• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Tickets

EdFringe 2017 – salt. at Summerhall

August 8, 2017 by Katie Smith Leave a Comment

Review of: Katie Smith
Price:
£8-£12

Reviewed by: Katie Smith
Rating:
4
On August 8, 2017
Last modified:August 8, 2017

Summary:

An impressive one-woman show that explores the lasting legacy of grief left by slavery.

More Details

Grappling with ideas and themes that stretch across oceans, salt. is the latest outing by brilliant performance artist Selina Thompson. A solo show that charts Thompson’s own journey from Europe to Africa to Jamaica and back, it’s a raw and moving hour that strikes a chord. I’m part of the three foremost rows which are compelled to wear safety goggles whenever Thompson does, which does add a degree of excitement. Particularly for those of us closest to the front, we are part of the way Thompson physically uncases the messy, deep-rooted legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

And when Thompson starts breaking apart a massive chunk of rock salt with a hammer, it really is – well – smashing. It’s a stunning few minutes, one of the highlights of the show, where Thompson demonstrates the effects of powerful institutions that benefit from colonialism on the individual. It’s exhausting, poetic, and highly emotive, encapsulating through visual metaphor not only her difficult journey to retrace the Transatlantic Slave Triangle, but also the quotidian existence of the slave trade in the present day.

If this all sounds a little heavy or historical, be assured that Thompson’s show is both personal and told with a real lightness of spirit. She is a wonderful performer to watch, confident with her audience and unafraid to let the humour of her anecdotes and journeys shine through. The attempt to grieve for slaves lost hundreds of years ago is told through Thompson’s distinctly personal lens, making salt.’s emotional impact double.

But salt. is at its best when Thompson demonstrates instead of flat-out telling, when her interwoven themes of lost history and grief are allowed to intermix without the explicit connections needing to be pointed out. The use of projection, too, is the tiniest bit confusing – the first clip shown feels totally important and relevant, the second a bit distracting. But salt. is such an intelligent, critically informed piece that this is just a small bump along the powerful journey Thompson relives on stage.

At once complex and accessible, important yet endearing, salt. is an impressively charted odyssey across oceans, assuredly reminding us of the slave trade’s legacy without every alienating its audience. Thompson’s performance and show are beautifully realised – but if you want to see it, get down to Summerhall quickly, as it’s almost completely sold out. And rightly so.

Author: Katie Smith

Filed Under: Review Tagged With: Edinburgh Fringe 2017

Join the discussion Cancel reply

Review / The Journey To Venice at the Finborough Theatre

Bjorg Vik’s play The Journey To Venice is a delightful production, entertaining yet full of pathos. A play with a [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Tzarini Meyler talks KITES at VAULT Festival

We spoke to Artistic Director of LipZinc Theatre, writer and performer Tzarini Meyler about her upcoming show at VAULT Festival [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Naomi Westerman talks BATMAN (aka Naomi’s Death Show)

We spoke to writer and performer Naomi Westerman from Little But Fierce about her upcoming show at VAULT Festival Can [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Angharad Jones on The Swearing Jar 

From New Perspectives, The Swearing Jar is a comedy about love, heartbreak, living with the past and accepting the future. We spoke to director Angharad [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Unleash The Llama talks Five Years With The White Man

We spoke to the creators of Five Years With The White Man about the upcoming show coming to VAULT Festival [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 5 Stage Elements to Consider for a Rousing Theatrical Production
  • Tim Edge talks Under the Black Rock
  • Romeo and Juliet- Rose Theatre, Kingston Sublime Shakespeare.
  • Peter Pan at the National Theatre
  • Arts Funding as Propaganda
  • Ed Fringe 2016: Acting Alone, at Just Festival in St John's
  • The Disappearing Cripple: Disabled Actors - A Problem of Access or Perception?
  • How to Applying for Arts Grants and Funding
  • Katy Owen: How to Apply to Drama Schools*
  • Angharad Jones on The Swearing Jar 
  • Katie Smith
    Contributor

  • August 8th, 2017
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • Facebook7TweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2023 · Blue Pie Media

     

    Loading Comments...
     

      Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

      Email sent!