Theatre review: Shattered, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh

The first character we meet is Shame
Shattered, Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)Shattered, Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
Shattered, Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)

Shattered, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh * * *

. Pretty quickly, Truth and Denial, Security and Innocence put in an appearance. And somewhere in their midst is writer and performer Diana Varco, telling a dark story about rape and recovery in a form that can feel, at times, like a grown-up version of Pixar’s Inside Out.

Looking for an explanation as to why she isn’t very keen on relationships, Diana tracks back to being raped outside a nightclub in LA in 2009. At this point, the voices multiply as Fear, Depression, Panic and Suicidal Thoughts appear in her life. But there is more trauma yet to be uncovered before she can start the long road to healing.

Read More
8 Fringe First winners from week two
Hide Ad

If this show is her own story, it’s courageous, if uncomfortably detailed. Trauma piled upon trauma starts to have a numbing effect on the audience. However, it remains a strong and necessary reminder of the double standards which still all too often surround rape and sexual assault.

Until 26 August

Related topics: