Michael Cox reviews a production that 'encompasses what’s best about the Fringe perfectly.'
Lulu Mebrahtu’s Oommoo series is everything right and true about the Edinburgh Fringe.
I Am a Walking Universe is the second part in a series that Mebrahtu has developed. Part one was at Summerhall last year, and during the performance I was in, she admitted she hopes to bring part three next year—and hopes to maybe even find a way of doing part one at some point during this current festival season.
It is my sincere hope that Mebrahtu not only finds her audience but is allowed the opportunity to further explore the theatrical world she is currently exploring. Comparing her world to the great TV series Atlanta, she envisions a world of multiple pieces where each part stands on its own and yet ties into a much larger world: and it is a world that deserves to artistically thrive.
As a performer, Mebrahtu is excellent. She is personable, cheeky, passionate and not afraid to be vulnerable. In both pieces, she has explored what it means to be of black heritage while living in the UK. She asks questions about the lives of black people—questions that demand answers we are still waiting for.
The show isn’t perfect. Similar to part one, structurally it is a bit scattered, and the scenes don’t always dramaturgically fit together. This is also performing in the Demonstration Room at Summerhall, a venue that is frankly unkind to the spoken word, particularly if it’s on the softer side of delivery.
But Mebrahtu herself is fantastic, and she should not only be seen and celebrated but encouraged to further develop her ideas and staging techniques.
In short, I Am a Walking Universe may not be a perfect show, but it encompasses what’s best about the Fringe perfectly. And Mebrahtu is the real deal. If there is justice, audiences—and funding bodies—will continue to discover and support her.
Oommoo: I Am a Walking Universe performs at Summerhall from 1340-1440 until August 26, 2024 (not the 12th or 19th).
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