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theSpaceTriplex – studio
Gentle yet energetic, perfect for cat loversSummary
Rating
Excellent
Cat Sh!t Crazy is a very ambitious production. Animal abuse, personal trauma and an incredibly long mid-life crisis all feature in what appears to be Cindy D’Andrea’s mad passion project, focused on her love for cats.
D’Andrea puts on an incredibly honest and energetic performance. Her acting is authentic and exceedingly open, which gives this driven one-woman show incredible energy. The plot covers her life up until the present day, and as the play continues we see how and why cats begin to play such an important role in her life.
The framing device has the audience join D’Andrea on a confusing ayahuasca retreat before her trip begins, and she then blasts through her life story with impressive speed. Despite this rapid pace, it still feels like the plot could be more concise – scenes where Andrea shares the details of her routine with her seven cats certainly helped to establish an emotional connection with them, but didn’t need to be so long.
Occasionally there is a bit of a mismatch between events on stage and D’Andrea’s enthusiasm. The parts where she impersonates her cats feel a bit cringeworthy and overworked. Stronger direction and script work could make these impressions more impactful.
D’Andrea’s performances are interspersed by a flash of colourful light and a loud sound cue, after which she freezes and aggressively delivers a fact about animal abuse. These are a welcome addition and a great way of reinforcing the educational side of this production. They also show off an inspired use of lighting and sound in such an intimate and tiny venue.
Ann Noble’s direction makes smart use of the staging, with a chair on each corner of the stage and cat-related props hidden in the wings for use in specific scenes. This provides plenty of negative space with four main focal points, giving room for physical theatre, and allowing for smooth transitions in scenes as we barrel through D’Andrea’s life.
Despite dragging slightly at times, this production has real soul, and is definitely worth a watch for animal-lovers. The more educational side to the production is executed with sensitivity and precision, rarely feeling forced or unwieldy, with the most aggressive facts and useful contact details packed into the program. Such a unique show does a good job of inspiring a renewed appreciation for our pets.
Written and performed by: Cindy D’Andrea
Directed by: Ann Noble
Co-produced by: Michelle Alves
Cat Sh!t Crazy plays at theSpaceTriplex as part of EdFringe 2023 until 26 August. Further information and bookings can be found here.
