Issy Cory
A global outbreak of monkeypox (or mpox) broke out in May 2022. At the time, Ngofeen Mputubwele was pitching ideas to The New Yorker’s podcast ‘Radio Hour’. As the disease spread, and Mputubwele saw it affecting majority black, gay men like himself, he decided to start taking notes.
Dedicated research and interviews with medical specialists and victims of mpox revealed a serious governmental misstep. Vaccines were in high demand, not just for US citizens, but also for those living in Congo, where mpox originated. Mputubwele wrote all about it in The New Yorker, and this show is the retelling of that eye-opening piece.
We join Mputubwele for an hour of what he calls a “theatrical podcast”. As the show begins, the lights snap to black, and we are invited to engage in the experience of listening. Senses are wonderfully heightened, ready to plunge into this unique Fringe experience (move aside, Darkfield).
It is clear that Mputubwele is an accomplished writer. There are lovely moments of storytelling, and it is the sections where we hear a historical yet engaging account of the mpox breakout that feel most enticing. Our host knows how to format a good soundbite.
We are continuously reminded of the importance of audio to this production throughout. The sound design has been meticulously strung together, slightly let down by the tricky acoustics of the venue and the muffled quality of a handful of these clips. In theory, it is a clever fusion of live performance and recorded transcript, however it misses the mark on this occasion.
Mputubwele tells the core story with aplomb, and whilst there are interesting branches off from this central narrative, like the author’s fear of exposing his gayness on such a public scale, or the attitude of his parents towards his sexuality, they fail to come together in a way that feels satisfying to the plot. Diversions into opera, or ballet, cause the retelling to become muddied at points.
There is evidently a need for this story, especially in this part of the world, where I’ve never heard of mpox being spoken about before. Mputubwele does well at passing this powerful story on to start up a much-needed conversation.
Recommended Drink: Black coffee. Super journalist-y.
You can catch The Monkeypox Gospel at Belly Laugh at Underbelly, Cowgate from Aug 12-24 at 17:50. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Image Credit: Sarah Grile
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