Review – Flutter-Bye by Steve Barrey at Ironworks Studios, Brighton

by Samuel

Sunday 16th March 2025

This was my first visit to Ironworks Studios in Brighton, and what a special venue it is. As we arrived, a pulsing 1980s DJ set was already setting the tone for an energetic and immersive evening.

Steve Barrey’s debut play, Flutter-Bye, tells the story of Mary, a woman in the early 1980s who is packing up her life in Brighton to start anew in Spain. As she sorts through her belongings, she reflects on the struggles of her younger self—caring for a mother with dementia at a time when the condition was barely understood. This one-woman play takes the audience on a deeply personal journey, filled with grief, resilience, and is peppered with nostalgic comfort.

At the heart of this production is Allison Ferns, a familiar name to many in the South as a BBC radio and broadcasting talent. Having seen her fantastic turn as Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty at the Hilton Brighton Metropole last December, I was eager to see her tackle a one-woman play. She did not disappoint, it was a 5 star performance if ever I’ve seen one. Ferns executes a powerhouse journey as Mary, drawing us in with complete believability and commitment. Her ability to shift between humor and heartbreak with ease proves she is far more than just a charming, public personality, she is a remarkably skilled actor.

One of the play’s most striking elements is Mary’s revelation that she worked as a stripper to support her family, paying tribute to certain well-known female stars with alter egos such as ‘Busty Springfield’ and ‘Shirley Sassy’—let’s see if you can guess who she’s impersonating. Ferns fully embodies these moments, delivering powerhouse renditions of Proud Mary and Diamonds Are Forever with vocal strength and impressive mimicry.

The script by debut writer Steve Barrey feels like an homage to Shirley Valentine with some hard hitting themes bubbling underneath and does feature some well crafted moments, particularly in its use of time shifts between Mary’s past and present. I found this highly effective in drawing us into her journey. On occasions, the dialogue felt repetitive and seemed to be fragmented in tone. A subplot involving a plane crash and Mary’s potential destiny for disaster felt underdeveloped. It was mentioned at the beginning using a voiceover and then brought back at the end of the piece, this addition felt unnecessary and I felt this distracted from the compelling core of the story.

This production reunites Ferns with director Jordan Langford, who previously directed Sleeping Beauty. His bold and impressive staging keeps the audience engaged from start to finish, enhanced by sharp sound and visual design by Anthony Martin that clearly delineate shifts in time and place. The clarity of Ferns’ performance is a testament to the depth of work that must have taken place in the rehearsal room. Meanwhile, Movement Director Jack Pallister has helped craft a distinct, yet cheeky physical language for each of Mary’s impersonations, and ensures that her transitions are fluid and precise.

This performance was in support of the charity Our Dementia Choir and it was fantastic to see a piece of theatre made to support a charity such as this.

All in all, Flutter-Bye is a captivating piece of storytelling, brought to life by a phenomenal actor in a star powered performance, supported by an excellent creative team. With further development, particularly in tightening the structure and expanding on its strongest themes, this play has the potential to go even further. One thing is certain: Allison Ferns has the talent and stage presence to carry this production and many more to come.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4*