F E S T I VA L T H E AT R E | Reviews
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SEA SICK A masterclass in storytelling and a vital perspective on the climate crisis ●●●●●
In this remarkable feat of storytelling and reportage, journalist Alanna Mitchell lays bare the realities of what is currently happening to our world’s oceans, and its catastrophic consequences for all life on earth. Having spent the past ten years interviewing marine scientists around the world and observing their research, Mitchell has experienced first-hand both the manifold wonders and devastating destruction that is taking place beneath the ocean surface, and is now here to report back from the front lines of the greatest crisis of our time. As a seasoned journalist, Mitchell believes in the importance of an objective presentation of facts. This is one story, however, that no one can absent themselves from. Thus Mitchell deftly weaves together emotional accounts of the research that has taken her far, wide and deep, as well as the hard science that spell out the rapid toxification of the seas. Speaking from a bare stage with nothing but a chalkboard and shifting coloured lights, Mitchell is still able to paint a vivid picture of life at its most mysterious and miraculous, evoking coral blooms and chilling dead zones using only her words. In contrast to the sonorous, booming tones of David Attenborough, which works to highlight nature’s stunning grandeur, Mitchell’s softly-spoken narration fosters a sense of intimacy, seeking out the personal grief that is so often lost within climate change discourse. But all is not yet lost. Mitchell expertly manages the tension in the
room, warding away the paralytic effect of despair through funny anecdotes about pissing herself at the bottom of the ocean and a compassionate examination of why people of her generation tend to be slower to accept the facts of climate change. The future of our planet has yet to be written, she says, but we must decide how this crisis ends together, before it’s too late. (Deborah Chu) n CanadaHub @ King’s Hall, until 25 Aug, 12.30pm, £11 (£9).
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T O M A R R A N
ALGORITHMS One-woman show about a bisexual heroine of the Bridget Jones school ●●●●●
It’s a familiar story: a young woman, approaching the threshold of the dreaded 3-0, sees her love life go into a tailspin when her girlfriend dumps her. Compounding her heartache, she works for a dating website, programming the algorithms that help others find love in cyberspace. Throw in a domineering mother and plenty of opportunities for public humiliation, and it seems no rom-com cliché will go unturned in this hour. Thankfully, Algorithms is self-aware enough to wink at its adherence to these tropes. The heroine Brooke discusses how films like Bridget Jones have been formative in her expectations of love, but is savvy enough to note how toxic these influences have been to her notions of body image and self-worth. Unfortunately, the play’s conclusions don’t exactly tread new ground.
But performer Sadie Clark has charm in spades. Brooke’s evolving relationship with her mother is genuinely touching, and a moment that explores the particular kind of fear that women in same-sex relationships face in public is especially resonant. (Deborah Chu) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug (not 13), 12.45pm, £8.50–£11 (£7.50–£10).
88 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7–14 Aug 2019
IT’LL BE ALT-RIGHT ON THE NIGHT Hilarity from the radicalised young men ●●●●● BEACH BODY READY Celebrating sexy bums and cellulite tums ●●●●●
Don’t let the jokey title put you off. Wound Up Theatre’s breathless, breakneck solo show from writer-performer Matthew Greenhough (of 2015’s successful Bismillah! An ISIS Tragicomedy) is often blisteringly funny, but it’s deeply serious in its intent.
Greeny and Stevo are inseparable childhood mates,
driven together by parental neglect, and taking a stand against authority and bullying by transforming themselves into convention-rejecting punks. But their lives seem set for collision when Greeny finds a job in London media, while Stevo begins to see sense in the rhetoric of intolerance he once abhorred. Despite his larger-than-life characters, Greenhough
is impressively even-handed in his depictions of two lives drifting ever further apart, painting an all- too-plausible picture of deprivation, exclusion and resentment that nimbly takes in Trump, Brexit, the 2008 financial crash and Tommy Robinson. Most impressive is his feverishly intense performance of his sharp script, delivered with a delirious energy.
Jazz trumpet interpretations of punk tunes from Steven Wright provide witty and increasingly relevant interludes. This is a bold, powerful show with a deep vein of compassion running through it. (David Kettle) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug (not 12), 2pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).
Beach Body Ready explores the pertinent issue of self-image with enough energy and rigour to send any body-shaming individual running. Through a mixture of frank discussion, angsty choreography and music video-style film clips, Rachael, Josie and Sarah bare all, emotionally and physically, in this stunning show. The girls begin by declaring that this is about them,
preparing the audience for the fact that things are going to get personal. What follows is a perfectly pitched selection of individual experiences which range from painfully funny to brutally awkward and sad. The trio are fantastic performers, guiding the audience through their emotional journeys with ease (and the help of the odd biscuit break and boogie). The dialogue is relaxed but poignant, offering audience involvement without being too pushy, and the autobiographical elements never become self-indulgent. While the show jumps on a clear bandwagon of current feminist thought, it does so with such clear intention that it never feels clichéd. Beach Body Ready successfully evokes a sense of hope through its commitment to celebrating women’s curves and crevices with unequivocal pride and unapologetic candour. (Rachel Baker) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug (not 12), 1.10pm, £10 (£9).