“The most vivid gallery of dead characters.”
Co-written by the Irish theatre maker Hannah O’Reilly and American actor Kylie Brady, The Wondrous Conveyance of Stella Estrella is an immersive comedy show taking the form of a séance with a certified medium who specializes in mediating communication between the living and the after-life. Throughout the show, the medium will be the vessel for various spirits and an opportunity for them to deliver their message to the living. And God knows this woman takes the job seriously: “eight souls at least or your séance is free”. For an hour, this piece will take the audience for a ride and flirt with the ideas of death and legacy with both vulnerability and a great sense of humor.
First thing first: the concept of the show is great. Whatever we believe in regarding what happens in the afterlife, mediums, just like astrology or wizardry, have always been a constant source of fascination, and once again it doesn’t miss. With a simple circle of salt, a skull, a couple of books and an old chair, the cozy space that is the Et Cetera Theatre is immediately transformed into a mystical sanctuary. No questions asked, we’re there, let the magic happen.
We can read on the program that this project is the product of two artists’ instant connection in an improv class and it shows. The show jumps from one register to the other with the freedom that only improv-based devising can create. The characters that will take possession of Stella Estrella are all colorful, bigger than life. Seeing the show, you can sense the complicity of Brady and O’Reilly as the performance and the direction feed each other. As weird as it can get, as a whole, it just flows
The immersive aspect of the show really helps build this world. From the get go, Kylie Brady frontally addresses the audience as her customers, there’s no fourth wall in such places. The audience has therefore no other choice than accepting the terms of the contract and jumping on board. Considering that the play is going to explore our relation to death for an hour, this genre could be tricky. To avoid that, Brady embodies this very warm and, although very obviously flawed, funny and relatable character and holds the room brilliantly. She creates just the right distance to make sure we remain safe while being very much engaged. The sobriety of the aesthetic makes it easy to stay in as well. The light and sound subtly support the action without catching our attention. The performance is at the heart of this project.
Performance wise, Kylie Brady really does a great job. All the characters are very defined, very different and all very believable. She jumps from big comedy to intimate confessions beautifully. She uses her passion for movement to fully realize the characters physically, it’s pretty impressive. It’s a full gallery of characters that are coming in and out in an hour.
My only issue with the show, is that maybe this gallery of characters is too large. In an hour, Stella Estrella gets the visit of 8 souls, and it might be a bit too much. As it goes on, we get used to the concept and it gets difficult for them to keep being surprising, and speeding up the transitions make us struggle to see the impact that all these visits have on Stella. The form itself can also be a bit tricky for them at times. The direct address to the audience works very well most of the time, and it’s great to keep the audience in this safe place where they don’t have to interact. However, the show is handled so well that it’s hard to believe that she’s actually talking to us live, which can put the audience in a passive position at times.
That being said, the show as a whole is really worth it. Kylie Brady and Hannah O’Reilly deliver a fun, colourful and warm show that will make you appreciate the medium séance, whether you believe in it or not.