Hannah Hamilton
She just wants to be adored. Character comedian Bebe Cave explores the tragedy of the muse in hectic and hilarious Swoon. The show follows Bertrude, the fictional sister of Elizabeth Siddal (the model for John Millais’ painting ‘Ophelia’), who yearns for the male attention that her sister is burdened with.
Bertrude is a rather familiar character, who pines to be one of those ‘wanted’ women; completely blind to the danger of being waifish and damaged. She desires to be loved and admired, but never seems to be the one getting picked for the portraits, not since her childhood career modelling for advertisements. She laments that puberty made her so undesirable and normal, and desperately tries to impress the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood.
Particularly at this time when the manosphere is unfortunately thriving, and heroin chic is returning to fashion, the show gently mocks some of the more bizarre aspects of modern life through a parody of the Victorian era. The contrast of high collars, stiff lips, and chaste sensibilities against Bebe’s erratic and loose performance style is fertile ground for fun and mayhem. You can’t help but feel charmed and sympathetic to Bertrude’s earnest attempts to be seen and loved. She lovingly chides the ‘pick me’ mentality with her bumbling desperation. The rather serious sounding position of ‘muse’ can be easily swapped out for ‘it girl’, and Bertrude’s attempts to be something beyond a plain girl ring true to all of us who have been taken in by the mainstream media.
Bebe is an incredibly lively performer, flipping between characters and peaking with energy throughout the performance. She genuinely seems to be having fun as she re-enacts the ridiculous people and scenarios she knows well. There are lots of recognisable archetypes, with a steampunk ‘hipster’, and the pe-Raphaelite ‘bros’. She does a great job of capturing the things we continue to see even now, and the sexist and patriarchal language of the arts. The play ends with reality, as Elizabeth Siddal meets her death after a life of addiction and being undervalued by the men who profited from her beauty. Bebe chose a poignant muse herself for this piece, highlighting the injustice of her story, particularly through the lens of someone who envies it.
Bebe performs as if lit from the inside and has a natural feel for comedy. Aside from the witty writing, the very physicality of the transitions between each character allows for much hilarity. It certainly is a spitfire of jokes and silly visuals, lent a certain grandness by the set she has constructed. It’s a deeply whimsical performance, with a lot of built in nostalgia for the 2000’s onwards, anachronistically creating this bizarre world where George Sampson’s BGT win is referenced in Victorian London and the pre-Raphaelites perform pretentious spoken word. It’s funny and has a big heart, but this show could perhaps benefit from focusing itself more on its message.
Bebe Cave has created a show that sparkles and fizzes, proving herself to be great talent in this refreshingly zingy, and slightly unhinged comedy drama.
Recommended drink: Rosé, to be drank dramatically by rainy windows whilst lamenting that they will never realise your beauty…
Catch Swoon at Jack Dome at Pleasance Dome from 5-30 August at 17.40 (1 hr). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Esme Davis
Salvador Kent
Isobel Jacob
