Review: BATSHIT, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe
- Lisa in the theatre
- Aug 4, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 29
BATSHIT
★★★☆☆ powerful!
Batshit by Leah Shelton
Directed by Ursula Martinez
review: Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (Travfest24)
2 August 2024 (European Premier)
Acclaimed Australian performer Leah Shelton makes her Edinburgh Fringe debut with BATSHIT - a powerful, intimate theatre show that pays tribute to her grandmother Gwen and all the women like her who were locked up, medicated and labelled as "crazy."
As we learn from Gwen's medical notes her crime, in fact, was that it was the 1960's, she was unhappy and wanted to leave her husband.
As a result of this "hysteria" she was incarcerated in a mental hospital, repeatedly shocked with ECT treatment and subjected to a cocktail of drugs against her will.
Visually striking
BATSHIT blends Gwen's real hospital notes and experiences with televised vox-pops, black humour and surreal physical theatre. It's a visually striking production with clean white tiles on the floor, stark overhead strip lighting and the shocking appearance of Leah herself in a green hospital gown.
Leah appears in various contraptions used to silence and subdue patients in the past such as surgical gags and straight jackets. She's entirely successful in shocking and appaling the audience - they are like something straight out of a horror film.
Through her very personal story Leah explores the stigmatisation of women’s mental health and asks if much has changed today. Modern celebrity culture references are used throughout to show us that the medical gaslighting and mislabelling of women is still alive and well. Hell, most of us will have experienced it ourselves. And it's this relatability and downright unjust treatment of a long list of "crazy" women that really strikes a chord and enrages.
Disjointed
Leah is a captivating and engaging performer; she absolutely threw herself into this role, but despite her best efforts, the show felt a little disjointed. From appearing in her gown at the start, running around weilding an axe, she then broke character almost immediately to stand in front of a mic and tell (I'm sorry) terrible jokes. This did not work for me at all; it pulled us out of the story and I was relieved when the play recommenced.
There were also too many TV clips in comparison to the short run-time of the show. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the clips, but it kind of felt like being at school where the teacher wheels in the TV to entertain the class whilst they go off and do something else.
Sensory warnings
On a personal note, I really struggled with the lighting, so do please take note of the content and sensory warnings ahead of this show. I understand the intent to plunge the audience into blackness and starkly shock them awake again with bright lights such as many patients will have experienced in institutions; the lack of control and uncomfortableness was not lost on me. But as someone who suffers from photosensitive migraines, I was terrified of the repercussions rather than entertained.
There is a fantastic story and inventive idea at the heart of BATSHIT. It's full of black humour, shocking realities and is fronted by a spellbinding writer / performer flying the flag for women's rights. I unfortunately didn't love the presentation as much as I wanted to, but many audience members were on their feet in standing ovation at the end, so please go and make up your own mind.
📍 BATSHIT plays at Edinburgh Traverse Theatre until Sunday 25th August.
Recommended age guideline: 14+
Running time: 50 minutes
NEWS: BATSHIT Edinburgh show poster censored
Solo Australian creator, performer and artist Leah Shelton’s found her upcoming Edinburgh Fringe show Batshit - Traverse Theatre (1 - 25 August) - censored on account of the show's title. Keen to open up discussions about the treatment of women in healthcare and society, Batshit questions the silencing of her grandmother Gwen, who was incarcerated into Heathcote hospital in Perth, Australia in the 1960’s and given ECT treatment along with a cocktail of drugs against her will. Shelton’s show looks at the stigmatisation of female mental health and the treatment that aims to keep women compliant.
Leah Shelton, who creates stylized and guttural feminist work soaked in cult references and dark humour, brings a theatrical, unexpectedly funny and deeply intimate interrogation of female madness to the Fringe. In a strange contradiction, she finds herself censored whilst bringing a show about the silencing of women to the Festival - a prominent issue, both in the past and currently, which still has a long way to go.
Leah Shelton, writer and performer BATSHIT, added:
“For me, as an activist and performance artist whose very work is about subverting the objectification of the female body, this has a real impact on my livelihood. And the censorship game continues. My new solo show BATSHIT, due to debut at Edinburgh Fringe this summer, also needs to have a big ‘censored’ sign slapped over the offensive word in public spaces. This came as a shock to me - I wasn’t quite expecting the overlords of censorship to reach Edinburgh Fringe. I’ve been around - I know the vibe, having donned the false lashes and little else for Fringe shows like La Clique and Little Death Club - these are the places we can be free! Precious spaces for artists to be loud, proud and unapologetic.
BATSHIT is very much about female agency, inspired by the story of my Grandmother Gwen, who was locked up in a mental institution and given a cocktail of drugs and ECT, basically for wanting to leave her husband. But she was also a fierce, opinionated and inspiring woman who did things her way. It's ironic that this show, which is about the literal gagging of women within the mental health system, is now having its title censored in public spaces.”
Batshit 2024 Edinburgh dates
Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)
Traverse 2
Thu 1 – Sun 25 Aug
WARNINGS:
Contains references to mental illness & institutionalised medical treatment. Occasional coarse language, sexual references, audience interaction, haze/smoke effects, loud noises, bright lighting flashes, strobe lighting effects & full blackout.
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