Words: Natasha Chanse

Lona Rose Treen’s one-woman show, Skin Pigeon, daringly disregards the notion of narrative as a prerequisite for performance. Instead, this show resembles a patchwork quilt in its compilation of short, arbitrary skits that depict different characters in various shades of the ridiculous.

It takes a versatile and confident performer to seamlessly jump across so many dichotomies of character, and a talented writer to craft a number of truly original scenes. This set never allows the audience to believe they’re in the know; you may feel confident that you’re witnessing a skit about a popstar, until the sudden appearance of a metre-long rat’s tail restores the last word to Treen.

For better or worse, the audience participation in this show will challenge comfort zones. Treen calls upon the crowd in the intimate setting to partake in a game of netball, or to help her sellotape a skateboard onto her swimsuit and grab her legs so she can imitate swimming in the ocean. The audience is not a customer being served a show, but rather a participant in Treen’s vision of the absurd.

The show offers a new definition of performance as a study into the power of surprise and variety, over a confessional insight into the mind. A certainly original show.

Lorna Rose Treen: Skin Pigeon
Pleasance Courtyard, The Attic
Various Times
18-27 Aug