Every Word Was Once An Animal by Ontroerend Goed – Zoo Southside, Edinburgh

The new show from accomplished experimental company Ontroerend Goed is about now having a show. The play, of it ever existed had it’s premiere cancelled “on 5th April” and all that remains is characters stepping up to a microphone to air theories about who they are, or what they might have done. Fragments of ideas remain, including a rather beautiful sequence in which the theatre’s red velvet curtains dance of their own accord. We also see film taken from the windows of flats in Ghent, where the cast live, showing mostly empty streets.

The significance of the date becomes apparent as we realise we are watching a Covid show, although the pandemic is never mentioned. It is a situation perfectly suited to Ontroerend Goed, who have the confidence to make theatre from anything. The cast use their presence as performers to convince us we are seeing something complete and to hold our attention throughout. From a space where a show might have been, they conjure a meditation on identity, theatre making and the line between fiction and reality that demonstrates their ability to challenge expectations of what we could see when we buy a ticket.