The War Inside

'The War Inside' is a visceral journey through the tumultuous terrain of invisible illness. Camille Dawson, drawing from personal experiences, immerses us in a kaleidoscopic world of cells & organs, unfolding a story both intimate & universal…

Donning our barcoded tabards, we are immediately initiated into this multi-layered tale as fledgling white blood cells, ready to navigate Marnie’s body🛶 The set is a revelation: Cristina Ottonello’s inflatable organs🫀🫁🧠 evoking childhood memories of balloons🎈 juxtapose serious undertones, making the setting both whimsical & charged…

The use of film is particularly mind-blowing🤯 We're thrust into the POV of a teenage Marnie, navigating her newly diagnosed autoimmune disease after her GCSEs. This cinematic approach tethers us emotionally, making Marnie's struggles our own. Her poignant realisation that her body 'invented a war that doesn't exist' has layers of resonance, touching on the mental health struggles around living with such a condition…

But it’s not all doom & gloom! This #darkcomedy kills with multimedia. Weaving puppetry, audio & dance🕺🏻 into the narrative, it echoes the complexities of the human body & the myriad ways it communicates…

Yet, for all its highs, the show's ending feels somewhat out of tune. The layered analogies of the body at war, white blood cells as neonazis & the immune system as existential social crisis, take on #ChristopherNolan-levels of convolution #WhatIsHappening…? 😵‍💫

Overall, 'The War Inside' brings forth a symphony of creativity, insight & emotion, juxtaposing the vibrancy of life with the shadows of illness. While it might not have hit every note perfectly, it's a journey that's definitely worth undertaking, for both the sheer craft on display and its vital message. 4/5⭐

#thewarinside #TheAlbany #audiodrama #immersiveshow #Londontheatre #invisibleillness #participatoryart