Bizarre, Breathtaking, Bonkers, Beautiful
We all know that feeling of existential dread, gnawing away sneakily under the surface. We’ve seen it exacerbated by fears of a burning planet, or threats of artificial intelligence armies poised to overthrow humanity. Yet, we also know how easy it is to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the nightmare unfolding before us.
Writer and performer Hannah Fredsgaard-Jones’ one woman show demonstrates just this, depicting the universal struggle between denial, fear and hope through ingenious use of storytelling and creativity. Dressed in bubblegum blue doc martens and a bright orange gilet- she is a picture of the modern woman. Her apartment is furnished with a large, hot pink inflatable plastic sofa, and a coffee table displaying an aspirational selection of books- ‘How To Fail’; ‘Mending Life’ and ‘How To Read A Tree’ to name a few. However, as she paces around her flat in an agitated manner before using the book stack as a stand for her iphone, it seems the curiosity these titles suggest has been abandoned in the face of despair.
Fredsgaard- Jones’ stage presence is undeniable, and her measured yet inventive performance style ensures her audience feel instantly safe and intrigued. We are soon lulled into the recognisable image of a twenty-something year old overwhelmed by the state of the world they must navigate. But, as she begins to cradle a harpsichord like a child before beautifully strumming out melodies with a dinner spoon, we sense layers of reality slipping away.
A highlight throughout was the use of music to storytell and transport, as Fresgaard- Jones’ one of a kind voice forces us to enter an imaginative, curious and emotional state. Her songs are her space to air deep concerns and questions, asking ‘are pigeons really just government spies’ ‘should I freeze my eggs?’ ‘is climate change real’ and more. Her songwriting is witty yet haunting as her voice speaks stark truths over soft minor notes, leaving room for reflection in her beautiful instrumentals. I was reminded of Regina Spektor’s tone and Fiona Apple’s brilliantly clashing cords. Still, Fredsgaard Jones takes musical performance to another level through all-encompassing soundscapes, layering snippets of news stories, the monotonous blare of Siri declaring ‘imminent doom’ and the whisper of her own child’s voice, creating an emotional cocktail ensuring everyone was left speechless.
Before long, the audience were placed ‘in transit’ too, taken into a surrealist world of nightmarish dystopia. One aspect that really solidified this was the repeated arrival of boxed, live pigeons to Fredsgaard- Jones’ doorstep. Each time, she would reluctantly open them in silence, listen to a mournful cooing sound, before swiftly taping the box shut again and leaving them, presumably, to die. The show was full of rich imagery like this- just the right amount remains unexplained, then is subtly tied together through her masterful scriptwriting. She doesn’t shy away from the strange and uncanny, with the show featuring robot pigeon spies, a delivery-box Tower of Babel and an entire dream sequence in which Fredsgaard Jones parades around the stage dressed half human, half bird. Teetering on the edge of ridiculousness, we were able to re-asses human habits and behaviour through looking at them through this unusual lens.
It is clear that this show is a call to arms. The ultimate question of whether we are going to just sit and watch chaos unfold, or resist it creeps up slowly, then grabs us by the throat at the end of the show in an expertly engineered emotional revelation. Many audience members were brought to tears; this wild storytelling method was certainly successful in bringing a message home.
Other than the presence of a few understandable nerves, it was hard to believe this was a brand new piece of theatre. It already feels ‘fully fledged’ and extremely well developed in its unique style. Upon leaving the theatre, I was still processing the seeds this show plants in your head, and overheard many audience members discussing how it stood above many other shows they had seen at OffBeat this week. I am certain this show has a bright future, and would urge everyone to go and see it!