cutting off kate bushLucy Benson-Brown has created a truly engaging piece for her first solo show at the Fringe. Cutting off Kate Bush tells the story of 27 year old Cathy who finds herself forming a strong bond with the warbling 80s songstress- a bond strengthened by memories of her late mother and ill-advised amounts of alcohol. This results in unwanted fame and a need to shut out the inside world, as Cathy retreats into the solitude of her own thoughts.

The one woman show starts on an informal and comical tone, something which I felt did not continue naturally as Benson-Brown’s narrative darkens. The advertising of this show as a comedy, rather than drama or spoken word, may damage it. Don’t be fooled by the pop culture title, the story is a lot more thoughtful than it implies.

The use of Kate Bush’s records, both songs and the physical LP sleeves, is lavish and complements the story well. The choreography and costumes replicate Kate Bush without it feeling too gimmicky, though I felt after a while the dancing interrupted the narrative. Admittedly, the introduction of Cathy’s videos playing in the background was far more beneficial to the flow of action, but I feel this move from foreground to backdrop should have been made earlier.

The voicemail messages throughout the play were clever and kept nicely concise, and helped to emphasise Cathy’s self-removal from the outside world as she further contemplates her mother’s depression. It was a touching story, but I found myself wanting more answers as the play ended. We never hear about Cathy’s relationship with her father directly after her mother’s death, or her feelings about the boy who keeps calling her, and I would really have enjoyed an exploration of these relationships.

I would love a radio adaptation of this play to answer all of these questions, or for Benson-Brown to spend five minutes on further narrative rather than the hypnotic, but overlong, sequences with the red shoes. It’s well directed but I feel the story was spread a little thin for the benefit of keeping it visually active. The narrative is a gem: insightful and at times gut-wrenching, there just wasn’t enough of it. I look forward to hearing more from Benson-Brown.

Cutting Off Kate Bush is at the Gilded Balloon until 25 August. For more information and tickets, visit the EdFringe website.