Isobel Jacob
In a time when mental health is at the forefront of public conversation, and consciousness, I wonder why it is that I hardly ever see conversations about eating disorders on stage. Belly not only shares experiences of disordered eating and harmful narratives around food, weight and body image, but also interrogates just how pernicious and deep-rooted these issues are in the wider systems of society and how, through many different stages of life, this is not simply a case of ‘having’ an eating disorder or not. We are living in a culture where food is far-too-often tied to our value and self-worth.
Interweaving the perspectives of three women, Belly is a charming and moving tale of a family who are each in the midst of different struggles, but are connected in their experiences of shame, control and their attempt to find something to make them feel whole, or better, or what they’ve are “supposed” to be. First we meet Ellie, a teenager training for a swimming scholarship for college; then her pregnant aunt, Katie, trying to get her head around the seemingly endless barrage of information about what she should or should not be doing for her unborn child; and Susan, Katie’s mother, Ellie’s grandmother, whose husband recently passed away so we join her as she is coming to terms with a new rhythm and routine as a widow in the house she now inhabits alone. Through each individual point of view, each woman’s relationship with food and appetite is unpicked. Interjections from writer and performer Reilly O’Shaughnessy add further weight to each story.
O’Shaughnessy’s performance as all three women is tender and joyful. Particularly when breaking the fourth wall, and from the very first moment she greets the audience at the start of the show, we are enveloped in warmth and generosity as she begins to tell this sensitive story with real care. The integration of swimming movements to transition between scenes, supported by striking and immersive lighting designed by Claire Chrzan, is effective and adds a heightened theatricality to the piece, which I would have liked to see pushed beyond these contained moments to give Belly a greater emotional landscape and more cohesive style. O’Shaughnessy handled the complex multi-roling of the three women fantastically, with some impressive moments of turthful characterisation, and always a hint of humour to balance out the play’s heavy themes.
At times, however, the staging becomes too literal, with mime used to illustrate the actions described in the script becoming a device for every scene, losing the power of its precision that perhaps would have come from being saved for specific moments. Similarly, I would have appreciated more trust in moments of stillness to allow the poetically-crafted language to shine. This feels, to me, like a script with the potential for immense gravitas but it requires some development in terms of working out which points need to be emphasised with text, and where some of the interesting movement could have been trusted to do more heavy lifting.
Yet it is the final few scenes of Belly which really reveal O’Shaughnessy’s urgent and insightful perspective on how body image, fatphobia and misogyny are interlinked: building to a climactic and heartbreaking monologue as Katie (the aunt), O’Shaughnessy performs a show-stopping portrayal of grief and shame which ties beautifully in to the play exploration so far of the feeling of your body failing you. She articulates, and demonstrates, clearly how the world around her, from her doctors to the fellow pregnant women, has created stigma and shame that makes even the most tragic of life events somehow feel like your fault.
A touching piece of new work performed with warmth and heart, but also an urgent message.
Recommended Drink: A snack would be more appropriate for Belly. Whatever fuels you with safety and comfort would be perfect.
Belly is being performed at Greenside @ George Street until 29 August at 13:45 (55 minutes). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Issy Cory
Lola Rose Wood
