A well chiselled solo show, performed with skill and momentum. Rating
Excellent
Exhuming Emily artfully questions fatherly love, both of the paternal and of the godly kind, when a man is injured at the Mealt Falls, Scotland in his pursuit to right a wrong. It is a solo show performed by James Grimm, who is convincing from the very start, clawing his way onto the stage, as if heaving his exhausted body up and onto an icy ledge. Once there, he lands centrestage, showing off his leg wound and creating a striking image of a man that has risked it all to exhume the ice-trapped body of a girl, Emily. In the centre he remains, like a prisoner of circumstance, unable to walk or climb towards Emily or his own freedom. We are thrown into the thickness of a plot reflecting on religion, necrophilia and loss.
Confinement is a running theme in this production and the immobility of the character in the middle of the stage feeds into that. It’s a smart choice too, one that emphasises the script written by Alex Maslin, which pings with sharp wit and poignancy. Maslin’s writing is both poetic and lean and he has written a character that is intelligent, articulate and easy to connect with.
Grimm, as performer, holds his own within that too, never shying away from his commitment to connect to his audience. There is a wonderful momentum behind his ability to shift through each character in his storytelling, working with clarity in his vocal play and with imagination in the angles and placement of each of them as they appear in relation to him on stage. The technical choices gently tie all this together and support the writing, never pulling focus, never distracting but building tension and atmosphere when needed.
Within the thrust of the show some moments do feel as if they move a little too quickly, however; notably, the additional confession in Grimm’s last ditch attempt to convince God to release his grip on young Emily’s body. This could cost him more. Here he is, at the feet of God, giving his body, baring it all in the pursuit to make things right. His final confession is all he has left and once he’s played that card there is nothing more. This is a moment that could be held for longer, for a beat or two which would allow us to land and take a breath amongst the show’s drive.
That aside, Exhuming Emily is a well accomplished piece of theatre that sets some challenging questions. It is performed with skill and the creatives involved make for a winning combination.
Written by Alex Maslin
Directed and produced by Alex Maslin and Alex Fernandes.
Sound design by Spike Miller
Lighting design by Toby Hills
Exhuming Emily plays at the Etcetera Theatre until Saturday 7 February.
