A multimedia theatrical show that creates space for respite in an overwhelming world, MASHH (Mm and Something Happens Here) in partnership with Theatre Works presents I Am Seaweed at Theatre Works: 10 – 14 October, as part of the 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Set in present-day Singapore, the show follows a young woman on her quest to become as resilient and self-sufficient as Seaweed. Her mind seems to be her greatest enemy, turning her own thoughts against herself.
The impulse for this play is the pressure Cheryl feels and have witnessed peers feel, about the need to be ‘resilient’ at the expense of a person’s sense of self.
There is a constant pressure to be adaptable and future proof, if not, you are not ‘enough’. Whilst this resilience and future proofing can be good, she wonders how far is too far?
The idea for I Am Seaweed first sparked in a little apartment near Coogee Beach. The scene: a boiling pot of miso soup, a sprinkle of dried Seaweed and a comment from a friend: “It’s amazing how big these tiny things get.”
Cheryl responds: “Some things, when put under pressure, expand…” She looks her friend straight in the eye and says “I Am Seaweed.”
Director: Tan Hui Er | Writer & Performer: Cheryl Ho | Production & Lighting Design: Rachel Lee | Sound Design: Vick Low | Producer: Cordelia Yeo | Mentor: Rani Pramesti
I Am Seaweed
Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Season: 10 – 14 October 2023
Information and Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
Image: I Am Seaweed (supplied)