Anatomy of Survival at Edinburgh Fringe 2026 ★★★★★
★★★★★ Anatomy of Survival | Dance Base
Playwright Vivienne Franzmann and choreographer-psychotherapist Frauke Requardt combine for this engrossing and thought-provoking inquiry into the human nervous system and those moments where you just ‘lose it’, performed with gusto by a talented cast.
From an opening drum salvo which ensures everyone is paying full attention (earplugs were handed out on entry, so we were warned!), through an introductory pre-recorded sequence displayed on a video screen, to the appearance behind said screen of an ominous looking bear, the signs are that Anatomy of Survival plans to take an innovative and playfully interdisciplinary approach to its sensitive subject.
An incident occurs in a coffee shop – there are 22 eye witnesses. We are presented with them all in a montage of re-tellings, which range from accusatory to resigned, from passive to overblown, from confrontational to concerned. The captivating performers – Bea Bidault, Kath Duggan and Neil Callaghan – seamlessly shift between roles and perspectives, with drum accompaniment and expressive dance routines.
There is dance reminiscent of battle: building to explosions of sound and energy, retreating into calm, and then rebuilding again to a tumult. Having seen and heard all of the outside perspectives, we are given the all-important first-person context – the full story which leads to the escalation at the heart of this dramatic piece. Franzmann and Requardt craft a powerfully evocative finale, allowing the beleaguered character at the heart of this story the agency to to escape attack from all sides – and asking (through song) what stops us from just giving people what they need to survive and flourish.
An hour of incomparable interpretive dance and theatre, which manages to shift between contemplative and explosive, delivering a truly memorable experience.
| Access Score ♿♿♿♿♿(5/5) 🚧Access notes – Step-free access available from street level. ❄️Heat: Comfortable. 💺Seat – Standard folding seats, padded. Raked, good view from all seats. |
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