Low Down
A one woman bittersweet comedy play from writer and performer Natasha Wood. An "up to the present moment" autobiographical, touching piece of story-performing.
Review
Never mind the wheelchair. The wheelchair in this piece is a just another useful prop that enables this truly free spirit to ride the rollercoaster of life. We join her for an hour.
This one woman show from actress Natasha Wood is a sharply written monologue on life with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. But it is so much more than that. Her easy style of delivery tells a story of growing up, of the angst of first love, of ambition, challenge, loss and recovery. Of course, the show is also informative about her genetic disorder, but never courts sympathy or preaches.
Still, I can sense this is an audience with special needs. Thay are looking for some comedy theatre on the Fringe that doesn't poke fun, that affirms life, that has depth, wit, humour and irony. And they find it in the Jokerdome at the Pleasance.
Natasha's delivery is conversational and warm. She plays both the comedy and tragedy of the piece with equal confidence and ability. She convinces. She's a fine storyteller, enjoys her punchlines, and her tears are real and as strongly impactful as her smiles. Some of her characterisations of the people in her life were stronger than others, and the piece set on the bus in the USA was a bit confusing.
Essentially told as a series of episodes, this "sold as seen" perfomer tells us a story of the humour that can be found in
Life's challenges. For example, the piece on her auditon for drama school, was touching and very funny. Her account of her first date was hilarious.
Do not imagine a wheel-chair bound performer sat, statically on the stage. Natasha moves up close to the front row and looks us in the eye, she spins around, she uses all the space, she commands the stage, as any story-performer should.
I thoroughly recommend you get along to the Pleasance and see the girl with the reinforced backbone and a pope-mobile for a car. Natasha was rolling on the stage. We were rolling in the aisles.
Reviewed by PL 15th August 2007
