Isobel Jacob
Packed with subtle humour and wit, That’s Why Mums Go to Switzerland is not only a heartbreaking and deeply poignant look at assisted dying, and the practical, moral and philosophical implications of planning a trip to Dignitas, but a surprisingly honest and relatable presentation of mother-daughter dynamics, intergenerational living and the gendered roles we take on and can’t let go.
A mum of two girls, with their father in tow, suggests she will move in with her widowed mother just to be nice. The mother agrees – nightmare! So the family of four are now a family of five, living in a bigger house, yes, but they are thrust into turmoil as our protaganist (written and performed by Bonnie Oddie) finds herself caught in the middle of everyone, trying to keep everyone else happy. Then, as if that wasn’t already stressful enough, her mother declares she wants to die. And she needs help.
Oddie is astounding in this performance, magnetic in her stage presence and visceral in her narration of this story based on her real life. Her physicality is fantastic and entirely compelling; this is an actor who is always on the balls of her feet, capturing and holding our attention for every single second of the show. She is at once effortless and yet effort-full, clearly pouring so much passion and dedication into helping us to understand the family, the love, the agonising weight of the decisions they each have to make. It’s important in this piece that we understand the physical and mental exertion it takes to hold everyone together, to carry the grief and the joy at once. This is a play about responsibility, and Oddie’s urgent performance captures its weight perfectly.
This evocative characterisation is well-supported by the direction of Steve Medlin. The use of a washing line and items of clothing to represent the different family members is an effective device to transition between different characters and conversations. The small stage never felt limiting with meticulously choreographed use of props, and fantastic blending of naturalistic and non-naturalistic movement, creating a real sense of moving between settings, and to seamlessly jump across different non-linear moments in the story.
In the middle of the play, there were a couple of scenes that began to feel a little repetitive, perhaps not as slick or economical as the rest of the performance. I think there is a version of That’s Why Mums Go to Switzerland that is bolder and riskier: for example, the brief moment of audience interaction could have be pushed further to be more revealing, to fully lean in to the intimately conversational nature of the script. However, overall, this is a superb and profound piece of new writing that doesn’t hold back in showing the messy, complex and, sometimes, unflinchingly matter-of-fact realities of assisted dying and the way that fits in as just one piece of an equally messy and complex family unit.
Not only is That’s Why Mums Go to Switzerland a thought-provoking and even educational look at a topic that is often seen as taboo, it is even moreso a warm, moving and truthful portrayal of humanity, and all the contradictions that make up our relationships, no matter how hard we try to iron them out. I believe absolutely everyone will find something to connect with in this highly recommended and one-of-a-kind show.
Recommended Drink: A comforting cup of fresh mint tea.
That’s Why Mums Go to Switzerland is on at Underbelly Bristo Square until 30 August at 23:50 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Frankie Finsbury
Eve Miller
