What a treat, Besties. We attended the world premiere of Sarah-Louise Young’s The Silent Treatment at the Town and Gown in Cambridge last month; the first preview performance of this new piece, prior to heading up to the Edinburgh Fringe where it is currently running.

Young is a sensational theatre-maker, this is a widely known fact. She has had fantastic success with her other shows including Julie Madly Deeply and An Evening Without Kate Bush, but The Silent Treatment is a very different style of show to the former as this is a hugely personal and intimate recollection of her own memories and experiences of losing her voice and the reasons why.

With only a few props on stage, Young owns the black box theatre and engages the audience from her first breath. We enter into the space as she is doing vocal exercises shrouded by a pink glittery scarf, a prop which takes on many forms throughout the show in the most ingenious ways. Through a mix of exceptionally strong storytelling, physical theatre and song, Young takes us on a journey with her through one of the toughest times in both her personal and professional life. Despite this, she injects humour in all of the right places but then also manages to metaphorically kick you in the gut when you least expect it. 

Directed by Sioned Jones and featuring sound design by Christopher Ash, the show is perfectly balanced and well-paced in its hour-long duration. The intertwining of natural, heartfelt vignettes, paired with highly dramatised moments to provide a medical understanding, all aid the story Young is sharing with us. There is a great deal of light and shade throughout and as an audience member, you feel entirely safe in Young’s hands. Being a first preview, it wasn’t a flawless performance but its delivery absolutely was. Everything is so slick and confidently handled when elements seemingly don’t go entirely to plan and this just shows what a seasoned professional Young is. Its imperfections are what make this show perfect.

Thankfully, following a surgical procedure, Young’s voice is now back on top form so we are incredibly blessed that we get to hear her sing during this performance, featuring original songs that further enhance the storytelling.

A wonderfully creative and compelling piece of theatre.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Jenny Ell

The Silent Treatment runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, alongside Young’s other show An Evening without Kate Bush, throughout the month of August. Don’t miss out, Besties!