This year, the multi award winning, Irish production company Fishamble brought their original show ‘In Two Minds’ to the Edinburgh Fringe.
Set in the intimate Traverse 2 theatre, the audience got to see the reality for a mother and her middle-aged daughter who lead very different lifestyles that are being forced to live together due to house renovations. Every relationship is complex, however the mother suffers from bipolar disorder which adds to the complexity of their situation. It was clear to see whatever the mother’s mood that she was a hinderance upon her daughter. When she was in a good mood, the stage looked so joyful and like a party as they danced around the stage but, it was always at the detriment of the daughter’s work life or mental health. The actors beautifully portrayed the fear that both of their characters were facing just waiting for the mother to suffer the lows of her illness once again. When they both knew the inevitable was creeping closer and that the mother was going to spend some amount of time feeling really low, the tension grew. Both actors amazingly shown how the mother's condition impacted their characters. From the daughter who was constantly on edge as she knew there was very little she would be able to do as the mother became helpless. And the mother was scared knowing that she would be feeling really low in the foreseeable future, yet she couldn’t do anything to stop it, the audience felt huge empathy for them both. The daughter throughout the show was constantly there for her mother even though this put a huge strain on her and her life, to the point of her being driven out of her house.
The show really was for everyone, looking around the theatre there was a huge range in ages and the performance was very much enjoyed by all.
At an 1hr 20mins, it definitely could have been longer as it left the audience wanting to see more.
This show was thought provoking, sad and joyful. Watching the highs and lows yet still seeing the daughter always be there for her mother no matter what was really special.
From the seamless transitions to the amazing acting, the two actresses on stage successfully captured the audience to be able to take them along on their journey.
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