Review: SOMEWHERE TO BELONG, Town and Gown Cambridge

The perception of the bi+ community is a real topic of conversation at the moment, making this one-woman show (currently playing at the Town and Gown Pub & Theatre in Cambridge) all the more prevalent and hugely important.

Following a great deal of research by the theatre company by talking to individuals who identify as being attracted to more than one gender, they found that many people who identify as bisexual feel that they don’t quite ‘fit’ in today’s society. Somewhere to Belong explores these stereotypes and via a wacky gameshow-type format, navigates its way through real life experiences. This piece is a collection of metaphors for bisexuality and this starts from the outset.

There is no dialogue from the performer for its 50 minute duration but the show is aided by a voiceover from the gameshow host. It’s a very physical piece of theatre, which requires an engaging performer to deliver - cue Kim Scopes.

Scopes, who plays CK, makes her entrance by emerging from inside a box, pre-set on the stage. She wanders the playing space in bewilderment, not quite knowing what to do or where to place herself. She is then thrust into a competition in which she is forced to undertake a series of exposing and occasionally embarrassing tasks; ultimately to win the coveted unicorn onesie but also to hopefully receive some sort of validation from the audience in front of her.

She lip syncs to Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’, dresses herself up as a unicorn with the use of toilet rolls, bubble wrap and masking tape, and canters her way around the stage, among other weird and wonderful things. There is an ‘interval’ break within the piece whereby a humorous biscuit analogy is used effectively.

Whilst comedy is rife throughout, the underlying tone of the piece is so much bigger than that. Scopes is likeable from the get-go and you really root for CK as a character. So when CK is asked to make us laugh, the responding sound cue is one of initial laughter with her but soon turns to laughing AT her. This is heartbreaking to witness.

The show really comes into its own in the last 20 minutes or so, when CK rips strips of masking tape off the floor and walls, which each triggers a sound bite of someone talking about their bisexuality and their often hurtful experiences surrounding their identity.

A fascinating and powerful piece of theatre.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Jenny Ell

Somewhere To Belong plays at the Town and Gown Theatre until 18 May, with tickets available here.