A suffocating yet hopeful piece of must see physical theatre
Some shows are easy to review for a variety of reasons. Subject, themes and forms can be in some cases easier to pick apart, recommend, criticise and evaluate. Jokes may land, adaptations can be faithful and dialogue can ensure you are always perfectly clued in on a plot. This show is more difficult to describe why I recommend. I can tell you about how beautiful the movement is, the grace and desperation in every second of physical acting, and what I felt watching it. But none of these can do it justice, only seeing it for yourself can.
From start to finish we are presented with Sasha as he mimes, dances and does acrobatics but rather than their usual more freeing and joyful presentation in theatre – they serve to engulf us in the inner horror and turmoil that mental illness can be. The entire show features no dialogue, no sounds beyond Sasha moving across the padded stage, grunting at more strenuous sections with a ethereal soundtrack drowning out the outside world. Words could not do the same justice towards the suffering, isolation, derealisation that can come with depression and other illnesses. His miming and dance as he struggles to do basic everyday activities as part of his routine is suffocating and stressful, immersing us in the constant mental struggle that can envelop every second of every day.
In every movement there is struggle, the personal becomes epic and insurmountable. Getting dressed and ready to leave becomes an almost sisyphean task, a morning commute becomes suffocating and terrifying. How everyday life is turned into this nightmare is a testament to the power of both Sasha’s physical acting/dancing prowess, but also to the lighting and soundtrack that engulf Sasha while you feel trapped in the performance along side him. The show ends on an upbeat note that acts as a sigh of relief, a reminder that even through any horror we endure, the human desire to persevere, to smile, eventually persists and that is worth everything.
This show is, by its own nature, niche. The prospect of watching 55 minutes of this is a difficult one for Fringe goers beset by comedy, theatre and more instantly enjoyable pieces. However this is art that sits with you long after it has finished. It weighs heavy on you, and, is in itself, a brave act to both create and perform. This makes it so worth being watched for all the intangible feelings and all the subtext it conjures up that very few shows can. I can strongly recommend seeing this if you are at all interested in dance, acrobatics, and shows that say nothing yet speak very loudly to you.