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Fringe Online 2020

I am falling in love with you and it’s making me do stupid things

Bryony Kimmings

Genre: Fringe Online Theatre

Venue: Home, Manchester

Festival:


Low Down

This is a solo piece delivered directly to camera by one actress who is home, alone. Bryony Kimmings appears, according to the film, at 6pm, to send someone a video message; she is hoping for a connection. There then follows a series of pieces to camera with an increasingly desperate Kimmings, leaving yet one after another video message trying to find love. Each piece takes us further into the evening with Kimmings appearing in a variety of guises; we see her admitting to being an artist at 7.35pm, introducing a song she has written about them at 9.32pm, being all accusatory at 1.55am before declaring it is all over at 2.37am and then becoming scornful at 2.59am. Then the following morning, it looks like it all begins again – or does it? Is it all over one night? Is at an amalgam of many or one unrequited love affair? The genius is, I don’t know – would you?

Review

This is exceptionally clever. From the beginning it asks you to try and not be objective about the young woman before us. She is clearly looking for love, but we should not prejudge the hesitant and unconfident creature trying to make a video message without much, experience, in this.

It then takes us on a narrative arc that, along with the cleverness of the interplay and the stories being told just blossoms. Depicting different types of woman that may appeal to her intended, the change of costume, wigs even make up is inspired. The song is particularly memorable. I found the whole package one of the most engaging I have watched for a long time.

The narrative has enough complexity that at the end I was wondering, challenging myself and whilst not confused, really intrigued to work out what I had just seen. It would be easy to just see it as a crazy woman, sent mad by being lonely and alone but there appears so much more here.

Kimmings is a truly crafted performer. She takes you in seductively, nailing the nervousness of someone new to the whole thing, managing the pathos of being left on a shelf and then being devastated and unable to survive without managing a reply.

The environment in which each piece was filmed was unique to itself, set its section off perfectly and along with the lighting made it sing itself and truly captivate.

The song and the accompanying video shows just what is achievable with so little available and was inspired; truly inspired.

Home Manchester are commissioning more unique content and on the evidence of this piece alone, over just 30 minutes we are in for real treats if they can match the majestic nature of Kimming’s film.

Published

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Bryony KImmings