Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 18^th of August 2023

5 stars – Revolutionary storytelling

Despite its mysterious presentation, this show does have a plot, even if not a traditional one. In 1605, the young Anne Gunter is suspected to be bewitched, and her father Brian Gunter, the richest man in the village, points the finger against three women of the village who, to his saying, are responsible for letting a demon take control over his daughter. Shortly before, Brian had killed the two sons of one of the women on a whim…

This eccentric story, as historically accurate as made possible by the sporadic sources, is presented on stage through a form of storytelling that feels like a wide, heterogeneous collage. Historical account is mixed with a cappella solo and choir moments, evocative scenes are counterposed to violent ones, and music accompaniment sustains the fast pace of the whole performance.

The performers and creatives of the company Dirty Hare (Julia Grogan, Lydia Higman, Norah Lopez-Holden and Hannah Jarrett-Scott) juggle characters and emotional landscapes with apparent ease and great energy, giving life to this fascinating storytelling patchwork. Rachel Lemon’s direction gives a sense of unity and strength to this play, that holds very well together despite its fragmented nature.

Gunter is an incredible piece that dismantles the rhetoric that oppressed women in the past, by reinventing and revolutionizing the rules of storytelling in the present.

Tickets and Info: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/gunter

Company Website: https://www.rachel-lemon.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyHare_

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtyhareee_/