★★★★
“800 souls out of sight and out of mind.”
A one-woman historical show cultivated by Blushing Caligula performed by Emma Ford.
Surrounded by candles, Ford leads us through the horrific events in 1824 above and below the Royal Mile from the perspective of Ila, a larger-than-life fifteen-year-old girl living in the slums of Edinburgh Vaults. We’re introduced to Ila’s family who survive in darkness and learn her one wish is to secure a treasured candle for her mother’s birthday. We’re taken on her journey to acquire the item, accompanied by her younger brother, Douglas, one of the many characters Ford slips into with ease.
Embodying 5 or more characters along with accents throughout the show, Ford never misses a beat changing from one-to-another in conversations or confrontations leaving the audience hooked. Her electric performance tackles political, economic and social disruption, cleverly written by David R. Ford.
Throughout the performance, Ford does not falter. A stand-out moment is the final encounter with Ila’s mother. It is truly heartbreaking, leaving a tear in the eye of many audience members. Her standing ovation is well deserved.
Writer David R. Ford arms Emma Ford with descriptive and powerful imagery which engulfs the audience. Their work, partnered with minimal but impactful tech makes Brief Candle unmissable.
This is Blushing Caligula’s debut piece at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and they have started off strong. Although one comment I have for the show is the level of projection. Ford softens a little bit too much, making it hard to hear though this is an easy remedy.
Brief Candle continues its run at the Space until the 26th of August.
Review by Jade Flack
