frisson @ Leith Arches, Edinburgh
Production Lines' frisson is a two-part, multimedia story about post-lockdown identity, capturing our current condition in humanistic fashion
Written by cmfwood and staged by Production Lines, frisson is billed as two standalone performances; the first delivered online, the second in person. Each part can be experienced as a whole, but they work best as a pair, as they piece together the lives of seven individuals post-lockdown.
frisson deals with some sophisticated and poignant themes, particularly the language of identity: what it is to know oneself, know others, know oneself through others, and the challenges of giving expression to that knowledge. Dark humour punctuates an otherwise lyrical script and, for the most part, moments of comedy are navigated deftly and with nuance.
Jennie Landels' design cleverly provides insight into the personalities and peculiarities of the characters. Esther Gilivray is superb as the grieving Mimi, and the character of Tarquin is brought to enchanting life by Robert Wylie. Jonathan's (Alan Patterson) first steps into the world of online dating are a key focal point, and a wellspring of levity, too; in the digital sphere, one’s identity can easily be controlled or disguised, and the comedic potential of this is mined to great effect.
Eve (Cari Silver) and Kai (Rhona O Donnell) in frisson. Image: Production Lines
Scenes speak with one other, they overlap; they are full of echoes. When not involved in the immediate action, the performers lapse into silence and fall still, a device that is perhaps realised more successfully in person than online. frisson's melodic language calls for something more absurd, heightened, or kinetic. As it is, tension is lost at regular intervals – while loose ends are tied up, and tied well at first, they go slack. Ultimately, though, wood creates a likeable, even loveable, cast of characters, and frisson is an admirable, human story that captures our very complex social moment, our current moment in time.
Run ended