Nearly a year on since our first national lockdown due to the pandemic, a world post Covid has drastically shaped how we currently live, our realities more so isolated and experienced from a distance in comparison to life before, digital platforms becoming increasingly vital to how we work and connect. Tapping into this new era, writer and performer Eden Harbud of Nod At the Fox responds to this new normal with spoken word piece Breaking Up With Reality – an audio show grasping ‘what was’ and ‘what now is’.
Referring to reality as if a partner or old friend who has now parted, Harbud playfully establishes this broken down relationship convention as lines such as “reality has gone away for a little while” and reality needing “time to go away and reflect” offer a sense of familiarity in terms of trying to comprehend this new era. Throughout the audio play, there’s a constant reminder of time, an element of our lives that has been disrupted by restrictions and changes to daily work patterns and routines. The aesthetic of an origami rabbit brilliantly alludes to the White Rabbit in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, tapping into this strange moment in time further, a recognisable focal point mirroring the show’s playful tone.
Running at just under 30 minutes, Breaking Up With Reality cleverly fuses both Hubard’s observations of normality with natural and musical accompaniments, the mundane task of creating a cup of tea now becoming a pivotal event, taking a shower another pivotal moment of the day. These routines, accompanied by clicks, hums, guitars, water drums and birdsong create a contemplative atmosphere. Hubard establishes a humorous yet honest and relatable performance, a monologue capturing the uncertainty and the mundane nature of the day to day within our new normal.
Review written by Lucy Basaba.
The Living Record Festival is an online event taking place until Monday 22nd February 2021. To find out more about the production, and the festival’s programme, visit here…
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