Set in 1990s Wales, Lisa Jên Brown’s rebellious and intoxicating two-woman show Double Drop combines the worlds of the traditional Welsh Eistedfodd Festival and the illegal rave culture of the Dorothea quarry. Told through the eyes of internally conflicted protagonist Esmi, Double Drop is a fruitful exploration of community, youth, tradition and music.
Mirain Haf Roberts as reigning Eistedfodd singing champion slash seasoned raver Esmi shares her struggle surrounding her identity, narrating her story directly to the audience. She fully commits to her role and is entirely believable as youthful and energetic Esmi, whose character is flawed yet extremely likeable. Her performance is enhanced by her chemistry with Lisa Jên Brown, who effortlessly multi-roles as Esmi’s mother, schoolmates and her illustrious older best friend. She brings most of the humour to the piece, with brilliant character acting and spot-on comic timing. The two portray a difficult but poignant mother-daughter relationship sincerely and relatably.
Both performers showcase their musical talent in a juxtaposition, and at times fusion, of traditional Welsh folk singing and electronic music. This combination is surprisingly complementary, and cements Double Drop as a highly innovative piece of theatre. Original music by 9Bach, winners of the BBC2 Radio Folk Awards, is a delight to listen to as Roberts and Brown sound beautiful in harmony.
Though music plays a huge role in this story, the real essence of this play is that of community; Brown questions what it can mean in different contexts, from cultural belonging to the communion of partygoers. Esmi’s journey begins with a rejection of her community, finding her place amongst drug-fuelled ravers. But at the climax of the piece, Esmi “double drops”, taking 2 MDMA pills, and hallucinates a divine visit from the founder of the Eistedfodd. It is then that her two identities combine and she realises that what she really craves is having the freedom to just be herself.
Unfortunately, the brilliant performances by Roberts and Brown are slightly dampened by the pre-show, where the two make awkward conversation with the audience before starting the piece. However, the main downside to this production is its venue. MultiStory is a brand new open-air performance stage from EdFringe giants Gilded Balloon, Zoo Venues, Traverse Theatre and Dance Base, and though the view of Edinburgh Castle is a spectacular one, Double Drop would pack more of a punch in a darker, more intimate studio space. The actors are forced to perform to a large, open-air audience, which causes their performances to be slightly too exaggerated, and for some of the emotion to be lost in the expanse of the space. In a smaller venue, they would be able to play down certain scenes, and add more light and shade to their interpretations of the characters.
Despite this, Double Drop is full of heart and deserves to find the right theatre to share its story. Lisa Jên Brown and Dirty Protest Theatre have created a truly entrancing piece of theatre, that’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before.
★★★
Words by Francesca Lynn.
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