An inventive and exciting piece of new writing about a hugely important topic
‘Give me a cheer if you’ve got depression!’ cries protagonist Cass, sending rapid-fire jokes about motherhood and mental health out to the audience. The show begins with some scene setting- we are in a mother and baby unit, where Cass and her baby are staying for a while. She has been having some problems, she confides in us, but is quick to reassure us that she’s not properly mad, only a bit. The show starts as relatively conventional fare- moving between the unit and a spotlit microphone, where Cass practices some of her stand-up routine to us. But what begins as an earnest one-person show about postpartum psychosis quickly morphs into something quietly chilling. A plot twist about halfway through gets its hooks in you and compels you to watch until the end.
Nelson Nutmeg’s ‘Baby Brain’ has been advertised as a dark comedy, but it feels more like an absurdist play, with some funny bits thrown in. Mostly it’s unsettling and disturbing. The humour lands somewhere between genuinely laugh-out-loud and deliberately corny, but never overshadows the ever-present sense of unease. Actor Kimberly Nixon does an amazing job of switching between these modes – from flamboyant comedian to stuttering and self-conscious to erratic rage. Cass feels fully realised and embodied as a character.
The writing is meticulous. Information is painstakingly revealed in bite-sized pieces. But it never neatly fits together; instead, you’re left questioning what is real. It’s an extremely effective way to demonstrate how psychosis messes with your memory until you can’t distinguish hallucinations from fact.
The non linear storytelling was also clever, and potentially even crucial to convey the confusion and delirium of psychosis. But it fell foul of the common pitfall of a non-linear plot: the emotional journey felt a little shallow, and the lack of catharsis made the end feel a little, well, unfinished. It’s hard to fault them for this as the form feels essential to the story they’re trying to tell; in trying an ambitious new form, there’s always a risk it doesn’t quite come off, and perhaps that’s the price of making theatre that pushes boundaries in the way this does.
Another downfall was that Cass’ connection with the audience never felt fully established. It becomes clear that she is on a mum and baby ward dealing with postpartum psychosis, but that doesn’t necessarily clarify where we fit in, and what we’re supposed to be doing. Are we on the ward? Are we products of her hallucination? It’s a clever device, but it doesn’t quite ring true. Nixon initially comes out quite strong, performing a banter-y, back-and-forth relationship with the audience without actually committing to it. It’s never clear if we’re allowed to laugh, heckle, get up and join in- it took a lot of convincing to get an audience member on stage when, for the most part, the membrane of the fourth wall doesn’t feel truly broken.
It’s all strong- the writing, the performance, the direction- but needs tightening and clarifying to reach its full potential. Still, it was an inventive and exciting piece of new writing about a hugely important topic.
You can see Baby Brain in Camden Fringe and at the Edinburgh Fringe. Details here: https://www.nelsonnutmegpictures.com/babybrainplay