Consumed is formed of three short plays, presented by Dreambite Collective, a queer writing colective. It was filmed at Camden People’s Theatre, and the whole show is directed by Nell Bailey.
Gummy Gummy by Clare Stenning is “a sensory exploration of substance use and the fine line between being high and being low.”
This is a surreal exploration of the mind under the influence of drugs and how this has an impact on Naomi (Nusrath Tapadar) and June’s (Sophia Decaro) relationship.
It uses technical quirks and black comedy to delve into obsession and addiction, making heavy and effective use of the interior monologue. Tapadar gives a strong impression of instability and reliance on artificial feelings.
Lucid by Katrina Bennett is “about a woman losing her grasp on reality as she obsessively investigates the vivid and wacky sex dreams she’s having about her flatmates.”
Mabel (a nervy Sophia Decaro) is so disturbed and driven by the detailed sex fantasies she has been having about her flatmates (Hugo Papiernik, Clare Stenning) that she assembles a graphic on the wall similar to those in police investigation rooms.
We are passive voyeurs into these dreams, which leave her on rocky ground during the day, tipping between embarrassment and arousal. It also touches on the issue of non-consensual objectification of others.
It’s an original way of dealing with the complexities of living with strangers and provides a lighter filling between the weightier bookends of the evening.
You Are What You Eat by Lydia Sabatini is “a surreal piece of body horror telling the story of a woman who’s lost her body, and who can only get it back by literally consuming herself.”
This is a dark black piece about self-harm and mental disintegration, and of agency over one’s own body.
Clare Stenning’s protagonist-victim is a convincing and pitiful creation, also a jocular communicator in explaining her need to survive by mutilating and repurposing herself.
A complex and powerful play, this leaves us with a strong sense of unease and revulsion while raising questions about self-harming and its therapeutic effects.
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Find out more about Dreambite Collective here.