Review: Life is Soft

A mixed cabaret show of confused delight from artist Martin Creed

★★★
cabaret review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes
Published 06 Aug 2022
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Life is Soft, image courtesy of Summerhall

Turner Prize-winning visual and performing artist Martin Creed seems to find the modern world incomprehensible. In particular, he takes issue with the limitations of language and the pressure to firmly commit to everything we do. Across a few songs and lengthy, rambling monologues he tries to offer a different perspective on the status quo, but these informal chats are nonsensical and absurd more often than not.

At times, these monologues result in confused delight, and give an initial sense of profundity, but ultimately they go no deeper than a stoner's reflections shared over a joint. This doesn't diminish the joy they elicit, though. As Creed plays the piano with his bum, expounds on the relationship between words and feelings and shares his frustrations with his hair, there are many agreeing laughs.

Dressed like a small child's drawing of a pirate-mouse-shark and surrounded by the clutter of open suitcases, he exudes the energy of someone well-traveled and contentedly lost. He is gentle and conversational, which suits the intimacy of the small, Victorian lecture theatre where the performance is held. However, the overall feel of the show is more like a stream-of-consciousness instead of anything developed and rehearsed. Though his style is consistent, the content across his speeches and songs doesn't cohere. The Fringe aesthetic is very much present and it's all certainly amusing, but there's little that is particularly thought-provoking or moving.