Writer: Nicole Palomba
Camden Fringe is as eclectic as ever, and alongside the straight dramas and comedy shows, there is work like Nicole Palomba’s Bodies of Water, a part philosophical, part lived reflection on what living upon, within and by the river feels like. Part of a healing experience following various traumas, Palomba recounts some of the stories of her life while reflecting on the underlying role water has played in her life decisions and directions. An unusual 40-minute poetic performance, Bodies of Water seeks to carry you away.
It is not easy to categorise Palomba’s work or the nature of this performance, which uses elements of mindfulness and motivational speaking to advocate for the power and soothing qualities of the river, but also employs theatre techniques to cast back through Palomba’s own biography to form the substance of the story. In lighter moments, the narration becomes more dramatic and the water more sinister, using soundscaping to blend and bend forms to create a conversational advocacy for the river.
Across this, the show mixes a lot of different perceptions and themes together, variously describing the river as a woman, a child and an animal – particularly a tigress fiercely protecting its kind. Some of the strongest associations connect the core experiences of Palomba’s life to being near the water and either failing to observe its rhythm or feeling rejected by it. And alongside an almost spiritual connection between her first period occurring beside the water, there are some harder sections that discuss miscarriage and suicidal impulses that form part of the weight of the life that the writer is conveying and the transition to peace that defines the show’s manifesto.
Some parts of the show feel underworked, and although Palomba explores her range and her rage at the casual pollution caused by thoughtless river tourists, there is far more to say about the commercialised life of weekend visitors and the treadmill of soulless work that the speaker finds so distasteful. Here, there is space to reflect more on the different paths that alternative lifestyles can offer and, clearly, having lived them both, how they compare.
Bodies of Water may be a little fluid for some tastes, but Palomba’s writing is rich with classical and historical references to women who have travelled across or been associated with water – Ophelia most notably, but it would expand the show to include more water women as inspiration and examples. There are many quotes from Shakespeare in this poetic approach too, although few from any of the water-based works where characters are shipwrecked or taken to new lives, which might serve the show, as well as the more famous pieces from Hamlet and Macbeth. But Palomba’s presence is warm and honest, displaying a vulnerability that gives her story momentum and draws the audience into the “sweet waters” with her.
Runs until 23 August 2025
Camden Fringe runs until 24 August 2025
