My one-man poetry experiment Red, Like Our Room Used to Feel got some incredibly generous reviews during the Fringe. Here’s a veritable smorgasbord of kindly sentences.
TheList: ***** “It’s charming, it’s inspirational and, in fact, I suspect it might be a landmark production for poetry in performance. I was cocooned in an intimate human bubble. If you are at all interested in literature, memory, performance or joy, you must see this show.” — Charlotte Runcie
The Skinny: ***** “A memorable performance as visceral as the photographs on the wall and curiosities on the shelf.” — Steven Fraser
Herald Scotland: ***** “A brief oasis of calm, where being read to is a welcome pleasure not often enjoyed beyond childhood.” — Mary Brennan
FringeGuru: ***** “All things considered, the show is superlative. That intimacy is the real magic – I felt, actually, like I was holed up in a friend’s room listening to a poem I’d heard before, about things I’d also experienced.” — Allison Mckeon
Guardian Theatre Correspondent Lyn Gardner: “Should be made available immediately on prescription to all fringe-goers”; Via Twitter: “exquisite 20 minute time out ”
Exeunt Magazine: “[By the end, the room] had become more beautiful and strange than I had expected, set against the ebb and flow of Van Winkle’s elemental poetry.” — Tom Wicker
Time Out: **** “Simple, yearning and effective” — Andrzej Lukowski
Edinburgh Spotlight: **** “There has been a lot of site-specific and installation work this Fringe, but this is easily one of the best …. A piece that has real depth and substance and is willing to take all the risks that go with creating a one to one piece.”
Scottish Poetry Library: ‘This is a high-def performance, 3d poetry” — Colin Waters
In addition, due to statistical something or other, Red Like Our Room Used to Feel cracked the Top 10 (6th out of 2,204) for this year’s best reviewed shows according to The List. I’m pretty shocked by this and would like to say thanks to those who made this ‘show’ happen. So – thanks to David Martin and all those at Hidden Door who gave us the spark. Thanks to Deborah Pearson who gave much needed advice and to Andy Field and Forest Fringe for letting me try this out again last year. Thanks to Rupert Thomson at Summerhall for asking if I’d like to do a full fringe run and for convincing me it wasn’t a stupid idea. Thanks to Heather Cameron and the stellar (and tolerant) box office team at Summerhall. And, of course, the piece would not sound, smell, or look any good at all if it weren’t for: Gareth Warner (Ragland), Martin McKenna, Eric Brooks, Hailey Beavis, Ericka Duffy, Magda Boreysza, Chris Palmer, Jason Pogo, Faith Elliot and friends who sent me postcards, letters etc to fill up the empty spaces. And, of course, thanks to those who indulged me. I really just wanted to read to you. The reviews were nice but the event was a true pleasure.
And keep your eyes open — the Red Room will hopefully be travelling to London this December. Fingers crossed, I’ll see you there!
