It is a rare gift to hear an audience’s reaction in real time when watching a piece of theatre. On Thursday night, just as the torrid love affair between man and beast reached its peak in Madeleine Palmer’s new comedy Aquatic Affairs, we were treated to one audience member’s instinctive response –
“OH MY GOD.”
I agree wholeheartedly with that assessment.
Aquatic Affairs tells the true story of Margaret Howe Lovatt, a research assistant whofinds herself at the centre of one of US history’s strangest scandals. In a meet-cute for the ages, Margaret happens across the laboratory of Dr John C. Lilly and crosses paths with Peter, a dolphin who is the subject of Dr Lilly’s unorthodox experiments on interspecies communication. Margaret and Peter go on to form a bond so deranged that it could only be done justice through a one-act Fringe show.
A story this wild needs a cast of uniquely talented performers to pull it off – and Palmer’s production delivers on that front. The main cast are well supported by James Crowthers and Amy Pullen’s oceanic ensemble antics, as well as Nala Davies’ neurotic, borderline coquettish take on the legendary Dr Carl Sagen. But the heart of this work is the interspecies tension between Dr Lilly, Margaret, and Peter.
Joss Arkley-Smith’s performance as a lovelorn dolphin was equal parts hilarious and sensual. Their ability to embody the throes of a young lust exclusively through whistles, clicks, and erotic posing was remarkable. Elliot Gough’s portrayal of the mad Dr Lilly was also a standout, his penchant for patriotic singing paired with a warped sense of affection for his subjects. But it is Jasmine Phipps who brings a delightful emotional depth to this work. Her performance treads the line between comedy and tragedy with tenderness, and at times, it almost brought me to tears- of both pity and laughter.
