Photo Courtesy of Soho Theatre
Inspired by her own life story, Breathless is a new 65 minute play; from genius and Plymouth Laureate of Words, Laura Horton- who originally wrote the play as a 20 minute piece, which first started off as an explorative creation in Theatre Royal Plymouth’s The Lab. Despite this narrative being heavily based on her own backstory; the experiences are characterised through Sophie, played beautifully by Madeline McMahon. By allowing her stories to be told through a theatrical nature, she presents a heartwarming portrayal of her experiences of hoarding, a habit that not everyone feels safe to open up about; allowing this story to resonate with a plethora of audience members.
What makes Breathless unique is the fact that it has been written as a one-woman theatrical piece, like nothing I’d had the pleasure of seeing before. This unique storytelling aspect works exceptionally by being extended; which was elongated especially to take to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it received a Fringe First, returning to Horton’s home town of Plymouth for a limited run in The Drum.
Breathless follows Sophie’s journey of discovery, in an intertwined story covering terms of feeling comfortable around her passion of clothing and a self-discovery in terms of her sexuality; as she’s just begun dating a woman named Jo (who’s never seen; simply left up to audience interpretation, via McMahon’s spectacular acting). Sophie herself is pursuing a dream of being a writer in London and aspires to work in the fashion world where her ambitions lie; even being shortlisted for the Vogue talent competition at the age of 24, all true to personal experiences. But when things don’t go according to plan, and she realises that she might not be the right fit for this sort of opportunity, Sophie falls into a comfort of clothes shopping; finding relief in charity shopping and sample sales.
Nearing her 40’s, Sophie makes her way back to her hometown of Plymouth, making this a performance that hits close to home; but not even the move distracts her from this growing addiction of clothing. In fact, it’s become so overwhelming that she returns home with a moving van crammed full of desirable pieces. At this point, it’s clear to see she’s drowning in her possessions, with this growing shame pushing away anyone new in her life.
Sophie’s narrative surrounding clothes is taken straight from real-life experiences in London. She explains within Breathless, “I noticed a glittery sign with an arrow: sample sale. I followed it to a glass, boxed space with fairy lights and rows and rows of clothes in every shape, colour and style imaginable. A cream tulle skirt twinkling with glitter embellishments; a pair of high-waisted electric-blue skater trousers; a floor-length coat with an appliqué red bow and arrow. I spied another amazing thing, then another – I knew exactly where I’d wear each item, and exactly how I’d feel when I did.” (Horton, 2022). It’s not long before this obsession becomes overwhelming, with her almost drawing in the sheer weight of what’s accumulated, therefore feeling Breathless.
The character of Sophie was portrayed superbly by McMahon, taking the script and allowing the narrative to be told in a light that tackles the misconceptions about hoarding. Whilst most people likely see this habit and imagine sights from ‘Hoarder SOS’, the narrative allowed the audience to resonate with Sophie (and therefore Horton), expressing how clothing acts as a comfort barrier; with possessions having a personal connection behind them. Every outfit that Sophie has accumulated, she imagines herself in a different light. She explains her clothing addiction as an ideology of “different versions of me, within each one”; which is very true, with each individual dressing in a way that represents themself and their chosen aesthetic in daily life.
With this being a one-woman show (and the fact that I was seated in the front row), the piece allowed itself to be very intimate. With this being a one-woman show; the continuous storytelling device of rhetorical questions was highly enjoyable, as answers were left up to audience interpretation. Vocals were fantastic, delivering Sophie’s lines emotionally; resonating with those with similar experiences and allowing this true story to be told. However, it wasn’t just Sophie she was playing, despite being the only person on stage. Through the use of accents, McMahon brought life to: Her Mother, Father, Jo and others in her life; both in Plymouth & London. This allowed the story to flow continuously, whilst also presenting everything from Sophie’s point of view; almost as if she was re-telling stories to a group of friends, or in this case, the audience.
It’s an entangled life-story full of turns. One moment you’re laughing about a story she’s re-telling from childhood, the next you’re wiping away a tear about a confession she’s made about those she considered friends. Breathless truly is a narrative full of surprises and through the use of incredible acting skills; the whole story is able to unravel in a truly exceptional performance.
Despite the sheer amount of clothing Sophie owns, use of set is incredibly limited; including: two rails, a chair (used to establish location), a collection of clear garment bags, a large shopping bag and a small cardboard box of novelties that link to memories (ie: a toy from her childhood). The use of this limited set is more than likely due to limitations of set design within The Drum; but worked incredibly in favour of the production’s storytelling. Due to the fact that there were no visible garments, the plastic garment bags almost looked like ghosts hanging on the rails; hanging up as installation pieces in a museum.
At sample sales, Horton would buy a plethora of items that didn’t fit her-it was the idea of owning desirable items that mattered; and this was also true to Sophie’s character. In fact, in one heartbreaking scene, she even tries to return the clothing as none of it fits; but it’s a no-returns policy. Luckily, she’s able to sell it on; but this scene proved the battle she’s living through. We’re informed that Jo’s place contains little more than three pairs of shoes and pieces of an old school uniform; a level of minimalism she’s unused to in her cluttered life. Sophie was often seen peeking out through the rails, almost hiding away in the comfort of her clothes; hiding from the harsh reality that she’d someday have to downsize again and eventually start selling the collection. This is a reality that Horton has been facing in recent years, having had a sale of her clothing on Sunday 30th November, with more like this to come.
Breathless is truly an excellent piece of character-driven theatre that anyone will be able to find compassion in. Through the use of excellent story writing and narrative structure from Horton, paired with a truly captivating performance from McMahon, this makes for a moving performance. It’s truly a story that in ways, most people have lived through; clinging onto personal possessions that we find a sense of identity with. It presents the feeling of being comfortable in your own skin and the sense of understanding that it’s okay to not be okay. The dialogue is truly honest and it’s allowed Horton to transform her story into a piece of theatre that’ll move audiences and individuals for years to come, giving a compelling insight into what hoarding can look like.