by Laura Kressly

Chloe Florence lives her life by a couple of key principles: smoke weed and eat pussy everyday. Along with drugs, Tinder dates and all-night raves, these keep her busy. They are also powerful and necessary distractions from homelessness, which she has been since she was 17. She shares anecdotes about her experiences partying, sex and staying safe in this rough and ready, music-infused, autobiographical monologue about her lived experience as a queer homeless woman. Though the piece takes some time to gain momentum, the latter half is an unstoppable, unapologetic roar.

Though only an hour long, the story has a three-act structure. The first is a homage to London rave culture, which she cheerfully chats us through. Parties are interspersed with hot girls, highs and lows (of the substance kind), but it is a love letter to night life and the escape it provides her. The delivery is rather matter-of-fact with some very funny moments, and others that are more listless.

But once we travel back a few years in time, to life on the streets and before she discovered nightlife, urgency kicks in and her telling becomes more theatrical. Night buses, train stations and the determination to stay clean dictate her day-to-day. She is constantly on guard, and doing what she can to protect herself. It’s harrowing and tense, and eventually connects to the first part of the show. Like the later part of her story, parts are in spoken word that expose an emotional landscape that she otherwise keeps hidden.

The third act is the shortest, and most important. It’s also not strictly part of the show; it’s more of a coda or post-script. Speaking directly to the audience, she explains that it’s not just the government’s fault that she’s homeless, it is literally the fault of everyone for upholding and participating in the systems that keep her where she is. Though it’s easy to be defensive of the areas where we lack privilege, we certainly have something she doesn’t – a roof. That’s just fucked up as Chloe says it is, and she has every right to be angry about it.

Smoke Weed Eat Pussy Everyday runs through 23 January.

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