Lita Doolan’s latest show Audrey’s Art Club has the setting of a Zoom art class for schoolchildren.
It uses animation, love, doodles, and symmetry to bring in a story of a teacher playing catch-up as her world implodes in lockdown.
There’s a lot of chatting to camera as the classes take breaks, and it seems as if Audrey is going stir crazy without human contact.
Scenes outside where Audrey tries to break away from her career path and find another job reflect those moments where connections with nature were the only ones allowed during pandemic.
Doolan’s writing does build Audrey into a character who feels like a cheery junior teacher, rallying the children on the call to draw or make music. It’s all a bit Blue Peter and a bit Heath Robinson.
I liked the scattergun approach of this which does reflect a chaotic virtual classroom, but there isn’t quite enough plot here to justify investment in Audrey’s story.
Why does she want to move on? What’s going on in her life? How did she find herself leading the art club? How is she really coping being alone? Could she really be prepared to relocate?
Doolan’s digital work is never less than interesting and I liked the approach of using different media to generate this piece. Production values are fine as regards both visuals and sound.
You can view Audrey’s Art Club throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with tickets available here.
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