We Live By the Sea

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A small, overcrowded, swelteringly hot room at the Fringe is not exactly the ideal space for a show that discusses autism, but Patch of Blue make it work in this delightful ensemble piece. Building on solid groundwork laid out in Back to Blackbrick at last year’s festival, the company return with another moving yet gloriously mischievous show.

15-year-old Katy (Alex Brain) is autistic. She tells us that every question must have a correct answer. Every story must have a beginning, middle and end. Her own is set in a seaside town where she lives with her 19-year-old sister, Hannah (Alexandra Simonet), and her imaginary dog, Paul Williams (Elizabeth Williams). Life has been lonely for the parentless sisters until the arrival of Ryan (Lloyd Bagley), who forms a lasting friendship with Katy.

We Live By the Sea doesn’t shy away from frank discussions around the challenge of living with autism, but also celebrates the value of dismantling ignorance toward the condition. It humbly presents Katy’s life with nuance and consideration, depicting her need for order, certainty, routine, but also her equal desire to lose control and have fun like everyone else.

The coastal setting provides gorgeous imagery—full of picturesque cottages and warm sandy beaches—as accompanying folksy songs are performed by a live band. While there are definitely one or two things to work on—Ryan’s backstory is underwritten and his assimilation is slightly implausible—We Live By the Sea superbly captures a rich life in motion.