one4review | On 11, Aug 2025

Martha Pailing’s solo show Chat Sht, Get Hit* is an exploration of female rage—its origins, suppression, and consequences. Performed in the intimate setting of Summerhall’s Former Women’s Locker Room, the venue itself adds weight to the theme, with its confined, subterranean space reflecting the emotional containment at the heart of the piece.

The show opens with Pailing letting out a primal bark—a surreal moment that sets the tone for what’s to come. Her anger stems from the fallout of a breakup, where her ex fails to honour post-split agreements, leaving her back in her hometown and working in the same chippy job she had at 15. It’s a premise ripe with emotional depth, but for me, the show struggled to maintain cohesion across its segments.

The narrative jumps—particularly the mouse storyline—felt confusing, and while Pailing’s expletive-laden outbursts did make me giggle, I suspect not in the way she intended. The highlight was undoubtedly the audience participation, where we were invited to write down what makes us angry.

A nostalgic nod to Lily Allen’s 2008 hit added a welcome touch of levity, but overall, I found it difficult to connect with the show’s emotional core. As a perimenopausal woman who often wrestles with suppressed anger, I expected to resonate more deeply with the material. While some audience members seemed moved, others left with bemused expressions—perhaps reflecting the show’s uneven impact.

This piece has real potential, and Pailing’s performance is undeniably bold. But for me, it didn’t quite land.

**1/2

Reviewed by Louise

Former Women’s Locker Room at Summerhall until 25 August (not 11,18)