Written and Performed by She Goat (Shamira Turner and Eugénie Pastor).
Review by Marina Funcasta
She Goat’s new production, Iron Fantasy, is a didactic mosaic of female strength. Shamira Turner and Eugenie Pastor carve out a world of 90s fantasy warriors and French personal trainers, displaying the several attempts they made in order to develop strength. Their reasons for their quest are less clear cut, but we certainly discover this on the way…
I can’t help wonder whether the show would have resonated differently with a younger audience, as advertised. This isn’t because their script is unsophisticated. Stylistically, Turner and Pastor’s double act pulls on clowning, metatheatre and music – all very technical components to juggle. In terms of content, also, their focus is incredibly rich, and very complex: subverting physical notions of strength, instead positing perhaps endurance or resistance alone is enough, feels very radical indeed. In fact, this is precisely why I would encourage younger audiences to attend the play. The message is very important.
My reservation, however, is that among older audience members, who can see through the cracks of live theatre, the ‘iron fantasy’ fails to convince. The style She Goat embodies bounces between tones unevenly. At times histrionic, other times personal, the tonal shifts jumpy. Perhaps if there were less components for our actresses to juggle on stage, these modulations may be easier to juggle.
This being said, it is a very accomplished production: Pastor stuns with her flute and French, Turner struts across the stage as if in her natural habitat. There is no question that our performers are in control of the space, even if the many threads that tie their performance together feel delicately woven.
Very Accomplished
Iron Fantasy runs at Upstairs at Soho Theatre, London until March 21st
Photo Credit – James Allan.
Review by Marina Funcasta (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Marina is halfway through an English literature degree at Edinburgh University, wherein she has been (considerably) involved in the drama scene: enjoying performing with their Shakespeare Company shows, but also modern takes on Arthur Miller. However, Marina’s interests are wide-ranging under the theatre genre – enjoying abstract, more contemporary takes on shows (with a keen interest in Summerhall)
