Flaneurs @ Summerhall

The Flaneurs is one of the most inspiring pieces of live performance art you will have the pleasure of experiencing and you may actually leave the theatre feeling like a better person.

Review by Steven Fraser | 28 Aug 2012

Flaneurs is a live art theatre experiment by Jenna Watt. Challenging the Bystander Effect concept, where – ‘The larger the crowd, the less likely it is that anyone will intervene,’ Jenna analyses an assault experienced by a friend.

The performance is eloquently delivered by Jenna, who engages the audience with her bright personality and her honest opinions. The Flaneurs is a conversation where the topic asks questions of the audience and also the performer – Would you intervene? This creates a dynamic in the room where our own morals are tested. Jenna comes over as a friend we can trust, but she turns this on its head with an intense and resolute piece of audience interaction, which comes over as a forceful and fascinating twist in her story. This moment is so pure and sincere in delivery, a genuine feeling of anxiety and apprehension is experienced.

Throughout the performance Jenna makes use of an overhead projector, where she projects a map of Edinburgh along various cut-out characters and images, almost creating a comic book style effect. This imagery along with voiceovers of attack victims, paints a tragic and touching image.

What makes The Flaneurs so special is Watt’s delivery and the important message behind the subject matter. The Flaneurs is one of the most inspiring pieces of live performance art you will have the pleasure of experiencing and you may actually leave the theatre feeling like a better person.

Summerhall 3-16, 19-26 August 14.00 (1hr) £8.00 (£6.00) Suitable for: 16+ Box Office: 08458743001 www.summerhall.co.uk @thejennawatt http:// www.jennawatt.co.uk