QUICKFIRE FRINGE: #1. Eaten
Over the course of a few daysin August a bunch of the YTAS Young Critics were let loose on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to see and respond to as many things as possible.. For me the aim was to see as many different shows as I could to help me understand the type of theatre I enjoy and want to make in the future - here's what I got to see.
Show #1: Eaten
My first show of the Fringe brought me to the Summerhall's Lecture Theatre Venue to see Eaten, a show asking the question,
“What if your food started talking back?”
Written by Mamoru Iriguchi who stars in it alongside Suzi Cunningham and with direction from Eilidh MacAskill, Eaten looks at the fundamentals of eating and being eaten. Also poop. Put simply, it’s about digestion, something inventively explored through the character of Lionel the Lion, who dreams of being a vegetarian but has, in a fit of hunger, accidentally swallowed a human whole. Thankfully, this very conveniently allows him to converse with Lionel out of his mouth and, with Iriguchi energetically hopping back and forth from playing Lionel to Mamoru, the two form an unlikely friendship.
One of the great things about Eaten is that it's a piece aimed towards children but is just as easily accessible by all ages. Though the show deals with some of the very basics of life, it's by no means belittling or condescending to its audience.
Iriguchi is a fascinating person, having originally studied zoology before finding his way to the arts, and has created shows based on a variety of topics over the years. It's his seemingly endless wonder towards some of the basic facts of life that reels in the adults and rids the room of inhibition that I think makes the piece such a success. It's fun, carefree and childish in the best way and I couldn't help but leave the room feeling... hopeful?
Standout moments?
“You can’t eat a concept!”
A moment where one of the shyer children was given a monkey hat to wear ended up bounding around the stage teasing Lionel and Mamoru, something which they joined in with– a moment of pure joy!
And, of course, Mamoru “pooping” himself out of the Lion costume. You couldn’t write it… yet he did.
Lasting impression and thoughts going onwards?
In an industry where things can so often become competitive, egotistical, and over complicated, I just want to see more shows that create this response. As an audience member it was such a joy to see something where the people both onstage and off are so liberated of inhibition. There was a real sense of unity and equality that is so often missing from theatre. Though in many ways a very simplistic show, there’s something undeniably pure and joyful about the whole thing. It seems like there’s a lot that more mainstream theatre could learn from it.
Click here for more information on Mamoru Iriguchi and his work.
or have a look at the trailer for Eaten below!
