Byre Theatre, St Andrews
As part of On The Rocks Festival
Performance Reviewed: 22nd April – 10pm
Rating: * * * *
Those familiar with the arts education scene in Scotland will have noticed the ‘reshuffle’ at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Despite any organisational mutterings it’s nice to see that some things haven’t changed- the quality of the young artists coming through the Royal Conservatoire (as it is soon to be named).
As part of the annual On The Rocks arts festival held in St Andrews from the 17th to the 24th of April, I was lucky enough to catch “I Made a Carrot Cake” (aka “Clinical Investigations”) at the intimate performance space atop the Byre Theatre’s main house.
I went on the advice of Matthew Whiteside, who could have been slightly biased given that he composed the sound for the piece- but a great recommendation it was. I Made a Carrot Cake, written and performed by Whiteside and his fellow RSAMD-ers Charlie Hanson and Kimberley Millar, is a pretty dark and intense piece which casts the audience in the place of Hanson’s boyfriend as he silently dies in his hospital bed, she recounts her daily life to him and the medical experts pronounce his deteriorating state of health.
The performance is deeply emotive, with a stark set design and lighting set-up perfectly complementing the tone of the piece. As an audience member I felt completely drawn in by Hanson’s touching and ageless portrayal of love and loss. This intense part is contrasted by Millar’s convincingly harsh American accent, symbolizing the objective account of death offered by medical science. The on stage performance in accompanied by a cacophony of sounds, the rush of a dying man’s final thoughts.
This is a piece that you’ll walk away from confused. You might have the luxury of the writers’ interpretation afterward (as we did) or perhaps not. One of my companions felt really confused by the storyline of the piece, even after we’d discussed it all the way home. Regardless of this however, the emotion and depth of the piece were lost on none of us, and we reflected on it for days afterward. Perhaps some audiences might find that difficult to cope with, but theatre shouldn’t always be easy- This is a powerful and brave piece.
At the time of print, the writing/acting/composing team were still looking for another stage on which to perform this show. Hopefully they’ll find a home for this play, it’s a brilliant piece of young, fresh, Scottish drama featuring three very talented young Scottish artists- Just what we need more of!
