The Yellow Wallpaper brings Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s nineteenth-century story to the stage in a haunting dance thriller.
For those who have not read Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper (go and read it now), the short story follows a woman suffering with “female hysteria” and undergoing strict “rest cure” as she is confined to an upstairs bedroom by her physician husband, and forbidden from working or socialising. As the story develops and her sanity dwindles, the woman becomes obsessed with the patterns on the wallpaper of the room, and convinced that there is a woman living within them.
This dance thriller fantastically captures the deterioration of the woman’s mental state and embodies the sharp critique of women’s health intended by Gilman. Through six brilliant performers, the production blends together readings from the original text with provocative choreography.
The stand out came from the acting of Megan Ort as Jane, the suffering woman, and the choreography surrounding her, which brought the wallpaper and its imagined animation to life.
The blend of nineteenth-century costumes and language with contemporary music choices and choreography add to the manic nature of the production, allowing the audience to visualise the gothic, radical nature of the original text. Whilst one scene in the middle of the show felt somewhat out of place, with the use of modern Fourth of July memorabilia taking away from the flow, it was clear that this had the intention of amplifying the mania felt, and injecting humour into a heavy piece.
That being said, the themes of postpartum depression and ignorance towards women’s health remain incredibly important today; it was moving to see such important topics being brought to the Fringe. Anybody who enjoys feminist literature would enjoy this reflective piece!
The Yellow Wallpaper is running until 29 August at Lime Studio at Greenside at George Street. Buy tickets here.
Image by Corey Bryant, provided to The Student for press use.
