Showing @ Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh until Sun 24 Aug @ 15:30
Utterly captivating from start to finish, Spine showcases the strength of new writing, performance and direction in its most basic and powerful form. Comprised simply of a near bare stage and one woman cast, there is nowhere for script or actor to hide.
The play focuses on the unlikely but charming friendship between the young impoverished ‘pikey’ Amy, and the fast-ageing radical Glenda. Rosie Wyatt commands the stage with a passion and conviction that engrosses the audience and draws them into these two colliding worlds. She deftly captures the idiosyncrasies of Amy, counterbalancing her violent frustration with the world with an underlying gentleness toward others. Seamlessly slipping from this into Glenda’s character, Wyatt presents us with a new array of delightful quirks, her voice, visage and figure transforming.
Clara Brennan’s carefully crafted script moves us from a grimy and urban situation into a surreal and comical one, offsetting painful topics with witty light-heartedness. The writing is fluid, clearly making social commentary on the many disparities (economic, gender based…) that structure our hierarchical society, but without labouring the point.
Spine explores the difficulty of navigating an ultra-consumerist, capitalist world as a broke and angry young woman. Despite its gritty subject, however, it is a hopeful play. Whether it is friendship, feminism or books, the play offers some form of salvation for both Amy and audience. It will leave you feeling both teary and inspired.