What happens when the world’s most famous mermaid gets trapped in a human body, and discovers she’s allergic to water?
The namesake production from Wee Witches and Inside Out Theatre launching on Nov. 5, aims to answer that question—and provide some revealing details about what it means to navigate the medical system when a person has a chronic illness that leaves them unable to work or function.
But for such a heavy topic, show creator and lead performer Jacqueline Russell said the production of Allergic to Water was meant to make audiences laugh as much as think.
“I started to create this show out of some of the experiences I was having with my own body and feeling like I was constantly going to medical appointments and trying to explain what was happening in my body as if I were a mythical creature,” said Russell.
“It’s actually very funny some of the stuff that doctors have said to me, like, ‘why don’t just try drinking more coffee or maybe go on some dates?’ You know, well-intentioned but not too helpful. So, I thought this would make a good play.”
Russell said what she created was a darkly funny production that draws on the mythology of mermaids due to their universality across cultures.
“When I finally set out to make this show, I started doing a lot of research into mythical creatures and mermaid mythology. Immediately, I was like ‘this is so juicy, because there’s mermaid myths from all cultures around the world,” said Russell.
She said it ranged from the Russian mermaids who threw themselves off cliffs to escape arranged marriages, to Japanese mermaids that have a monstrous quality about them, to the pop culture Disney mermaids that are beautiful.
“That experience of what it is to be the other is really encapsulated in the mermaid. Also, this feeling when you have a chronic health condition or an invisible illness, this feeling like your insides not matching your outsides—how you feel inside versus how people experience you outside,” said Russell.
“So many times in my life, people have said to me, ‘oh, you look like a million bucks.’ I’ve thought, ‘whoa, that’s good, I feel like $1.99.'”
Russell is joined on stage by Jeremy Gignoux, who composed the score for the production and who also performs as an albatross that plays musical instruments.
“There’s a beautiful score throughout that provides both comedy and poetic underscoring,” she said.
For audience members feeling a little more adventurous, even some light interaction during the performance as an added bit of fun.
“The play takes place on a beach where this character has set up essentially a coffee shop called The Grind, where she makes her world-famous brew. Audience members will have an opportunity to taste the brew, should they so desire. So, there’s a little bit of interaction, consensual interaction, no one will be forced but always invited,” said Russell.
“It’s a really fun, fast-paced 75 minutes with a beautiful set built by Dave Smith and some lovely, delightful work with a hammock. The hammock transforms into a variety of things – a projection screen and some other fun surprises. It’s a transforming transformational experience.”
Allergic to Water runs from Nov.4 through 8, at the Victor Mitchell Theatre in the Pumphouse Theatre. Tickets are on sale at www.insideouttheatre.com.
