ASBO BOZO Review

March 30, 2025

ASBO BOZO Review

27th March 2025

ASBO BOZO is a one woman 70-minute play brimming with witty observations and a celebration of Northern culture. Written and performed by Georgina Duncan, along with co-creators Will Bishop and Colm Gleeson, this play shines a spotlight on an often forgotten part of society: Anti-Social Behaviour Officers and the invaluable work that they carry out. Set in Wigan, this felt like a really true, honest and compassionate insight into the reality of the profession, highlighting just how much self-sacrifice is required in order for the job to be done well.

“Duncan is a masterful storyteller and brilliant actress”

We meet the protagonist on the morning of her 30th birthday. She has 18 minutes before she has to think about work (we’ve all been there), so has decided to spend that time meditating as best she can. She holds two phones, one in either hand: her work phone and her ‘fun’ phone, demonstrating the tight grasp that technology has on her life and making it almost impossible to separate the two. The meditation doesn’t last long as her thoughts keep reappearing in a tangled web that is incredibly endearing. From the off you can tell that Duncan is a masterful storyteller and brilliant actress.

This interference of technology in our lives was a common theme in the play, and was also made present for us in the audience before the show even started. As my partner and I were filing in to take our seats, we heard the ding of a notification going off every few minutes. Both turning to one another to ask if that was us, we then realised it was a sound effect – nicely highlighting the distraction that technology has on our lives. By the end of the play, we could then appreciate the heavy weight that a simple notification holds when working such a vital job.

Duncan was a delight to watch – consistently dynamic and full of life as she kept spinning and sliding around on a wheely chair, basically her only prop. This really came to a peak about half way through the play, when the protagonist found herself dancing in a club. Full of energy, great jokes, and terrible mistakes, Duncan had us all giggling and gasping within minutes as she continued to shimmy and sway her body from side to side.

Unfortunately, for me, ASBO BOZO just didn’t leave the lasting impression that I so desperately wanted it to. I love the concept and felt fondly towards Duncan’s character, but it seemed to lose momentum in the last 20 minutes and I didn’t feel as moved by the ending as I should have done. I would have liked to have seen more of her relationships with the people on her estate to really add to that extra emotional depth.

Nonetheless, I loved the message of ASBO BOZO and felt Duncan was overflowing with talent. I’m excited to see what she does next.