‘Writing about this has been confusing,” says Elle Dillon-Reams of Meat, a solo show that details experiences with sexual assault and womanhood. Unfortunately her inner frenzy is clear: while the subject matter is rightly rage-inducing, and tragic, as a performance this hour is a jumbled collection of embryonic ideas; something teetering on the edge of a stream of consciousness.
But Dillon-Reams has a kindly presence that draws you in. When she talks directly to audience members she has the knack of gently putting them at ease. Over the course of her show she wears a pink wig and stilettos, contorts her body to become the animals suggested by volunteers, and lies roaring on the stage floor in pain. You never know what is about to come next and it’s supposed to have a shock factor and be liberating as Dillon-Reams shrieks, pulls tampons from inside her to pass around the audience, and encourages us to shout out with her to release our buried feelings.
Ask any woman and she will be able to tell you similar stories. She will talk of the fear that is instilled deep inside her of walking alone at night; her memories of being touched unwelcomely; and of having to make mental exit plans, just in case. But though these sentiments power Dillon-Reams’ show, their implications are diminished by baggy scenes of shouting.
There are some sparks – including vivid descriptions from the perspective of a young girl about her early encounters with men. And of course this is a topic that deserves and commands attention. But everything is so frantic and unfocused that the show’s more devastating moments do not touch you in the way they should.
• At Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until 28 August
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