Eve Miller
Join Mary in her year of celibacy as she embarks upon a creative writing postgraduate degree at Cambridge, framing her journey through monastic rules and regulations. This auto-fictional one-woman show is part pitch-deck, part lecture, and all dark academia.
As Mary starts her degree, fresh from a painful breakup, she decides to take a monasticly-inspired vow of celibacy. Taking heed of the Rule of St Benet, a monastic text that forms a framework of acceptable behaviour for 6th century monks, she throws herself into her new cloistered life – but is she just running from the mistakes in her past? She takes us through her interactions with a variety of male figures in her new life, the lessons she learns along the way, and the resulting personal growth.
Writer and performer Emily Knutsson is an engaging performer, delivering her performance with a real air of letting us in on a secret. She has a vibrant grasp of language and exudes confidence as she gasps, laughs, and commands her way through the show.
There are various moments where Knuttson cuts herself off mid-sentence, ostensibly to prevent herself from oversharing with the audience, but as a device this wasn’t effective given that she never revealed what she was withholding. I spent much of the performance holding my breath waiting for a grand reveal that would add depth and stakes to the performance; a reveal that never came. Perhaps this would have clarified the character’s intentions more for me. I also found myself a little overwhelmed by the complete veneration of Cambridge as an institution, and felt bemused by much of the humour, which was very wink-wink, nudge-nudge about various Cambridge traditions and foibles.
Despite these drawbacks, Knutsson has a clear voice, and gives an eminently watchable performance. She clearly has stories to tell, having studied creative writing, and tried her hand as a filmmaker, novelist, and now theatremaker. I look forward to seeing what she does next!
A quirky, gossipy hour of theatre that is as confessional as… well, a monastery. Pithy, personal, and brimming with potential, Me and My Year of Casual Monasticism was
Drink recommendation: Port? Something a bit stuffy.
You can catch Me and My Year of Casual Monasticism at Pickle Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court from 1st to 23rd August at 20:40 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
