12.98°C Created and performed by local theatre artist Tia Winterbottom, this thought-provoking solo show at Colchester Fringe addresses the belittling of women head-on, damned for being “too little”, “too loud”, or simply for being female. Cleverly spinning out from an examination of the character Jo March in Little Women, relevant, precise research has created a piece that resonates with everyone, but especially women, who have been told no – they can’t do that, can’t pursue that option, can’t do it because that’s not how things are done.
The set is simple but highly effective. Costumes are brought out of boxes, and the impression is created of something temporary, that these women are passing through, that you will hardly notice them. We meet a mother, hiding her writing because she knows the battles Jo March went through to get noticed, telling her children to sit up straight, her daughter to be good. A housewife whose ambitions for space travel will never be taken seriously as she hands out lunch and briefcases to her breadwinner husband. A teacher wonders how her female pupils will grow up whilst studying Matilda – there is a good knowledge of literature throughout the play. In the end, the invisible woman hides in a box, but we hear words that have been locked away until now. It worked beautifully in the intimate space of the Headgate Theatre (Rehearsal Room), and it was a thrill to see that the performance was sold out.
The performance and the script are totally engaging throughout, and it feels part of a bigger development. Running at about 45 minutes, there’s definitely potential for the piece to grow. It is already a confident, important piece of theatre, and I hope it finds a future life beyond the Fringe.
Review by Paul T. Davies, Theatre Editor, Keep Colchester Cool
Photo credit @ash.portfiolio
