Everything I Do continues at Summerhall – Demonstration Room, Edinburgh until 25 August 2019.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Described as an intimate and soulful music-driven theatre show featuring original pop songs, written and performed by Zoe Ní Riordáin with direction by Maud Lee, Everything I Do is so much more than this.
Zoe is a bewitching performer: seeking connection with her audience, she achieves an artful balance between trust and an edgy unease that reflect the nature of this candid musical self portrait.
Describing herself as a ‘reverse Sinead O’Connor’, we are invited into an intimate hour of songs that she’s written to get thoughts out of her head. Literally and metaphorically feedback fills the air every so often as the Fender deliberately screams through the amp.
Resembling a space traveller at the start of this show, there is a Bowie-like theatricality to the persona being presented. Her direct and unaffected banter with individuals in the audience is a contrast to the other-worldly vocals and music. Her voice is genuinely unique: to try and draw comparisons would be wasted effort. A voice that can soar or roar at will, a voice that commands the audience to listen is a great gift. A gift willingly shared.
The humour in the piece is pitched perfectly. Both physically (her antics moving the microphone with her mouth in the first number, for example) and in her ‘chat’ she’s thoroughly likeable. When she takes to the trampoline, her skill in delivering both vocal and physical dexterity is thrilling.
Nothing in this show is quite what it seems though – Zoe’s appearance changes radically as does the stage setting. All in keeping with the revelation of layers of her life, her emotions, her learning and ultimately sharing all of this with her audience.
A remarkably unique and compelling show, One Two, One Two is a company to keep an eye on.
Fiona Orr
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