Running at Space 1 at theSpace on the Mile until 29 Aug (not Sun), Kristina Libby’s solo show is both theatre and comedy in one package. I review it here from a digital recording provided by her PR.
Directed by Padraic Lillis, Libby’s story is about love, loss and adjustment as her heart is broken and she deals with a serious brain injury. It’s autobiographical, quirky, and chatty … and surprisingly tender.
The story of a “good girl” and her experiences with love and illness is the catalyst for a flurry of little moments gathered from observing self and others. I Almost Died For This?! is a powerful and profound piece of theatre performed by a narrator who makes you feel as if you are joining her in an intimate chat.
Her only accompanist is a violinist (Daniel Lee in the performance I am watching) who offers a comment on her storytelling through familiar musical pieces. Some of the scenes are less personal and more reflective of therapeutic and artistic endeavours (like Libby’s Floral Art Project).
It’s never just about those fairytales sold to us about love, and how we deal with life’s disappointments. It isn’t just about dealing with the vagaries of how our brain rules our body. Nor is it about societal and patriarchal rules about women’s attractiveness or compliance.
With just a chair and some flowers, Libby shares her choices, mistakes, and engagement with life’s rules. At some moments, the narrative moves away from the main focus of “good girl misses out on soulmate” or the mechanics of managing recovery, but it flips back quickly enough to leave you thinking.
4 stars.
Kristina Libby: I Almost Died For This?! continues at Edinburgh Fringe until 29 Aug.