LIFE

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The play is beautifully written and invites curiosity. We hear about creativity as rebellion, the male gaze in art (“He was terrified of the freedom in my eyes, so he painted submission”), and above all, the uncomfortable truth of mortality. Estelle is no passive muse – she declares her reality through speech and movement, with her silklike gown, from Glasgow designer Macfin, flowing with her. I think I will go and see this play again, and I think you should go and see it too.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘innovative, unique, and inspiring… introduces us to vast and complex themes and messages unlocked in what we create. You get the sense watching this play that we are not all just communally watching but thinking, generating, and crafting art. After all, that is what theatre is for. '

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'In MacDonell’s capable hands, Estelle is a spiky, irascible and yet vulnerable figure. It is to her credit that, despite Estelle’s foibles, we are invested in her story. MacDonell’s writing crafts a woman who has been badly treated by different people in her life and has grown a shell with gritty layers that slowly unpeel as we hear her life story, exposing the wounded woman underneath. The artist gently probes, swirling around her like the paintbrushes that have flown across myriad canvases through the years. He hears and knows what she is about to say, sometimes speaks it with her. He is a puzzle, but warm and guiding nonetheless, in a flamboyant and yet still subtle performance from Leo MacNeill. When the reason for this particular class is revealed, it is not – by then – unexpected, but it is tinged with sadness.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Superb storyteller and theatre-maker Maria MacDonell is staging a truly immersive show at this year’s Fringe. A lively, thoughtful, and touching play, and a bold attempt to do something new.’