Issy Cory
In a small, ultra-conservative town in South America, queer cabaret performer Nova invites us into their world to explore how politics and fierceness collide. Accompanied by live music programmed by their assistant Josh, we travel from ballroom to bullet fire in a whirlwind of dance, spoken-word and song.
The Chilean government regime is threatening to rob South America’s LGBTQIA+ inhabitants of their voice and freedom. In Nova’s town, there seems to be no acknowledgement that queer people exist. Every time a queer bar opens in their community, it seems to just… disappear.
Nova’s performance is electric. They guide us from ofrenda, to dressing room, back to the stage where they will compete for the right to their own existence. They perform rituals which calm the audience amid the storm of the ultra-conservative agenda, welcoming us into an incredibly intimate space.
As Nova strips down to nothing, they launch into a beautiful speech about the non-binary body. They affirm that it is more than just sex, that it is a uniting of two different energies intermingling with one another. Their storytelling is, however, intensely erotic, and at one moment they get the whole audience to sing about cumming from a hard fuck – it’s powerful.
The flamboyance of each ballroom-esque performance is juxtaposed by stunning choreography with flowing skirts and blue trailing fans. The grief of oppression is starkly felt when Nova repeatedly throws themself against the metaphorical wall of dictatorship. Nova’s conduct of the room is compelling, and the pain we see is a testament to their passion about telling this story.
At times, the thread of the story is not immediately clear, only made so as we transition from one moment to another. Whilst Josh is a real talent on music production, at points his unmistakable British accent deducts from the powerful Latinx voice that charges the entire show.
That being said, The Disappeared is unlike anything else at the Fringe. Visually magnificent and purposeful, it feels like a different world to the one on the outside of the theatre doors. It really feels like South America.
Recommended Drink: A spicy margarita with a salt rim.
You can catch The Disappeared at Summerhall – The Dissection Room from 9-11, 13-18, 20-26 at 13:45. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Jake Mace
Phoebe Bakker
