Created by Dahlia Lesh
Produced by Lesh Productions | Ottawa, ON
Review by Samara Caplan
60 mins / 14+ / Drama
Can you break free from your inner monster? That voice inside you that keeps you second guessing, preys on your deepest insecurities and keeps you living in your darkest thoughts, or are you strung together until the end?
Strings Attached is a two-actor show that delves into the depths of mental health and the struggle in freeing yourself from your monster. A viscerally emotional show that doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable and sometimes frightening reality of trauma, mental health and eating disorders.
Cast of Strings Attached. Photo by Liz Picasso.
It looks back at the freedom of youth, the suffering of the present and the question of tomorrow. Pain is represented through poetry, verbal, and occasionally physical conflict, and you feel every bit of this show from beginning to end.
The actors play the emotion effectively and with range, as the tension and fear heightens at different points in the show. This brings the audience in on the story, where even when tackling similar emotions, they show up differently at different times. Whether highlighting broken systems, how we respond to others or how we respond to ourselves the emotion brings together the full picture of what our innermost thoughts look like at some of our lowest moments.
The show is an emotional watch and as a result may not be for all audiences. But, it tells an important story and creates a safe space, with the reassurance and reminder that you are valued and there is so much more to your story.
Strings Attached is playing at LabO from June 12–21. Tickets are $14 plus service fees at the Fringe box office (3rd floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave.), and at the three satellite box offices (LabO in the Ottawa Art Gallery, Fringe Courtyard, 67 Nicholas St and La Nouvelle Scène). Five and ten Show Passes are also available. Visit the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s website for the show’s schedule and check out their online schedule here.
