★★★★★
Oh, this one is for the bookstagram girlies. I laughed until I cried. This is a show that is utterly keyed into the ‘romantasy’ era of popular fiction currently sweeping the world, and one that is certainly not afraid to poke fun at its idiosyncrasies. Lily Edwards is a magnetic powerhouse in this solo turn, and launches this crazy script into the stars with her phone-light fairy powers and unabashed commitment to exactly what every romantasy reader is thinking when they read these books.
For all of this hysterically accurate fae madness, however, this is also a well-thought-out show about coping – or rather not coping – with chronic illness. The narrative jumps back and forth between the protagonist Anne’s fantasy daydreams and the slow unravelling of her life due to undiagnosed endometriosis that she is, regrettably, using her imagination to avoid dealing with. Edwards gives us such a clear picture of how Anne must see herself; one minute curled painfully on her stool centre stage as her unexplained symptoms worsen, before leaping, unhindered, from her chair, brandishing swords and slaying imaginary wraiths in her mind (but only in a way that her hot, shadowy romantasy boyfriend finds attractive!)
This is an absolute gem of a show because of its honesty, both towards its real life subject material, but also in reflecting how the romantasy genre makes people feel, and the five and a half abs that keep them coming back for more.
Of Fire and Flame is on at Blether at Gilded Balloon Patter House until August 24th.
