“Flabbergast Theatre have the perfect mix of serious meets funny, which magnifies both sides due to their contrast. This inspired me massively to bring in humour into my show, and not be so ‘constipatingly’ serious the entire time.”
WHO: Sasha Krohn
WHAT: “Symbolically based on true events, The Weight of Shadow depicts mental health deterioration. Inspired by Sasha’s partner, Ciana Fitzgerald, it blends dance, mime and aerial acrobatics, reflecting the enigmatic language of the psyche. The show immerses viewers in the 24-hour struggle of a psychiatric patient to grasp reality, echoing Sasha’s artistic vision. Fitzgerald’s influence infuses the performance with emotional depth, portraying the complexities of mental illness through Sasha’s lens. The production serves as a poignant exploration of the human mind’s resilience amidst turmoil, resonating with audiences through its portrayal of inner struggles and external manifestations.”
WHERE: Assembly Checkpoint – Assembly Checkpoint (Venue 322)
WHEN: 12:15 (55 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
This is the first time showing my own work at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is equally exciting and nerve-wrecking. The Edinburgh Fringe has a high quality performance program that’s incomparable to any other performance event that I have experienced so far. The variety of shows and genres, the networking possibilities, the atmosphere throughout the month, are all something very beautifully unique. The large variety of shows, also attracts a very versatile audience, which is brilliant for performers and audiences alike.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
(As I wasn’t part of the Fringe in 2023, I’ll answer more generally.)
2023 was a very inspiring year for me. Towards the end of 2023 I had the honour to work with Flabbergast Theatre. As my work is mainly of darker-aesthetics and rarely uses humour as a tool of expression, it was eye-opening working with them. Flabbergast Theatre have the perfect mix of serious meets funny, which magnifies both sides due to their contrast. This inspired me massively to bring in humour into my show, and not be so ‘constipatingly’ serious the entire time.
Tell us about your show.
‘The Weight of Shadow’ was written and directed by myself, and only possible through the help of my fiancée Cíana Fitzgerald . She is the subject , the inspiration behind this show, as she was the one experiencing what I depict. Cíana helped me find the right physical language by explaining exactly what situations or surroundings feel like to her whilst navigating mental health issues. The physical languages that I used to facilitate these emotions and explanations, are composed of aerial acrobatics, dance/movement with different influences (locking, krump, contemporary) , mime elements and somehow a lot of rolling, getting stuck and collapsing …somehow.
As an aerial acrobat it was a challenge to use previously ‘clean presentable tricks’ and make them useful, expressive, dirty, without losing myself in the ‘need to show off’ , but also equally fulfilling to allow myself to perform movements for the sake of expression and emotion, rather than for claps & craic.
Finally, using the same emotions and elements that Cíana described, I then started writing and recording the soundtrack for the show over the course of 2 months.
The show started as a smaller project of 30 minutes and played in Donegal, Ireland in 2023 and was only possible through the incredible help by FidgetFeet Aerial Dance Theatre & Irish Aerial Creation Center, in Ireland. They gave me the finances, space and time to be able to start researching and developing. But it hasn’t been staged in the current format of 55 mins yet. Edinburgh will be the first time I’m staging it in its now final format, and hopefully will be followed by plenty of opportunities across Europe and beyond.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
‘Paperswans’ is a visually beautiful, absurd theatre piece that draws its inspiration directly from Vyte Garrigas experience as a woman from a post-soviet country and shows and explores themes of oppression, self-discovery, the price of freedom and more. Absolutely stunning and must-watch in my opinion
Another show to watch will be Skedaddle Theatres’ ‘ A Brief Case of Crazy’ . A hilarious, heartwarming and deeply moving story about one persons quest for romance encounters a boisterous boss, a rather troublesome briefcase. Brilliant physical comedy !
‘Rebels and Patriots’ is another must-watch. It is an Israeli-Palestinian co-creation about the consequences of conscription to the IDF and call to end the bloodshed in the region. Floating Shed talk about their experience as young people in Tel-Aviv and their mandatory conscription into the IDF and the connected toxic masculinity and trauma that came with it. It’s a very very poignant piece that couldn’t be more relevant and needs to be experienced.
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