By Laura Money
Bryony and Tim are a couple. She is a bold and fearless performance artist. He is her boyfriend who until recently worked in advertising. He also suffers from clinical depression. Fake it is the story of their journey through Tim’s depression. Through sound recordings of Tim’s recollections in dealing with his depression and vignettes of moments as a couple struggling together Bryony and Tim reveal to the audience how they have coped as a couple.
Bryony is a seasoned performer who is not afraid to put her body on the line and bare her soul. Bryony and Tim begin the show wearing unflattering boring underwear (think shape wear and tighty whities) and covering their heads with lampshades. They then highlight the statistics of people suffering silently from mental illness. The show is beautifully rendered. Bryony is open about her reactions to Tim’s depression, her own thoughts and fears.
They tell their story through reciting emails, creating a beautiful tent to represent their home, interpretive dance and song. Tim is afraid to look the audience in the eye so he wears an ingenious array of headpieces including a stunning representation of his thoughts – a tangled rope. This is an honest and open show that really gets to the heart of relationships, regardless of mental illness. There are moments that resonate deeply with the audience including a sequence involving Bryony attempting to engage Tim in fun couple activities and Tim being listless, dragging his feet.
Fake it ‘til you Make it is the perfect show to see as a couple. It boldly takes the seed of a relationship and germinates in front of an intimate audience. The sheer pathos will stay with you forever and some of the songs may even become part of your internal playlist and enter your collective vernacular. This is a top show, worth every one of those 5 stars.
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