Showing @ Summerhall, Edinburgh until Sun 24 Aug (not 11) @ times vary
As the audience enters the dimly lit theatre we are handed a set of headphones. A Journey Round My Skull is not a silent disco though, the devices are used to create an intimate audio experience that replicates the sounds you may encounter during brain surgery. The intent is to present an immersive audio track to compliment the performance. There is a lot of drama within A Journey Round My Skull and most of it occurs before the audience is even asked to put on the headphones.
This drama centres on neurosurgeon Julia (played by solo performer and co-writer Olivia Winteringham) and her patient who has a brain tumour. Their relationship crosses the traditional doctor-patient boundaries and the intimate rapport they have is heightened by the gravity of the operation the patient must undertake.
Winteringham’s delivery is close and personal which draws the audience in and when we do put on the headphones, it feels as if she is talking directly to us. Particularly when Julia removes the tumour as the closeness of the audio makes the audience feel like the centre of the surgery. This sensory audio combined with the touching and emotive narrative results in a powerful and tactile theatrical experience.