SPIN

From the mind of writer/performer @k8.ellen, #SPIN pedals us into the intense, at times absurd, world of modern fitness culture. This one-woman epic, performed almost entirely on a spin bike, captures the #dark heart of a body-obsessed society…

Sumpter swings from jovial to biting to sinister and back in her critique that our #bodies have been unjustly moralised. Of course, we all know that thin doesn’t mean “good” nor fat “bad”. But watching Sumpter vicariously unravel our collective psyche, we begin to question ourselves… 😬

What appears to be an audition for a spin class instructor becomes a slow descent into the grotesque, reminiscent of #Dante’s Inferno or #PatrickMarber’s Don Juan in Soho. With a backdrop that starkly frames the word (command?) “SPIN” and surreal interventions— an emergency mac & cheese delivered via toy car, anyone?— the play suggests that perhaps Sumpter, and by extension, we, are doomed to cycle endlessly through this self-constructed hell… 🚴 😈

Along these lines, there are jaw-dropping 🤯 moments of transfiguration, where ingenious lighting and Sumpter's excellent physicality come to the fore. We see her evolve into something almost otherworldly – the very toxicity she rails against but also embraces made flesh…

The plot, though earnest, has its pitfalls. The narrative occasionally wavers, with some plot threads left hanging (what happened to the audition?). And while the overall message decrying body shaming is undeniably important, its execution sometimes veers into a simplistic polemic. It frustratingly feels like a missed opportunity to explore how other factors such as class and race feed into Western notions of the “ideal” body… 🤔

Still, #Spin’s earnest heart shines through. Sumpter's portrayal, raw and resonant, magnifies the emotions that many feel but can't express. Though not #flawless, this quirky powerhouse of a play is a timely, visceral look at how society's body image pressures can corrupt our souls. 3/5 ❤ @gildedballoon

#edfringe #edfringe2023 #theatre #fitness #scotland #review