You, Me and the World. Or: Do People Make Love In The Same Way They Dance?

emilylouisehardy
Aug 15, 2014
2 min read

By Laura Darrall

Never has a show been more perfect for the Edinburgh Fringe. Set in a trailer tucked round the back of Zoo Southside, 'You, Me and the World' grabs you by your slightly clammy hand and forces you to look at yourself, the people around you and the lesser known universe.

With only nine audience members and a single performer, the indomitable Olly Hawes, this is not a piece of theatre that you can sit back and observe. You are this piece of theatre. Your thoughts, your answers, your questions are plucked from your reluctant spectatorial lips and thrust into the frame work of this show. To call it a simply a show does not do it credit, it is an exploration. An exploration of love, of intimacy and of connection.

In a society where we take selfies to affirm to ourselves and to others that we are "having a good time" (HONEST), 'You, Me and the World' does not allow for that superficiality. In fact, it breaks open that superficiality, pulls out its innards and feasts on them for breakfast.

Using only nine bedside lamps, a few post-stick notes and a carefully placed glitter ball this piece of theatre shows that you don't need glitz and glamour to create art, all you need is people.

You must forgive this writer for the cryptic nature of this review as to give away the workings of the piece would be to give away its genius and for that I must insist you go and partake. Not watch. Partake. Partake in this challenging, revealing, ballsy look at life and all its messy bits. And I dare you not to have questions and I dare you not to relate, because you will.