It has been a while, a long while, since I have seen such a raw, confronting theatre.
As we walked out of the theatre, my friend asked me what my thoughts were. I told her, ‘too soon. Too soon. I need time to think on it. There’s a lot to process’.
The day after, I feel as if I am still processing it. However this show only has a short season and reviews needs to be written promptly.
With SPLIT ENDS, writer and performer Claudia Shnier draws us in to a very dark and out of control period in her life when her obsessive compulsive disorder was running off the charts and she was in the midst of an abusive, dysfunctional relationship that she couldn’t see a way out of.
SPLIT ENDS is chilling to watch. We see Claudia’s psyche unravel to the point where she can no longer work what is real and what is not. Objects like a vacuum cleaner, a pair of scissors, some tweezers, as well as being metaphorical are also personified.
On a multimedia screen behind her, Shier’s alter ego gives her mixed messages. As does the man she loves. He professes his love for her, and then in his next phase, he tells her that he doesn’t care for her. Claudia’s life becomes a living hell.
Claudia’s performance is very real, present and compelling.
That Claudia came out ‘the other side’ is a blessing. That she choose to construct a play around her dark time is courageous, and educational. We are taken in to a world where when sensitive people with mental health issues find themselves tangled up with toxic relationships issues it spells major trouble.
A passion project, Claudia took care of all aspects of the production; as well as being the director, she was also the sound designer, composer, video designer and editor.
SPLIT ENDS is playing the Loading Dock theatre at Utopia for one more night, Friday 24th January 2025 at 7pm. The show runs for 60 minutes straight through.
