Batty is Yorkshire slang for eccentric. To go batty is to be slightly odd. Victoria Firth’s new show, Batty! is well named; it’s an eccentric sort of show. Not every story needs to follow a structure, and not every show needs to be a coherent story. This is especially true for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which serves as a showcase for unusual approaches and odd ideas brought to life.
Batty! is a loosely hung-together (yet tightly produced) story about a middle-aged woman who may or may not be a witch, coming to terms with their past and the world around them. Our witch is assisted by a strange friend, who emerges (rather impressively) early on out of the set, and may or may not be a spirit, familiar or some sort of pagan muse. It is never explained, and strangely, it doesn’t matter.
Batty! Feels more like an artistic representation of the inner thoughts of one person coming to terms with their life so far than a play. Its vibe is one of sitting down with a New Age, artistically talented friend over a strong drink and setting the world to rights through conversation and the like.
Victoria Firth is mesmerising as our slightly silly, slightly daft witch, and Kathryn Hanke is masterful as their muse and companion. The performances are strong, the narrative however is eccentric. Batty, as some might say.
The set is rather well realised, a mix between a witch’s cottage and the small, messy home of a reclusive artist. It is impressively detailed and is almost the show’s third character; every item on every shelf tells a story of shorts, allowing us to understand our protagonist a bit more.
They are key moments that don’t work and feel like ideas from earlier drafts that have overstayed their welcome. An extended metaphor for pollution and the shifting character of the witch’s familiar both make moments in the show a bit jarring, taking the audience out of the performance.
Batty! is a strange mix of middle-aged self-reflection, menopausal musing, pagan panic and experimental theatre.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe show here and learn more about the artist here.
