Sea Words
Ed Fringe 2023
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Ed Fringe 2023 -
Walking into the former women’s locker room at Summerhall, you are immediately transported to the seaside - a red and white curtain in that classic pier performer arrangement blocks off a ‘backstage’ area, a paddling pool full of knickknacks is on the floor and a music stand with a number of laminated slides is there too.
That’s about it as far as set goes, and we wait patiently for Olly Gully, who wrote and performs the show, to spring from behind the curtain. And spring he does, like a jack in the box who's been wound up by a particularly strong-wristed toddler. He quickly avails us of the plot: he is Chris, one half of the famous mother-son beach entertainment double act Chris and Christine, and his Mum - he assures us - will join him onstage…any…moment…now.
Gully is an exceptional performer, energy pours out of him filling up his locker room stage and threatening to knock the door down as he jumps from sketch to sketch, a beaming smile glued to his face as he races through joke after joke, gag after gag, in a vain attempt to buy some time before his Mum deigns to step out from behind the curtain. It feels pertinent that this show is performed in a converted lady’s locker room, the ghost of an unseen woman hangs permanently over this one-man show.
There are hints throughout of a sadder subtext, glossed over breezily by Chris, metaphorical skits that go some way to showing that everything isn’t quite what it seems. It’s cleverly done, as Chris tries desperately to keep plates spinning and his audience laughing there is clearly a dark shadow that starts to loom heavy over his head. He reminded me of Wile E. Coyote, who defies gravity after running off cliffs, affixed indefinitely in the air so long as he does not look down; of course, eventually, he has to and will plummet to earth. Chris too, must look down, or behind the curtain, at some point and he’ll find the whole weight of the sea behind it.
There are hints at a wider social commentary, with references to neon-coloured micro-plastics and water refinement sponsorship deals, but Sea Words is fundamentally a character piece and an excellent vehicle for Gully to showcase his immense talent as both an actor and writer, carefully weaving in astute observations about attempting to support someone who is mentally ill, whilst never letting the energy in the room dip down below sea level.
This is a truly virtuosic one-man show, and although there were some empty seats at this early stage of the Fringe, I would urge you to get your tickets booked in ASAP - everybody who see’s this, will tell someone else to go as well, it deserves to pack out every performance.
Sea Words is on at Summerhall: Former Womens Locker Room on Aug 4-13, 15-20, 22-27 - tickets available here.
FOUR STARS
Photo by Stephanie Mackrill.
