Presented by Slade Wolfe Enterprises Limited
Review by Eve Nugent
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose: Tickets
“We are the mirror, as well as the face in it.”
A quote by 13th-century Persian poet Rumi is projected onto the backdrop of the stage as My Mother Had Two Faces comes to an end. The previous hour had been a quasi-autobiographical one-woman show performed by Karin Trachtenberg, written about her own mother. Using her mother’s diary as a skeleton for the narrative, she gradually unpicks their problematic relationship, exploring the complexity and eternal impact of mother-daughter relationships.
A woman devoted to her looks, obsessed with tidiness, and compulsively controlled, Trachtenberg employs a menacing masquerade mask to depict her mother. Creating the appearance of a fairy tale, she decides to speak with a ‘mirror on the wall’, asking herself questions in search of more profound answers about her family. As a result, her mother’s perfect public façade fades, raising the poignant question: what does it mean to be seen by the envelope and not the letter?
Despite the nonfictional style of telling her own story, it is occasionally difficult to differentiate between what is acting and what is natural. Nevertheless, perhaps designed for an older audience, this production sheds fascinating light on parenthood; when delving into her mother’s world, Trachtenberg accordingly delves into her own without realising, revealing the subtle imprint a parent makes on their child.
Review by Even Nugent (contact@corrblimey.uk)
An undergraduate French student at the University of Edinburgh, Eve has a diverse interest in theatre and performance. Eve’s theatrical focus has recently broadened into writing and directing, for instance with her modern Othello adaptation for the University’s Shakespeare Company. Her creative attention stretches also to classical music, as she plays the flute, piano and guitar with equal fervour. She thus looks forward to watching whatever the Fringe has to offer, irrespective of genre!
