It is a sobering truth that mental health services in the UK remain chronically underfunded. Within that already neglected system, eating disorder treatment is one of the most under-resourced and misunderstood areas. Marshmallow Me, written and performed by Rosie Pepper, is a bold, blisteringly honest response to this crisis. It is not simply a monologue, it is an emotional excavation, an unvarnished personal testimony, and a quietly radical act of storytelling.
At the centre of the piece is Ruby, an 18-year-old dreamer from Scarborough, who moves to London with wide-eyed ambitions of fame and creative fulfilment. Her hopes, however, are quickly dashed by the harsh realities of city life. With rejection, loneliness, and the overwhelming noise of the capital weighing heavily on her, Ruby’s mental health begins to unravel. The play charts her descent into disordered eating with unflinching candour, but also remarkable compassion.
Ruby is an immediately engaging presence. There’s a sweetness and vulnerability to her, yet she’s also fiercely funny. Pepper brings Ruby to life with impeccable comic timing and a knack for characterisation, shifting between a host of vividly drawn secondary characters – therapists, family members, and Londoners, through a dazzling array of regional accents. Her Scarborough roots give Ruby an earthy wit and a linguistic liveliness that sparkles against the bleakness of the subject matter.
This balancing act between humour and heartbreak is one of Marshmallow Me’s greatest achievements. The script moves deftly between tones, lacing its darkest moments with hilarity and its lightest ones with melancholy. It’s that quintessentially British blend of laughter and despair, toilet humour and trauma. The jokes never undercut the seriousness of the topic; rather, they make the pain more bearable, and the message more accessible.
Much of the power of the piece comes from Pepper’s personal connection to the material. It’s clear that Marshmallow Me is informed by lived experience, and that lends the work a piercing authenticity. There’s no voyeurism here, no sentimentality, no exploitation. Just the raw, unfiltered truth of a young woman grappling with her body, her mind, and a system ill-equipped to help her.
The staging is deceptively simple. The entire performance unfolds against a backdrop of suitcases, unassuming at first, but cleverly reimagined throughout as beds, therapist couches, tables, toilets and perhaps emotional baggage, both literal and symbolic. The minimalism allows for total focus on Pepper’s performance, while also reflecting Ruby’s psychological fragmentation. Every prop and movement is deliberate; nothing is wasted.
Lighting and sound are used sparingly but effectively. A dim shift here, a subtle cue there, never overstated, always in service of the story. The aesthetic restraint only amplifies the emotional intensity of the final scenes, which build to a quiet climax. Ruby’s final words linger long after the house lights return, words that echo the play’s central theme: that pain is often invisible, and everyone is fighting a battle we may never see.
Marshmallow Me is a vital piece of theatre. It is funny, ferocious, and deeply moving. Rosie Pepper’s work doesn’t just entertain, it educates, advocates, and opens up a desperately needed dialogue about mental illness and eating disorders in particular. In a society where these issues are still so heavily stigmatised, that’s no small feat.
This play doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does offer connection. And for many audience members, especially those with lived experience, that connection could mean everything.
Don’t just go and see it. Take someone with you. Talk about it afterwards. Plays like this are not just art, they’re activism.
Review by Bernadette Lintunen
“Well I couldn’t treat you to your iced bun. Maybe next time, eh?”
Follow the heartfelt and hilarious story of Ruby, a young girl from Scarborough who moved to the big city in pursuit of her acting dreams. Along with the bright lights and opportunities came a few bumps in the road: culture shock, constantly moving houses, financial struggles and battling an eating disorder led her down a dark path, but through healing therapy sessions, purposeful work and true love she emerged stronger than ever.
Written and performed by Rosie Pepper
Directed by Scott Le Crass
Lighting Design by Rachel E Cleary
Sound Design by Raffaela Pancucci
Produced by Joe Brown
Stage Management by Meghan Bartual Smyth
MARSHMALLOW ME
Old Red Lion Theatre
27 to 31 May 2025
