‘A heady mix of theatre & performance art’: DRESSED. – Touring

Touring – reviewed at Tobacco Factory Theatres,Bristol

Lydia Higginson has the best friends of anyone in the world. They’ve been dancing together since they were at school. And now they’re making theatre. Not just any theatre.

The catalyst for dressed. was an assault. A group of men, armed, forcing Lydia, the person, not the actor, not the character, the person, the woman to strip. Comfortable? Don’t be.

dressed. is an unflinching, deeply personal, deeply political insight into the horror of assault, both physical and psychological. A heady mix of theatre and performance art, dressed. is messy. At times, this chaos is purposeful, dynamic and fearless. At times, less so. That doesn’t matter. dressed. is as personal at it comes.

As a cast of four, Josie Dale-Jones, Lydia Higginson, Nobahar Mahdavi and Olivia Norris inhabit every inch of the stage. They take us through the journey from school dance choreography to post-assault catharsis via a series of carefully curated and fiercely provocative moments. Not all of these moments work as theatrical devices, however that is as personal as the production itself and ignores the greater purpose.

F**k Steven Berkoff and his one man show. F**k David Mamet and his John Malkovich vehicle. These stories don’t belong to them. They belong to ThisEgg, Made My Wardrobe and companies who are bold enough to confront the patriarchy and take charge of their own narrative.

Shane Morgan

Shane Morgan is a writer, director, producer and facilitator. He trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and completed an MA at Chichester University. He is Director of RoughHouse Theatre and Associate Director of the Rondo Theatre, Bath. His writing work includes stage adaptations of the Nick Hornby short story NippleJesus and the Daniel Wallace novel Mr Sebastian and the Negro Magician under the title Henry Walker and the Wheel of Death. As director, his credits include The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Hands Up For Jonny Wilkinson’s Right Boot and When The Eye Has Gone. In addition to his personal blog, Shane reviews theatre and comedy for Bristol 24/7 and is a regular contributor on BBC Radio Bristol. He tweets at MrShaneMorgan.