weaving between every person present.

Aptly named ‘Dear Diary’, the play spotlights every member of the cast in turn, allowing them to share their thoughts more directly with the audience. Either delivering monologues, throwing in an occasional aside, weaving between cast members while ruminating on the past or the current state of the party, each character offers insight into their thoughts. Despite that, so much is left unsaid that we are granted only a snapshot of their lives, unsure what the past and future will hold.

Beyond Jamie and Poppy, who are the main protagonists, some other characters particularly stood out. Sasha (Moira Leventhal) is bitter, blunt and observant. She clearly states her opinion on Poppy and Justin’s relationship and offers humorous social commentary on how men have behaved as…men often do on a previous night out. Non-committal and yet concerned for those around him, Archie (Finn McManus) is like the glue of the friend group, moving between combinations of friends and trying to keep everyone more or less sane with well-timed reality checks. Both actors brought these characters to live skilfully through their body language and verbal performance.

A quiet and sweet moment between Riley (Conall McKeown) and Poppy has him playing a guitar and creating a quiet opening to Act 2 of the play. After a loud and a dramatic finish to Act 1 - where we really get to see into Justin’s (Oliver Windham-Hughes) cruel and unfair mind - this was an excellent way to welcome the audience back into the apartment. More emotional relief was added by Adam’s (Matias Rubio) hilarious comments and severely drunken chaos. I was initially unsure what to make of him as a character, but as the play progressed his amusing nature and acceptance of Justin’s faults won me over.

However, the overall outstanding performance from every member of the cast was not consistently supported by the script. I do wish we got to hear more from Hilary (Sophie Noelle Lynn) and Izzy (Lila Patterson) and get longer diary entries from them. This would help to fully understand their characters and their history with the friend group, especially since Izzy’s presence is a cause of much displeasure and Hilary spends much of her time trying to actively dissolve any tension before it boils over and something terrible happens. The conclusion of the performance was also a little abrupt, but giving the audience a chance to see a more functional friend group that is actually enjoying themselves was a nice touch.

It is important to commend the joint efforts of Chloe Annan (in charge of set and props), and Maggie Madden (overseeing the tech aspect of the performance). The set dressing really gave a cramped and homely feel with mismatched chairs, candles, fairy lights and friend-related memorabilia. Indoor and outdoor spaces were also seamlessly introduced with a very quick and simple set change to create an outdoor balcony space with chairs, trellis, and a little astro-turf. The stage transformed into a lived in space, made messier by the sheer number of people packed into one room.

The backdrop, lighting and music choices were tasteful and tied the whole performance together. The projection used in the background was particularly useful for signposting which character we were going to hear from next, as well as acting as a narrative device without the presence of an actual narrator there to voice backstory, fill the gaps between the scenes and bolster audience engagement. The lighting also helped to create a cosy indoor feel, and to spotlight characters as they broke the fourth wall. Red flashes when various characters lost a series of party games was a very nice touch.

Although set in 2006, almost 20 years prior to the show’s time of performance, the staging, themes of misogyny and gender commentary are timeless and relevant. From complex friendship dynamics to toxic relationships and alcohol-laced honesty, not much has changed in terms of how adults in their early 20s behave. This could have been happening on a Friday night in a flat somewhere in St Andrews, not on stage at The Barron (at The Byre). It was nice to have open permission to eavesdrop into someone else’s (although fictional) drama for the night and I’d recommend everyone else to do the same!