Online Fringe 2020
Being Posy
Four in a Bed Theatre Company
Genre: Musical Theatre, Solo Show
Venue: online@spaceuk
Festival: Online Fringe
Low Down
Posy has got to the stage where she is OK about feeling a bit different and even better about letting us in on the secret as to why. Through a series of musings, songs and direct address she takes us through feeling different, finding herself and then being able to turn that comfort into creativity with song and illumination.
Review
This has genteelness at its core which is no bad thing, but it does not help the drama. As a piece of theatre, it does not give us much to debate as the overwhelming feeling is one of coziness.
And yet I would imagine, as I am neither 18 years old nor gay, that the struggles for Posy have been far more dramatic than deciding where to place your fluffy rainbow cushion. Of course, the idea of having yet another misery memoir style performance that talks struggles and dramatises inner conflict does not necessarily take the debate that bit further but there is a middle ground. There are times when, for example, the idea of being stuck on the ground in tears hints at an inner drama but then moves onto more fluffiness. I love fluff but could do with delving beyond it to really understand better.
The best part of all of this is the songs which are well structured and whilst I was not singing them all the way to the bus stop, the following morning, they did strike a chord. Whilst not wanting to have my entire entertainment deluged with emotion, it added to the whimsical feel of the performance. Through the songs Posy was able to hint and suggest that this is not only personal but, has universal application to how we behave to those who are differently able to express themselves and struggling with their identity. Posy has a clear ability to take the emergence of self and turn it into something very positive and much more than worthy.
The production values are strong, both edit and the performance environment have been well thought through and we get a really interesting piece top camera. Posy herself is a very engaging presence and you can do nothing but warm to her performance as the piece progresses.
I would, however, love to see that whimsy attending to the drama of the personal development into something that is a tad more dramatic but with personal experiences you cannot add in, that which is not there. Personal testimony however worthy, needs a dramatic focus to extend that way beyond, to that end I found that Posy, of whom I wanted to know more, is certainly worthy of more than just being seen in this short piece.
