Spine

For the past three years, a succession of female monologues has stormed the Big Belly space on Cowgate; 2012 saw Charlotte Josephine’s Bitch Boxer, and in 2013 Fleabag asked hilarious questions about sexuality. Now, in Spine, we hear another voice getting angry at the organisation of economic structures and the theft of knowledge. Performed by Rosie Wyatt, Clara Brennan’s monologue leaves you exhausted, thrilled and full of potential.

Spine focuses around two characters—Amy, our narrator, and the elderly ‘Mrs Glenda’—who strike up an unlikely friendship based on filth and honesty. Shunned by her friends and family in Willesden, Amy finds that her new pal understands and believes in her ability to join the “posh cock club” of politics. “Less twat and more cunt”, they decide.

Brennan’s writing is articulate and full of ideas, and what could be a slow 90 minutes turns into a 60-minute drag race as Wyatt rattles through like time is running out. Under the direction of Bethany Pitts, Spine becomes just as much about energy and enthusiasm as about anger at a political system which crushes those at the bottom.

Though there are gestures towards Marxism, feminism, leftism and many other ‘isms’ besides, Brennan never allows herself to get too bogged down in ideas, instead letting a confused but articulate pair of characters do the talking through one mouthpiece. Anger and passion are thus allowed to permeate the script, so we cannot help but be taken along for the ride.