Writer and Director: Moon Kim
Composer: Ábel Esbenshade
Producer: RJ Ekanem
Reviewer: Lela Tredwell
FROM THE COLLABORATION THAT BROUGHT FIVE STAR SHOW THE ARMS TO BRIGHTON FRINGE IN 2025
Darkly surreal, devilish and a scrumptious feast for the ears, Moon Kim Theatre Company brings its new show Emily or Emma to the Brighton Fringe. Staged in the Annunciation Ballroom, which compliments the shows bold themes, it explores the instrument of opera singing to enrich the experience of experimental theatre. Rather wild and delightfully weird, it hurls us into the world of ex-opera singer Emily (Emily Carmichael) as she is both comforted and tormented by her ‘best friend’ Emma (Alexandra Achillea).
The set is dressed with a white sofa and chairs, along with a dining table, all wrapped in plastic. It has the feel of newly delivered furniture while simultaneously the scene of a meticulously planned and messy crime. We open with Emily (Carmichael), dressed in a white ball gown, carrying a glass of red wine, and conversing with empty space. Can she really be addressing the furniture? In a Moon Kim Theatre Company production it seems entirely possible. If you’ve seen The Arms, you’ve likely come to expect the unexpected.
In the midst of Emily (Carmichael) regaling her carefully selected possessions with stories of suicide, the door bell rings. Someone has come calling but Emily baulks at the sound and refuses to answer. After persistent ringing, she eventually discovers her late night visitor is actually a welcome one. It’s Emma (Achillea), a current opera singer, who sings her replies to Emily’s questions and spiralling conversation in a rich and melodic fashion.
Emily Carmichael boldly inhabits the character of Emily creating a terrifying vision of an intense woman, neglected and dissatisfied. Emily’s frequent outbursts keep us on our toes. Her histrionics over details are contrasted by Emma’s extraordinary poker face. Alexandra Achillea responds with such visually expressionless demeanour, leaving all her character’s emotion to channel into her voice. The affect is both beautiful and unnerving. While the heavenly singing takes up considerable space, the way it is used has us suspecting given the chance it could devour much more.
The soundscape of this production, uniquely composed by Ábel Esbenshade is like dining out on a new cuisine. What we love about Moon Kim productions, is how original and innovative the ideas. They push the boundaries of narrative and form. This production is dark. The themes explored aren’t easy to swallow but the extraordinary way that this world is presented can’t fail to charm us.
The dynamic between Emily (Carmichael) and Emma (Achillea) is rich, even though the women seem to occupy different worlds. It’s like they are meeting here in a space anomaly to play out their twisted games. At one point, the women dress in plastic in order to perform a messy drinking ritual. In another, Emily demands answers to self-absorbent questions, asking her ‘friend’ whether she thinks her pretty, skinny, fat, while Emma sings her responses as if this is a rite she has had to endure many times before.
Intense, invigorating, and so richly innovative, this is edgy experimental theatre that eats conventions for breakfast, brunch and pre-dinner. You might come away from this production feeling pretty stunned by the severity and the level of surreal of what has gone before, but by letting it percolate, we hope like us it will peel your socks off, or at least turn them blood red.
Reviewed on the 22nd May 2026
The Reviews Hub Star Rating
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9
