Inside the mind of Narin Oz is a tangled, messy, colourful place. Giving her inner child licence to be outside. Balloons float about to represent the sea, as she sets up the loose spine of the show – that she is acting her own ‘Castaway’ journey of self discovery, referencing aspects of the Tom Hanks film. Oz herself drifts in and out of this semi-narrative, giving free reign to her clowning impulses in wild tangents, flinging her phone aside and then rescuing it to channel as a puppet, shouting her frustrations at a neurotypical world.
This feels at times playful, honest, and a wail into a challenging abyss. It’s a bit of a mess. But Oz admits, her brain is a bit of a mess – dropping as an aside the suggestion that she is autistic – so it’s reflective. The edges of communication show themselves, then hide bashfully, then berate the frustrations of living a masked life in a world that filters through small talk. Which is one of the clearest things. There are so many original ideas Oz floats, heralding playing and encouraging her audience to join in too. A lot of her thoughts and considerations are directed at an inflatable replacement for Hank’s companion, which she addresses as “Budget Wilson”, where her philosophies and thoughts are raised in what comes across at times as genuine touching connection.
‘Inner Child(ish)’ is sketches of lots of ideas, some more fully formed than others but all straight from her child heart.
Narin Oz: Inner Child(ish), 16.00, Just The Attic at Just The Tonic at The Mash House, 16.00, 1-24 August (except 12th)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/narin-oz-inner-child-ish
