Post by @federicabalbi

Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 10^th of August 2024

2 stars – interesting story but weak performance

Warning: the show is slightly different from its presentation on the press release. I cannot exclude that an unexpected event has had an impact on the final form of the show. The review is based on the performance of the 10^th of August.

An elegant woman sits on a chair in her black jumpsuit and bob cut. A detective is inquiring about some mischievous facts she is accused of. Salome, the sensual dancer, starts telling the story of her life until the moment of the murder.

Grown up across different countries with an ill-loving mother, this Salome embodies the challenges of migration and of life in post-apartheid South Africa. The few people she experiences deep connections with will either not always be on her side or be too close to her.

This noir story, written and performed by Maryam S. Holleman, is engaging and unsettling due to the numerous dark plot twist. Despite always being heartfelt, the delivery does not always have the right energy. The complete absence of the interlocutor-detective doesn’t help the management of the space and point of view, and the choice of very limited stage movement does not necessarily benefit the performance.

2nd-24th August; 9.50 pm

Running time: 45 minutes

Venue: The Space @Surgeon’s Hall

Tickets and Info: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/salome-tragedy-of-the-femme-fatale

Company Website: https://www.corveau.com/

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