 HEADACHE
August 19-20 - TheSpace @ Niddy Street Playwright and actor Tanieth Kerr brings her one-person show, 'Headache', to the Edinburgh Fringe as she plays AJ, who, much like her own lived experience, deals with the fallout of her father's acquired brain injury, which left Kerr too feeling isolated and grappling with witnessing the change in her father during the recovery. 'Headache' originated as a collection of writings based on Kerr's emotions and experiences following the the brain injury. These fragmented pieces initially formed another play, ‘An Evening with Me, I Guess,’ before evolving into the current work. The opening 25 minutes weave these distinct tales together, creating an atmosphere where the true cause of AJ's emotional turmoil is obscured, only hinted at through scattered fragments of dialogue and memory. This storytelling approach is effective, as it mirrors AJ's shattered emotional state. We are drawn into her world, experiencing the confusion and disarray that define her life. The structure of the play—disjointed yet thematically interlinked—reflect a mind grappling with grief and trauma. In the second half, the narrative brings into focus AJ’s struggle with the aftermath of her father’s brain injury and the profound impact it has had on her young life. The line between character and real life begins to blur as the audience becomes intimately connected to the raw emotions of AJ and Kerr. The depth of their trauma and heartbreak is palpable, as the play delves deeper into how this life-altering event has shattered her. The emotional intensity of the performance, coupled with the authenticity of the writing, creates a powerful resonance, making the audience aware of the lasting scars such an experience leaves on everyone involved drawing us into the very heart of both their pain and resilience. 4/5 Lee Hutchison |
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