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Camden Fringe
Alice Motta takes us on a journey of acceptance as we cleanse our body and soul of the pressures of trying to conform to expectations. Summary
Rating
Excellent
Where to even begin with Alice Motta‘s Sacred Bath? Other than to say it is a beautiful, uplifting and cathartic experience. At times she might draw us down into darker places, but only briefly, before lifting us back up to the light. It means that, come the end, there is a feeling that you are leaving the theatre in a more peaceful and serene state than you arrived with one hour prior.
It all begins with Motta entering as a bride, walking slowly down the aisle through the waiting congregation to the altar (ok that’s the audience and the stage), before proceeding to change her mind as she asks us if we ever felt… Well it’s more a sound and some jerky movements, but it seems to translate as if something inside us needs to escape, that we need to be free of the confines of our body. From there it is a wonderful mixture of movement, spoken word, audience participation and a whole bunch of religious imagery as she attempts to balance autonomy over her own body and soul with religion and societal expectations. There’s certainly a female slant to it all, after all, isn’t it women’s bodies that men seem to have always felt that they can take ownership of?
The play is very much a series of connected thoughts rather than any direct narrative, all tied together with that desire to understand ourselves, to find comfort in who we are, what we are, who we might want to be. It is an exploration into the body, which her mother called a sacred vessel; although in response Motta points out the problem with sacred places is they tend to only be visited and never lived in. Motta clearly wants to find a way for her body to be much more than just a place to only occasionally frequent, provided it is on her own terms!
There is a real playfulness throughout, Motta not afraid to break the fourth wall to ask for input or assistance. She ropes in one willing person to help apply fresh make-up, whilst others are called upon to act as her director and videographer as she acts out an audition, using this as another opportunity to again demonstrate ownership of her own body. But it’s when she asks us to step forward to tell her something we want to forgive ourselves for that it’s impossible not to overlook the direct religious comparison of taking holy communion. It’s incredible to watch how, after some initial hesitation, people step up and whisper their confessions to Motta.
The play has undergone a number of changes since its conception and it does feel as if it is still in a state of flux, changing even as we watch it – as if it’s not only the audience on a journey of discovery about the show but also Motta herself, still finding out what it is she needs to say. But what is certain is that there is a shared feeling of release within the audience come the end; a release of the stresses of the day, a release of any frustrations we may have been harbouring, and a shared sense that we can learn to love our bodies and ourselves all over again. As theatre shows go, this is the closest I’ve ever felt to a religious experience, and as an atheist that’s quite a strange thing! I’m certainly a new convert to the church of Alice Motta.
Devised by: Alice Motta
Movement direction and dramaturgy by: Lizzy Tan
Lighting design by: Camila Grimaldi
Sound design by: Arthur Murtinho
Sacred Bath will also play on Friday 23rd at 9pm at the same venue. Tickets will be available shortly here.
