REVIEW: Always, Sometimes, Maybe, Rhymes with Purple, EdFringe 2025 ★★★★★

This show is a class act in mime and clowning. Thoughtful, caring and with the biggest of hearts this show will have you charmed from the get go. It’s a soft and wonderful journey through the mind when one has become isolated.

Walking into the venue you encounter trash all over the floor and up on the wall the more valuable trash and a series of lists about how to act around people. Opening with 5 minutes of no speaking, this introduces the audience to both the janitors house and importantly how the lights work. It’s a beautiful way to set up the world and get comfortable with the performer Michele Stine’s appearance.

She comes on with just a headtorch on and the first time the lights come up she becomes startled by the audience as if they are figments of her imagination. Once she interacts and grows comfortable with you being there, she establishes to you her relationship with the trash that’s all around. This is building her trust with you and what then becomes enjoyable about this how she then becomes excited you show her trash. It’s a loving moment of connection that makes you feel for this character.

Her puppetry work is first rate. The way that she creates separation between herself and the puppet allows you to convince yourself that she isn’t controlling them. Giving them value and meaning, all created from the trash that she has on the set. It’s a look at how the character has become isolated from people so has started to apply meaning and lives to the trash around her in order to find connection within her life.

She begins asking the audience how she can make friends and using their help she begins to establish a new list for the wall, one all about how she can make new friends, ones that don’t come from the trash. As she gets her new list you see the confidence grow as she manages to ask a neighbour to hang out and you feel that joy of seeing someone having grown and become much than what they imagined at the start of the show.

With rise of social media leading to increased counts of loneliness amongst people and particularly younger people being unable to find connections as relationships have that online part grow. This show comes at an incredibly important moment and highlights that maybe actually speaking face to face with people and getting out there is the best thing for everyone

Elegant, charming and thought-provoking, this show will leave you feeling uplifted and warmed.

Recommended Drink: A hot chocolate, it’s sweet and warming.

Catch Always, Sometimes, Maybe between 11th and 23rd at 13:55 (60mins). It’s on at the Willow Studio at Greenside at Riddles Court. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.