Fluff, Theatre 503 Review
Written by Amelia for Theatre and Tonic.
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.
Fluff is the first creation from duo James Piercy and Tayla Kenyon, who founded Teepee Productions together. The writers met on a course online and sparked an interest in creating projects, which resulted in Fluff. Piercy has written other works before this, including both plays and short films, all of which earned rave reviews. Kenyon has also won awards for her work at fringe festivals, which we all know can lead to the greatest of shows. Take a small wonder like Operation Mincemeat or Six; both developed from the smallest of stages, to award-winning phenomenons. Kenyon actually stars in the play, portraying the titular character in a one woman performance.
Fluff is an interesting depiction of dementia and the impact it can have on someone’s everyday life. As Fluff tries to piece together her life, we are drawn into a stirring narrative that’ll keep you hooked for the short 75 minute stint. The non linear story is easy to follow because of reoccurring props to indicate what time period we are in. The set is simple but the lighting design by Alex Teixido Blouna really solidifies the themes of the show. The use of letters as a backdrop to mimic a word search is captivating and the letters fading and moving as Fluff goes through her life is very clever. The poignancy of this gives us a visual perspective into her mind, and that of others also suffering from this illness.
Director Danäe Cambrook has many credits to her name and sends this production down all the right paths. The show does have an age rating of 15+ due to the nature of the themes, but they were handled with grace and respect. I can’t quite work out the demographic for a piece like this, as I can see it appealing to lots of different groups. The dark comedy is on the nose and could be polarising, but it’s consistent throughout and crafted well into the story.
Dementia is an illness that affects so many people’s lives, and one that isn’t talking about nearly enough for the devastation that it causes. It is an immense feat to take on a show completely on your own and encapsulate an audience for over an hour, but Tayla Kenyon does an excellent job at keeping us engaged. She truly grows with the story and becomes more impressive as it goes on. The parts involving her family are portrayed very well, and the ending had me on the edge of my seat. The shortcoming of this piece I think comes from the beginning of the show, as it takes some time to really get into the grit of the story. The piece follows a pattern where each part of Fluff’s life takes a section, and then we’re back to what I assume to be present day, where Fluff is far into the dementia illness. This pattern is not obvious at the start and therefore, can seem disjointed until it becomes clear that’s the way it’s going to go. Because of this, Kenyon’s work truly takes shape around 30 minutes in, as we, the audience, are confident in what we are following.
As someone with a family member suffering from the same illness, it’s important that these stories are being told and shared within the arts. This poignant portrayal definitely deserves more recognition throughout the theatre community.
At Theatre503 until 23 July.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
