What makes Martha Pailing angry? The theatre maker’s answer to this question is a lengthy list. Some of these things are trivial and others much less so but the effects of holding all of this rage are profound, especially for women. These effects, and candid anecdotes from Pailing’s life as she explores her outrage, form a smartly-curated collage that challenges how society perceives women’s anger.
Often warm and friendly, Pailing quickly builds an engaging rapport that helps to facilitate a space where big emotions are accepted, even though she clearly grapples with her own. In contrast, there are moments when it seems she could explode into a white hot inferno. The spaces in between consider how she tries to manage intense feelings, how much or little these techniques work, and the damage they can cause. In these, there’s a complex tension between wanting to get a grip whilst fully believing that her anger is justified. These sharp contrasts ensure the show is dynamic and unpredictable, though precisely plotted and balanced by a variety of storytelling techniques, from animal impersonations to extended metaphor.
There are several fun moments of audience interaction. However, one of these is the only questionable moment in the piece – Pailing starts a football chant calling the ref’s wife a cunt, who likely had nothing to do with the ref’s bad calls at the match she attends with her dad. Though this begins to undermine the show’s critique of systemic misogyny, it is a minor fault in what is a strong, cohesive and nuanced performance.
Chat Sh*t, Get Hit, Summerhall, until 25 Aug (not 11, 18), 5.20pm