Funny Women finalist Natalie Bellingham brings her debut solo show to the Fringe, exploring the space left behind by loss with storytelling, movement and comedy rooted in the clown tradition.
Natalie is a warm, friendly presence as soon as she comes onstage, musing on joy, anger, dancing and violence while sitting in silence with audience members. It somehow doesn’t feel awkward, even when at one point she demonstrates how weirdly a circus performer sits in between a couple! It feels like an informal chat with a pal.
Grief, ageing and the challenge of living up to your potential are the main themes, tackled through a mixture of monologues, WhatsApp voice messages and spoken word pieces. Natalie’s life journey, with everything from her wildlife-filled childhood, school drama classes, and gong baths at a hippie retreat, is punctuated by her mother’s deteriorating health and the uncertainty left by her passing. The minimal props to bring this to life – a standard lamp, desk fan, and a seaside gradually constructed from the contents of cardboard boxes – are surprisingly evocative. I loved her letters becoming messages in bottles, with the implied uncertainty as to whether they’ll ever be read.
The sea is a recurring motif; it’s a comforting presence, but also a violent, unknowable force, washing carcasses ashore and soaking you to the bone. Music plays an important role too, with one particular reggae classic taking on a poignant significance by the time we reach the chaotic, bittersweet climax. I left wanting to hold my loved ones closer, but also wanting to walk through a forest and learn the names of all the birds and mushrooms.
Look After Your Knees is a powerful, moving ode to finding your way through the debris left by loss, but at the same time a theatrical, warm hug.
****
Look After Your Knees is at Pleasance Courtyard Baby Grand, 1-26 Aug
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