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Camden Fringe 2023
At times beautiful and at times confusing, but always weird, Fickle Weather is abstract theatre that has a curiosity value but needs more focus to make it more than that. Summary
Rating
Ok
I am all for shows that are wildly abstract. I am of the belief that it isn’t always necessary to be crystal clear in your meaning and am more than happy for a show to simply lead you towards its message, whilst leaving much to your own interpretation. Which is damn lucky for Cerys Green’s Fickle Weather, because when I say this was all utterly bewildering that would probably be something of an understatement.
Fickle Weather is, even by Camden Fringe’s standards, all rather oddball. It is a strange mishmash of ideas and thoughts all told via an equally eclectic mix of mediums. At times it works amazingly well, but equally, there are moments it just becomes too odd even for my palate. At its heart there seems to be messages about acceptance and queerness, but beyond that, I confess that I am not actually too sure what was going on.
There’s no doubting that Green is highly creative, working across both visual and aural spectrums. Described as part gig, part theatre, it’s a description that doesn’t tell the full story. Alongside the gig element there is video installation, dance performance, and spoken word. It is all as arty as it sounds, but whether that is a compliment or a complaint I’m honestly not completely sure.
The problem is that at times, it is just too high art for my tastes, leaving me wondering just what it’s actually trying to say. Then there are moments where I am desperate for it to move on at a quicker pace; watching a music video as Green sits on the floor staring at the same screen seems unnecessarily drawn out. Equally frustrating are the times we watch as Green fiddles with a laptop preparing the next segment. Whilst this gives us a clear indication that everything is performed live, it just feels unnecessary and kills the flow. If you are using technology, use it to its full capacity and have things pre-loaded.
I’m also rarely a fan of the extended use of a microphone, and this is a show where the microphone is in constant use. It does allow for some great vocal distortion and loop effects, but fringe theatres rarely require voice amplification, so to use the microphone for the whole show becomes an annoyance before the show is over.
But Fickle Weather also has moments that thrill and demonstrate why Camden Fringe is a place to dive in and take crazy risks (both as audience and performer), to test out the weird and wonderful. Use of a loop effect is one time the microphone is welcomed, although why she is telling us about the old man and his blood I never quite work out. A later segment accompanied by live violin is one of sheer beauty, a time when the performance shines through and suggests that Green’s creativity has plenty more to offer.
Fickle Weather is certainly one to file under the weird and wacky. And whilst it doesn’t currently quite do enough to be more than a strange curiosity, Green’s multi-faceted approach should be applauded. We need abstract theatre that will challenge us and push us into new realms, but perhaps this show needs to be better refined, to bring a little more focus to proceedings.
Written by Cerys Green
Fickle Weather has completed its current run.
