On Lying

Some thoughts on the performance ‘On Lying’, by Fiona Wright, as performed for ‘Sinergia’ the 5th International Festival of performance works by women, as part of the International Women’s Day events, 7th March 2008, Girona, Spain. Organised by Denys Blacker for Gresol Art.

A subjective view of a particular performance.

She’s lying on the stage, surrounded by what looks like the aftermath of a backstage party. We are in a theatre space. There’s a blue spangled dress (empty), a mike stand, a half drunk bottle of wine and various other props, scattered about her body. On her back, knees up, she gazes up and sighs loudly several times. I have missed the start of the piece but as it is scheduled to go for up to two hours I figure I can catch up. But I am already struck by the difficulty that the artist is facing. The piece seems doomed to fail.

Let’s rewind for a moment. This performance would normally take place in front of a large, seated, English speaking audience. This time it’s different. This time we are in Girona, the principal city of the Catalan region of Spain. Not many folks round these parts speak fluent English. Furthermore, we are attending a performance event celebrating Women’s Day 2008. Fiona Wright was facing quite a challenge – a feminist performance event in a foreign language may not exactly appeal across the board.

Her audience, at first, sat expectantly like good theatre-goers, in their neat rows of seats. Gradually the realisation dawned on them that this was a two-hour event and that this performance could, and looked like it would, go for the duration. Many of them began to drift away. Onstage, she is up on her feet. Hands on hips and resplendent in a Ramones T. shirt, is talking to us about rocker Eddie Vedder, about Pearl Jam. Wright’s interest in/obsession with Vedder is central to this performance. At first, she raps in a way that seems ironic but her words soon reveal a train spotter’s attention to detail and take on a slightly obsessive quality. Wright’s onstage persona reveals that she is not just interested in Vedder; she is immersed in him, and has invested him with almost mythic qualities. It is like she wants to somehow ‘be’ Vedder. >>