Thursday, 13 August 2015

"Fake it til you Make it" at the Fringe

Over the weekend, I went to see the show "Fake it til you Make it" written and performed by Byrony Kimmings and Tim Grayburn. Broadly speaking, the performance was about clinical depression and men. But more specifically, it told the story of the real life couple and the ways in which they work together to manage Tim's depression. In all honesty, I thought the play was perfect. There was just the right amount of humour, reenactment, confession, even dance. And what was especially delightful was hearing their story with their baby making a small appearance in the form of a bump in Bryony's tummy. While Bryony is a performance artist, Tim left his job as a an account manager at an advertising firm to go on tour with her to present this show and to try to reach people who deal with the same issues, whether it is with their own depression or living with and loving someone who suffers from depression. 

The show was both hilarious and deeply moving. While Bryony and Tim appear to be quite different, Bryony being an extreme extrovert and a innate performer, Tim was shy, and true to their agreement, hid behind masks or some sort of eye cover so that he wouldn't have to look the audience in the eye. Probably the most heart-wrenching of these disguises was a full head piece made out of tangled rope. What was special about these costumes was the effect it had when Tim revealed his eyes to the audience and spoke candidly about his experience. And yet, what was perhaps most touching was the mutual love and support the two had for one another and the constant affirmation on the part of Bryony that she was there with him, when Tim was sharing the hard bits. I would recommend this show to everyone and truly believe in the importance of the work its doing. 

Here is the link to their website: http://www.bryonyandtim.com





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