Jellyfish Brains Review : An uncanny exploration of the many facets of love

A review by Aurora Sturli looking at the Pembroke Players , ‘Jellyfish Brain’

Photo taken by Albi Rix

Jellyfish brains is possibly the weirdest thing you will observe in Cambridge this term. Sarah Fowler, writer and director of the piece, has truly created a submerged grey zone, in which the spectator can observe and reflect upon all the different iterations of love.

Two pairs of characters dominate the play: we see lovers Viola and Orsino transition from a classical amorous relationship to the modern version of a heterosexual couple in a patriarchal world: ‘the day I will see you fry an egg I will have a heart attack’. First, however, the spectator observes two more mysterious and unclassifiable characters: a pair of girls (are they even human?) playing in their room and making up fantasy worlds and characters (are Viola and Orsino a product of their imagination?).

 “as they walk the path of self-discovery and erotic desire”

In this possible reading of the piece, which leaves the viewer with no certainties, characters 1 and 2, played brilliantly by Georgia Emanuel and Sam Ericsson, do indeed appear as a representation of girlhood, asking all the philosophical questions it entails. This is set against the intimate backdrop of a playroom, where nothing seems serious but everything carries emotional weight. 1 and 2 wonder, for example, how one can portray time, with no space, or if such a thing in fact exists.

“in a constant shift between comic and tragic tones” 

1 and 2 also seem drawn to the exploration of the body, a note on which the show opens: the two characters, who fearlessly engage with the audience, play around, discover dancing and self-expression, observe their reflection in the mirror, and then watch Viola and Orsino as they walk the path of self-discovery and erotic desire.

Love, however, can also become horrifying, and entangled with self-hatred: in a constant shift between comic and tragic tones, a balance which Martha Alexander (Viola) and Caleb Alexander (Orsino) strike elegantly, the viewer observes a self-destructive tendency in the couple. This, at times, turns to what can be interpreted as physical violence and constriction, illustrated through the use of a plastic transparent cloth. One character has doubts about monogamy, and the other is not sure they are alive at all, worrying that ‘I have an expiration date’.

Although at times the development of the narrative can be perceived as too confusing and chaotic, with Viola and Orsino’s sudden shifts between outbursts of rage and words of love whispered in a prom-like scenario, Jellyfish Brains (a metaphor? A riddle?) effectively urges the viewer to question love as a form of romantic expression. The couple can be seen as an underwater bubble, which bursts as they erupt into hatred for one another as the story progresses. This is expressed in a climactic scene, in which Martha Alexander’s powerful performance leaves the viewer unsettled.

“urges the viewer to question love as a form of romantic expression” 

Throughout this deep and at times baffling play, the Pembroke New Cellar space, an intimate setting, is used to its fullest potential, welcoming and stimulating interaction with the audience. The costume design, especially that of Viola and Orsino, leaves the viewer feeling as though they are observing a game of pretence and makeshift, a children’s fantasy world used to interpret and make sense of the reality they observe daily.

 Jellyfish Brains was presented at the Pembroke New Cellars from Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th May