Something in the Water @ Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022) Review

We’re at a time where the construct of gender has become a major focal point, an aspect societally quietly entrenched with in everything that we do, these fixed ideas and expectations defining who we are, or at least, attempt to. Exploring gender stereotypes and the feeling of not fitting in with these fixed descriptors, Scantily Glad Theatre present Something in the Water, a satirical, risqué, fun yet thought provoking look at ‘gender norms’.

Aided by a David Attenborough-esque omniscient voiceover, we see transgender writer and performer S.E. Grummett transform from fertilised egg to their current human form, a playful sequence to start off the show that establishes the evening’s tongue in cheek tone. We play along as we’re presented with perhaps two signifiers of gender roles and beauty standards in the West – Barbie and Ken, as they navigate the online dating world and real world meet ups. Here we’re asked to make commentaries on whether the behaviour displayed by both is deemed as ‘normal’ or ‘not normal’, this kicking off a proactive response from the audience as we examine our own ideas as to what we deem as right and wrong, or normal and not normal – and this is crucial for exploring gender further.

Barbie and Ken’s fantastical world brought to reality by characterful, comic book-style hand drawn backdrops made visible by a portable projector – news headlines comically breaking up sequences to bring breaking news of a strange creature supposedly terrorising the local town, a satirical look at current conversations around gender within the media and how segments of society are ‘othered’ and stories exaggerated. Grummett now transforming into part squid, and attempting to fit into a very fixed world, we see the affect of this on them and this is insightful to take in. We cheer, we boo, as we take on the role of an angry mob, here, catching that constant sway in momentum in regards to the support and opposition felt when tackling the topic of gender further. Something in the Water constantly gauging the mood – and making the evening an interactive one. It proudly celebrates individuality and the importance of embracing what makes all of us, us.

Written by Lucy Basaba.

Something in the Water is currently showing until Sunday 21st/Tuesday 23rd until Saturday 28th August 2022 at the Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre as part of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. To find out more about the production, visit here…