A clever and quietly devastating exploration of identity and distance during conflict. Small theatre with a surprisingly strong pulse.Rating
Excellent
This small yet powerful blast of a play tells the story of U and the physical manifestations of stress and grief when war breaks out in her home country of Ukraine. When the war breaks, the nosebleeds begin.
What initially seems like an almost absurd medical problem quickly reveals itself to be something far more complex. After all, for most of us nosebleeds belong firmly to childhood – a wet paper towel held awkwardly in the first aid bay. Here, they become a visceral metaphor for the emotional rupture that occurs when a somewhat buried identity is brought to the fore by global conflict. Loosely, it calls to mind the biblical image of Jesus sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane – the body physically unable to contain the weight of what it knows is coming.
Living comfortably in leafy Balham, U has rarely had to consider what it means to be Ukrainian. But the moment war erupts, that distance collapses. Suddenly, geography, guilt and a sense of belonging come rushing in at once – and the body reacts before the mind has time to catch up.
Written and performed by Katrine Renee Reoutov, Nosebleeds unfolds as a confessional monologue. Reoutov plays U with an electrifying nervous energy, assisted by sharp flashes of light and pacy techno mixes. She oscillates between bursts of frantic dark humour and moments of genuine vulnerability, keeping the audience constantly on edge. The piece feels immediate and alive, as if drawn in one continuous stroke of the pen, with each moment flowing into the next.
The staging is minimal but purposeful: a bench-like crate, a couple of stalks of Ukrainian wheat, and an open playing space that gives Reoutov the freedom to move. A wired microphone positioned to one side allows for a shift in vocal texture, adding welcome variation to the storytelling. Video design is used sparingly but effectively, with projections onto the rear wall and onto Reoutov’s face in the opening moments, creating a striking visual introduction. It’s an inventive touch that is particularly effective given the limited resources in a tight space.
It’s an interesting perspective on the war. Because the protagonist experiences the conflict from afar, it can be initially difficult to feel an immediate sense of sympathy for her situation. Yet with a little distance — much like U’s own — the piece reveals itself to be less about war directly, and more about identity, nationality, and the uneasy relationship between where we live and where we come from.In the end, Nosebleeds reminds us that even at a distance, the body — and the conscience — keep score.
Written and performed by Katrine Renee Reoutov
Directed by Amelia Jean Crabtree
Nosebleeds runs at The Glitch until Monday 16 March
