‘Wonderfully genuine actors and a script full of potential’
‘What happens when the thing you wished for your whole life turns out to be your worst nightmare? If you’ve ever wondered, look no further than Jumper Bumps, a heartfelt play surrounding motherhood, abortion, abusive relationships, and self-worth. Set in a small venue that works wonderfully as a flat, Jumper Bumps revolves around the friendship between Atlanta and Eris, the latter of whom starts off the play comedically by feigning pregnancy by giving herself a bump with a jumper she has purchased for Atlanta. The play quickly escalates when Eris finds herself pregnant. Both actors do a wonderful job of portraying the highs and lows of friendship put to the test, and explore difficult themes raised with grace and sincerity.
The script, while applaudable for its unwavering stance for feminism and its gritty portrayal of an abusive relationship, falls somewhat short of the high it starts on. Sections of the play seem to repeat again and again, with Eris constantly seeming to take on Atlanta’s advice, only to consistently falling back into the same patterns in the next scene. To an extent, this was effective in showing the cycle of abuse, and the difficulty between knowing something is unhealthy and accepting it, but it started feeling slightly stale after the third repetition of this. While you sympathise with Eris deeply on her struggle through her painful choices, Atlanta as a character seems to have very few flaws, leaving her feeling slightly two-dimensional, a character who has all the answers for her friend.
Nevertheless, there were several massively successful moments within the play, such as the portrayal of ‘The Dickhead’, who, while never appearing onstage, becomes a massively threatening character, and through the subtle but sharp critique of the medical system when it comes to abortion. Amelia Roger presents characters thrust into a difficult situation, and deals not only with the aftermath of decisions, but the strain it can put on friendships. A play that deserves more attention for its potential and dedication, I enjoyed the acting immensely, and look forward to seeing what this production company do next.
(Jumper Bumps is a show at the Edinburgh Fringe. It is available from the 1st to the 24th of August, excluding the 12th and 19th. Link to tickets is here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jumper-bumps.