Vulnerable and living alone surrounded by memories from her mother, Cathy records and uploads a series of videos to YouTube expressing her misery through words, high-pitched singing and dance.
Cutting Off Kate Bush is a dark one-woman show, performed by the talented Lucy Benson-Brown. As the show progresses, the audiences hear voicemails and see comments being left under her videos, and a screen gives us a soft-focus glimpse into Cathy's happier childhood memories.
Manically told anecdotes melt into songs which pepper an hour-long show that is full of surprises: bangs, cartwheels and a neat on-stage wind effect. The audience experience discomfort too as they find themselves laughing out loud at inappropriate deadly situations.
Ultimately, success cannot be measured and happiness cannot be derived from hits on YouTube videos. The ambiguous ending leaves the audience to decide whether Cathy will turn into her mother, or set herself free. Pre-production funded via Kickstarter, this is a novel and well-produced show worth catching.
One helium balloon is sacrificed in the making of this show. And the use of stereo and glitter is to be commended.
And finally a special mention for the fine turkey, pasta and bread lunch that came as part of lunchtime's ticket price, a delicious addition to the January menu.
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