[AD – PR invite*]
★★★★★
Helen Anker’s one-person show ‘The Essence of Audrey’ has found a home at Pleasance Courtyard for the duration of the Edinburgh Fringe, celebrating the career of Audrey Hepburn through her iconic clothes and accessories. Focusing on Audrey as a daughter, mother and Hollywood icon, audiences take a trip down memory lane with the actress, from Audrey’s childhood right until the present day charity event.
A research-driven show
The audience is invited into Audrey Hepburn’s home in Switzerland, where she is hosting a charity event in aid of UNICEF. Something I didn’t realise was how much Audrey supported this organisation and other children’s causes, with this being one of many examples of the amount of research that has gone into this show.
We are taken through the actress’s early beginnings, starting with a disrupted childhood under Nazi occupation, her complex relationship with her father and a decision to pursue dance as an art form. We learn that it was through her dancing that she transitioned into theatre and then eventually Hollywood, becoming a timeless legend of the arts. However the material doesn’t stop here, this version of Audrey talks about her marriages in detail, providing insights into her difficulties having a baby and the toll it took on her mentally.
Recreating Audrey
Helen has perfected Audrey’s mannerisms, highlighting the star’s elegance and energy through dialect and body language, but it is the deeply personal approach to the storytelling which is the most endearing. The audience really gets to know Helen’s interpretation of Audrey, through anecdotes, some lovely vocals and plenty of showbiz charisma. The performer practically glides across the stage, bringing a dancelike quality to her movements and encapsulating Audrey’s ballet background.
Hollywood magic and detailed storytelling
In my opinion, ‘The Essence of Audrey’ is a spectacular one-person show. It takes a much more personal stance than other biographical plays that I have seen, and the depth in the acting makes you leave the theatre thinking that you know Audrey Hepburn on a far more extensive level than when you first walked in. This beautiful theatrical tribute to the actress deserves every success at the Fringe. You can catch the show at the Cellar venue at Pleasance Courtyard until 25th August (not 13th). Performances start daily at 11:15, with tickets available via the festival’s website.
*My ticket for ‘The Essence of Audrey’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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