It is estimated that one in three of us will develop cancer at some time in our lives. Yet, despite this amazingly high probability, the subject is rarely prevalent on the Fringe. Admittedly it’s not a topic filled with laughs and entertainment but it is surely as relevant, if not more so, than terrorism in this day and age? Carpe Diem seem to think so and are the first to take up the cause with their performance of Caroline Jay’s Outliving the Hamster.
Played largely as a two-hander, this is a tale of domestic monotony that’s interrupted by the Nina (our protagonist) discovering that she has a breast lump. As the biopsies and mammograms mount up, she finds herself increasingly isolated, despite the closeness of family and friends and soon becomes obsessed with comparing her projected lifespan with that of the family pet.
While the central thread of this story is interesting and engaging, there are a number of issues that detract from this. The smallest of these is the trite use of a plinky-plonk piano to represent the passage of time but I can’t decide what the worst is. Either it is the irregular and highly unnecessary musical numbers, which simply belittle the subject matter, or the carrot-laden ending, which is as farcical as it is unexpected.
Remove these aspects and you’re left with a solid, emotional story of one woman’s fear and acceptance of one of life’s horrors that is backed up by two extremely solid performances. Unfortunately, the musical aspect seems set to stay and it really harms this otherwise intelligent piece.
2/5
Richard Biggs
