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★★★★
Ruth Berkoff’s ‘The Beauty of Being Herd’ has been touring the UK this Spring and it includes a 5 performance run at the Brighton Fringe. As part of my festival reviews, I headed to Half A Camel at Presuming Ed’s for this interactive play with original music, which sees the main character Hannah give up on human life and decide to live as a sheep.
Initial thoughts
The audience has been invited to Hannah’s party and this happens to be the character’s first time hosting. She is clearly very anxious and lonely, fixating on societal rules and structure, but is grateful to have so many people in attendance. The reason for the party is quickly revealed; it is Hannah’s last hurrah before she takes the number 35 bus and crosses multiple fields to her new life as a sheep.
The concept is absolutely bonkers and you have to forgo any preconceptions of the material to really get behind it, but once you glance past the absurdity of it all, Ruth has created a really unique show about social anxiety and neurodiversity. Important themes such as the unwritten social rules of society, fitting in and non-consensual touch are covered, highlighting how difficult it can be to find your voice if you struggle with human interaction.
Audience participation elements
Hannah transforms into a sheep in front of the audience’s eyes and there is an opportunity to wear your own fluffy ears and help paint Hannah’s nose using eyeliner. Spectators can join in with the dancing and original songs, and whilst these are a little cheesy at times, the overall message about the difficulties of social situations really resonate. For a concept that takes a little while to get used to, the show is surprisingly naturally engaging. The performer has carefully thought about involving attendees, taking time to make sure everyone is comfortable participating, appreciating that Hannah’s personal struggles might also be echoed by anyone watching.
Thought-provoking and heartfelt
It is a really thoughtful and conscientious piece of theatre, which is told through unconventional but unique methods. It is also very funny and you can’t help but root for Hannah in her new endeavours. Ruth has two more performances at Brighton Fringe this year, with tickets available via the festival’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘The Beauty of Being Herd review’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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