★★★★★
The joy, art, and pain which thread through this self-told story are interwoven as seamlessly as the textiles that Simeon, the narrator, sews and works with throughout. They are all his own, all made either live in front of the audience or brought along as artefacts from his past. There is much to learn in this show; it is brimming with details about material, cut, inspiration, form and fit, and the joy that Simeon takes in teaching his audience about his craft is part of what makes this piece special, and so uniquely his own. From a simple, half-size skirt to dresses made for anonymous muses; these dresses ARE Simeon, he explains, which is why he can never bring himself to part with any of them (except in certain, very specific circumstances!)
This autobiography is told with elegance and a wise sort of reverence that feels essential to Simeon’s personality; a quiet powerhouse of a performer, effortlessly funny and ignited by interaction with his audiences. He appears at a point where he is comfortable honestly sharing who he is; a man who holds beauty and femininity very near to his heart, but also a man who has been angry, traumatised, and who has spent a lot of time in un-packing his mind and forging stronger foundations than the shaky ones he started with.
A man who, like the blackbird which helps him close his story, once looked into a shadowy future of never-ending night, and has chosen instead to sing.
Square Peg is on at The Paradise at St. Augustines – Studio till August 19th.
Review by Rachel Elphick
