ED2015 3/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

Can I Start Again Please (Sue MacLaine and Nadia Nadarajah)

By Gemma Scott | Published on Monday 17 August 2015

This show looks, predominantly, at language: how we use it, manipulate it, interpret it, and how we can use it to describe childhood trauma. Using Wittgenstein quotes and subtle humour, this poetic piece makes us question how we can make ourselves understood. It’s performed in spoken English and British Sign Language, however it’s not simply a direct translation. Differences in what is being spoken and signed make me wonder how accessible this would be to audience members who understand only one of the languages. While Nadia Nadarajah is wonderfully expressive, Sue MacLaine’s voice can become monotone. It can also be difficult trying to follow two narratives at the same time and, while the repetition helps, after a while it becomes, well, repetitive.

Summerhall, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Gemma Scott]