7 Day Drunk

By Emma Morgan, 25th Jun 2012 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/2nk-3tbi/
Posted in Wikinut>Reviews>Gigs & Shows

7 Day Drunk is a show by Bryony Kimmings depicting how intoxication affects creativity.

7 Day Drunk.

An interesting one-woman show depicting the way alcohol and drugs have an effect on a performance; Bryony Kimmings takes experimenting to a new level. The idea behind this performance piece is to uncover the answer to the question “Is alcohol really linked to creativity?” and “Do I create better art when intoxicated?”

The show was created during a week long experiment monitored by scientists, carers and a film maker in 2011. Bryony was consistently kept in differing states of intoxication to find a link between creativity and booze. She would drink shots of vodka for breakfast and be kept at the high level of intoxication throughout the day, gradually each day becoming worse than the last.

Each day would bring a new day to create something exciting and original whether it was a song, dance or outfit. At the end of each day a group of people would come and assess how creative the day had been for Bryony. They would fill out a report and at the end of the week Bryony looked at what their opinions were.

The show itself is a funny, humorous performance in which Bryony pushes her limits to act out sober her findings of the experiment. Her great acting skills shine through as she depicts drunken scenes and moments of the experiment she encountered whilst under the influence.

Unicorns, confetti, teddy bears and bubbles are all used to show Bryony’s creative side when alcohol is involved.

The performance was extraordinary. The audience were in hysterics from the moment it began and the storytelling throughout the hour and a half routine was flawless. The use of the willing audience members who agreed to participate, and the music and videos all added to an exciting act.

To begin with, four girls were selected to sit on the stage throughout the show. One of these girls was then chosen, after a few simple questions, to be given alcohol throughout the performance to show the spectators how alcohol can affect someone in such a small space of time. This was a great way of showing how quickly drink can have on mental stability and decision making.

The experiment was explained by Bryony day by day, with video footage to show the highs and lows of the week. It was such an interesting act to watch that the audience forget they are hearing someone’s explanation of a week. The act was packed with stories from previous events throughout Bryony’s life, which got the audience in fits of giggles. It was so refreshing for an act to have a definitive answer at the end. It was easy to understand and enjoyable.

There was laughter, tears, creative breakthroughs and mental breakdowns all brought together with songs and crazy costumes; a fantastic demonstration of performing arts at its greatest.