6 days Ago
It's a complex performance which is both vulnerable and comedic. Directed by Marcus Bazley, performed by Helen Percival and set to the drumbeats of percussionist Manu Joste, it's a fusion of spoken word, music and dance that you definitely haven't seen before. I caught it at Proteus Theatre on April 10, and at multiple points throughout the show, I felt as if I was an audience member in the play of my own life.
Helen's performance is so relatable that you really will think it is you up there. Speaking to her after the show, Helen shared: "This is my journey, and I'm still very much on this journey of discovering how do you spin gold from darkness, like I must have gone through this for a reason." Helen Percival in Phoenix (Image: Stuart Keegan) READ MORE: Plans for 302 'urban' homes near village approved despite concerns The show begins with Helen questioning society and perception, the wisdom of our bodies as a canvas of our lives, storing what has happened to them.
She said: "I'm such a strong advocate for women and equality, and yet I know that I've got all this internalised misogyny at the same time. You're like up against yourself the whole time, and that's the amazing power of art and telling stories get it out of the body and so much of this is stored in the body." Between each scene, Helen is controlled by a drumbeat and forced to do a manic, almost slapstick-quality dance.
She is perhaps stuck in the rat race of her own life, stung by society's expectations and belief that love is what she needs, despite her stories of disappointing boyfriends forcing her to shrink into their idea of what she should be...
. Jasmine Kelly.
