REVIEW: FRIDGE by Emma Zadow / Hope Theatre 15 March - 2 April 2022

‘Fridge reminds us that it is always possible to come in from the cold, especially with the help of those who love us.’ ★★★.5

The story opens with a poem about the loss of Shipden, a village on the coast of Norfolk that disappeared into the sea over a century ago and tells “the true story of a girl who was banished underwater”. Fridge explores a sense of loss in an internalized, undefined manner. It has a lyrical quality and a tenderness between the three characters, two sisters and their friend, along with explosive interjections and humorous moments.

As siblings often do, Alice (EMMA ZADOW, also the writer) and Lo (GABRIELLE DE SAUMAREZ) would vacillate between being warm and loving, and then frigid and cutting. Yet, ultimately, you sensed that they wanted to be there for each other. There was a familial climate created, though, at times, the dialogue would start to generate a real sense of connection, and abruptly come to an end in the pacy scenes.

De Saumarez does a fantastic job of getting across the experience of the one struggling with depression, sometimes speaking in riddles, sometimes staring out into the distance, with only her cartoons to give her needed comfort. The displayed projections of cartoons such as Disney’s The Little Mermaid, linking the initial poem to the idea of a mermaid princess lost at sea, is a beautiful manifestation of Lo’s present state.

The older sister, Alice, demonstrates the struggle of the one trying to understand and help her sister, Lo, the one submerged. There are a few Alice in Wonderland references, including the t-shirt Lo is wearing (which actually bears those words) and Alice described as previously having “Alice in Wonderland hair”. Is this an allusion to her going down the rabbit hole?

The sisters take bewildered Charlie (EDWARD WATCHMAN), a childhood friend and farmer, on this journey, for a while. Watchman plays the lovely friend who Is also a love interest with a naive gentleness. He has to deal with the emotions of seeing the one he loved return after many years away and accept that leaving their rural life has changed her. Watchman plays this subtly and is immensely likeable, though there is little romantic chemistry between Charlie and Alice.

The triangular set places the fridge central to the scene, though the bulkiness of the staging sometimes seemed to reduce the space for the actors to play with and impacted the choreography at times. Two white boxes become the seating at a bus stop, the living room sofa, a storage unit, and even (quite cleverly) a pig. The lighting palette set a strong sense of mood throughout.

It is so human to feel at times that we are losing ourselves and feel empty. Fridge reminds us that it is always possible to come in from the cold, especially with the help of those who love us.

Photographer credit: Alex Shipman

FRIDGE  

Hope Theatre 15 March - 2 April 2022

Box Office

Cast and Creatives:

Written by Emma Zadow

Performed by Gabrielle De Saumarez, Edward Watchman, Emma Zadow

Directed by Anoushka Bonwick

Sound and Projection Design: Thomas Wingfield

Set Designer: Erin Fleming

Lighting Designers: Gareth Morgan, Bethan Amey

Reviewer:

Mariam Mathew is an alumna of Guardian critic Mark Fisher’s theatre criticism course and an aspiring playwright.