Pulling Faces

Drama Showcase #2

by Helen Goldwyn, Louise Jameson (Narrator)

Joanne Taylor - former TV Diva - is on the verge of her fifty-somethingth birthday, seriously single, 'hot-flushing' and about to make some drastic changes in her life.

Pulling Faces is an acerbic, topical comedy about society’s obsession with youth, beauty and transformation.

Note: Drama Showcase productions contain adult material and are not suitable for younger listeners.

Audio CD

First published April 30, 2011

Reviews

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louise Jameson was superb here. This one went by way too fast for me; I was definitely left wanting more.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious and poignant look at the compulsion that drives the plastic surgery industry. A wonderful coming-of-age story of a woman at 55.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit surprised how much I enjoyed this. Louise Jameson has quite the emotional breadth in her acting here. The subject of plastic surgery in the acting world can be kind of a tough subject matter, but the dialogue really kept me engaged. I was also surprised to hear Colin Baker as the surgeon.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, angry, and beautifully acted by a cast that includes Helen Goldwyn, Nigel Fairs, and Louise Jameson, Pulling Faces follows actress Joanne Taylor in the days leading up to her 55th birthday, as she deals with getting older and tries to decide whether she should get some plastic surgery done to make herself look younger. The play is deft in skewering our societal obsession with youth and beauty. My main complaint is that the ending is maybe a bit too pat: on her 55th birthday, Joanne gets a huge dose of perspective from dealing with bad news from a close family member, seizes an opportunity to tell an obnoxious ex all the things she should have told him 25 years ago, and scores a date with a seriously hot thirty-ish guy. If life regularly handed out that kind of catharsis, none of us would fear getting older.

[Richard Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting and well-acted audio drama