Sanjana Idnani
As a lifelong theatre buff, I naturally have a soft spot for the Edinburgh Fringe and so, although I cannot go up myself this year, I couldn’t resist trying to get involved in some way. Luckily for me, Blue and Pip – a show going up to the festival – was previewing locally and I got to nab a sneak peek on Monday night at the Bridge House Theatre.
Blue and Pip, written by Helena Fox, is a modern-day folktale that explores the struggles of living with endometriosis and the patriarchal healthcare system and questions what it means to celebrate and grieve our bodies at the same time.
Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition that affects 1 in 10 women in the UK. However, there is still limited research surrounding the condition and data suggests that some individuals suffering from the condition have gone undiagnosed for eight years.
The play follows Blue, who is sick, and their wife Pip as they search for answers about Blue’s increasingly unbearable pain and their increasingly futile attempts to get the doctors to listen and understand. The intimacy of the venue, located above the Bridge House pub in Penge, is therefore just right for the intense but familiar conversations that make up the play. Of course, the space brings the challenge of closer scrutiny from the audience, but the cast fully rises to this.
Moments where Blue (played by Yaz O’Mahoney) is alone on stage crippled by agonising pain or attempting to take a few steps are some of the most striking in the piece. O’Mahoney’s masterful use of sharp physical gestures and subtle changes of expression from mildly hopeful to a clear feeling of defeat communicate Blue’s struggles more poignantly than any dialogue could.
“Though the play deals with serious and moving issues, the play is also often comedic and heart-warming.”
Another standout performance comes from Aria Baker, who plays both Moira (Blue’s mother) and Dr Stone. Baker skillfully portrays Moira’s complexity as a well-meaning mum whose relationship with Blue is fraught with generational differences. Baker’s representation of Moira’s tender and yet slightly wary attempts to understand and support Blue potently highlights the harmful stigma surrounding gynaecological health that has been passed down and perpetuated through the generations.
Though the play deals with serious and moving issues, the play is also often comedic and heart-warming. We are treated with the all too relatable woes of making awkward small talk with the grocery store vendor and cosy and playful domestic moments that conjure up and honour the power and feeling of home.
These moments are often spearheaded by Pip (played by Holly Mallet) who epitomises both the joys and pains of human life within the play and it is these small dynamics, beautifully brought to life by co-directors Shreya Ganesh Kumar and Vita Pearl, which really drive home one of the play’s key themes: the value of companionship and its centrality to the way we live.
Along this vein, as well as Blue and Pip celebrating queerness and diversity within the play itself, the production of the piece is also very much led by values of inclusivity. Blue and Pip is one of 100 shows that are neurodiverse, autistic, and/or disabled-led at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. The show has also included a cast and crew with a wide range of experience. For example, for one of the co-directors, Shreya Ganesh Kumar, this was one of their first times directing.
“A timely and incisory look at the patriarchal healthcare system and an ode to queer joy”
Speaking to Empoword Journalism about their experience, Ganesh Kumar said: “Directing Blue and Pip has been the most incredible experience – I’ve never really directed before this, so it’s been intense starting off with a Fringe show, but the cast are fabulous and it’s such a beautiful piece of writing – I feel so privileged to be a part of bringing Blue and Pip to life onstage!”
A timely and incisory look at the patriarchal healthcare system and an ode to queer joy, Blue and Pip is precisely what is needed at the Fringe this year. You can see Blue and Pip at theSpace on North Bridge venue at the Edinburgh Fringe. It is running from August 5-13 and August 15-27. Standard tickets are £10, and concessions are £7 and can be booked here.
Featured image courtesy of Helena Fox
Sanjana Idnani
Sanjana is an English literature student at the University of Bristol and an aspiring journalist. She is particularly interested in writing about the arts, climate change, and inclusivity!