THEATRE REVIEW: dressed.

A multi-award, Fringe First winning show returns to Edinburgh. dressed. picked up not only a Fringe First in 2018, but also a sell-out show award. Both are wholly deserved as the play, a true story performed by four old school mates, is a heartfelt and hard-hitting piece on coping with the aftermath of rape and sexual assault in the present times we find ourselves in, where a simple hashtag is recognised all over the world as a sign of positive change that unfortunately was desperately needed.

After being victim of a sexual attack in which she was forced to strip naked, Lydia managed her PTSD by making her own clothes, eventually wearing only clothes that she had created using her sewing machine. Her three school friends dress in some of the costumes Lydia has made and begin to manifest while wearing them into different stages of Lydia herself in the aftermath of her attack. Song, dance and even a splash of comedy are used to simply share Lydia’s experience with the audience and create a space in which these four women tell the story of their friendship.

It’s not trying to feel the sincerity in relationships between performers when one is aware that the friendships are in fact genuine. The women show their bond through performer Olivia Norris’ beautiful choreography. Particularly the way in which they interact in the intense movement and dance sections of the play, as they lift and leap to one another for support and help each other dress during costume changes. Beautiful too are the original songs written by Imogen Mahdavi who performs them live with her unique and outstanding vocals. All four carry the piece with such strength and purpose as they dance, laugh, cry, sew and sing together, while dealing with the reality of what brought them on stage. The writing is not of anger, but of reflection on Lydia’s attack and more importantly her journey to surviving it and sharing it courageously with audiences across the country. Dales-Jones, Mahdavi & Norris in portraying the different sides to Lydia are fascinating to watch as they transform the costumes they are wearing through the way they move and hold themselves in them. A moving performance, dressed. brings together the undeniable talents of four friends relaying their true-life experiences while creating remarkable theatre.