Review: The Archive of Educated Hearts

Set in a parlour crowded with books, trinkets and vintage couches, The Archive of Educated Hearts is an intimate exploration of love and the fleeting nature of our time on earth.

Casey Jay Andrews' declares that "tragedy is a fault line", dividing the world into an oblivious before and an irrevocably changed after. In her family’s case, that tragedy takes the form of cancer. Through voice recordings, photographs and her own musings she shows the impact the disease has had on her loved ones.

Andrews claims that she has an inarticulate heart, one that is incapable of expressing the fear or love that strikes us when we find ourselves on that fault line. But in this performance she is insightful and compassionate as she brings to life an entire world.

She suggests that rather than ruining our lives, such a diagnosis can prompt us to prioritise the things that are truly important and this theme resonates throughout.

At 40 minutes, The Archive of Educated Hearts flies by but the ideas brought up in this touching performance, which are suffused with kindness, gentleness and humour, linger long after the show has finished.