The Fringe may have officially launched today (6 August), but Shedinburgh is already on day four of its varied programme of streamed events, all from the intimacy of a shed!
Although it passed me by when it launched last year, I got a bit of the Shedinburgh experience back in March when Tobias Menzies' enthralling performance of White Rabbit Red Rabbit became available to watch again - a play that has lived rent-free in my head ever since. Coupling this previous positive experience of the shed with an award-winning Welsh play that I have thus far managed to miss at every opportunity made this stream of Iphigenia in Splott a must-see for me, and I have not been disappointed.
Gary Owen's script may be inspired by the Greek myth, but what he has created in the character of Effie (a role originated by Sophie Melville and reprised by her here) is very much relevant in the here and now. As her story unfolds in this monologue, the people, places, and situations are recognisable and relatable, and the political and societal overtones are just as pertinent, if not more so, now as they were when the play was first performed six years ago.
There is nowhere to hide in the shed; no set, no props, no fancy lighting design. Just Melville, sat in a chair, armed with Owen's words. And that is all that is needed. In the hands of Melville, this beautifully crafted script comes alive and is completely captivating. Drawing you into the world of Effie, you live every moment with her, feeling her every emotion, and laughing and crying with her along the way. If anything, this pared-back setting adds to the intimacy of the piece and that personal connection between the audience and the character, something that Melville skillful maintains with ease for the whole performance. For over an hour the watcher becomes completely emersed in Effie's world.
If this performance of Iphigenia in Splott is an indication of the quality of Shedinburgh's programme this year then it is well worth checking out.
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