SalfordOnline.com Rating: 3 out of 5
Falling In Love With Frida (part of the 2015 SICK! Festival) is described as “an intimate and enticing performance that explores the life, loves, and legacy of painter Frida Kahlo”.
On the face of it this sounds like it would be a pretty straight forward talk on the late Mexican artist, known for her surreal paintings, sometimes volatile relationships and socialist politics, none of which were hindered by her being disabled after an accident at the age of 18.
In fact it was the painter’s disability that helped tie her story into tonight’s performance.
Entering the intimate Studio one notices right away the large yellow table in the centre of the stage, a stage surrounded on three sides with two rows of seats. On top of the table lies Glasgow-based Australian performer Caroline Bowditch.
The audience files in to the sound of Mexican folk music, the vibrant oranges and reds of the set, framed by two neon cactus really does create a feeling of warmth on a cold March evening in Salford.
Bowditch briefly introduces the evening, a mixed medium performance which will not only explain her love for the artist, but will look at how despite the challenges we may face, we are always able to ‘leave a mark’.
But before any of this, TEQUILA, the three other performers on stage (a sign language interpreter and two dancers) briefly hand out shots of Tequila to all audience members, and then a toast, ‘TO FRIDA!!’
And so began the show, a mixture of monologue, dance and song. The two main themes of the evening were; Bowditch’s love for Frida, which she conveyed with a monologue directed to the late artist as if she was sat in the rafters of the building listening in, and secondly how falling in love with Frida had helped her through challenges with her own disability.
A discourse which saw the performer speak candidly about her sexuality and the difficulties of having a sex life when disabled.
These monologues, all entirely translated into sign language, were interspersed with well choreographed and exquisitely performed dance routines.
Although each section of the show came across as well thought out and brilliantly executed, it did at times seem to lack flow.
I couldn’t help feel like I would be happy to go and watch either the dance aspect or the monologues, but both crammed together in just under an hour left me feeling like I wasn’t getting the best of either.
