Dye Young/Stay Pretty

Anything about Debbie Harry could turn into an ignorant and idealised account of the 1970s New York punk scene. It is pleasantly surprising, then, to discover this enthralling one-woman show that energetically tells the story of a die-hard Blondie fan from Wolverhampton.

Jill, a pregnant young woman obsessed with the beautiful and charismatic Debbie Harry, is tired of life in dull little England and dreams of meeting her idol. With gusto she begs, borrows and steals her way to NYC, and to the infamous CBGBs, in order to fulfil her dreams. We follow her through the ups and downs of her journey, and share with her the music that she loves so much, only to see her return home to an unchanged life and an unexpected conclusion to her story.

Beth Medley holds the audience's full attention as she narrates and acts out snippets of scenes. But having said that, it is the same excess of energy and over-the-top hand gestures which render the performance formulaic and at times repetitive. The entire play seems to be rushed, with the sad and the happy moments all related at the same gunfire speed. However, Dye Young/Stay Pretty is an entertaining, lively and, at times, a serious show, which will especially please any Blondie fans.