THEATRE REVIEW: Nine Foot Nine

All women of the world suddenly grow to nine foot nine. What next? How would the world react? How would men react? More importantly, how would women react? These are the questions explored by inclusive theatre company Sleepless Theatre Co. in their play Nine Foot Nine. With the inception of movements such as me too and the ongoing battle for equal pay between genders being brought to the limelight, this production brings forth one of the most talked about issues of today. No better place for a show on such a hot topic than right at the centre of the Edinburgh Fringe.

A young couples excitement of expecting their first child is thrown into chaos as every women in the world begins to experience the immense pain of growing past what is thought as humanly possible. Their relationship suffers as they struggle to deal with the change and what it means not only for them and their daughter, but for everyone across the world. Women protest for their voices to be heard as they “sprout” higher and higher, while men try to adapt to a new time in which woman tower over them and become physically the stronger sex. We flash back and forward in time between the start of the “sprouting” and years later as the couple’s daughter experiences being the first generation to grow up in this new world.

Would the world be better or worse off if women suddenly became taller & stronger than men? Who knows, most likely neither. Or maybe both depending on how you look at it. But is it entertaining to explore the what if? Yes. Nine foot nine is an original story exploring the changing times we find ourselves in right now. A simple idea that Sleepless Theatre Co. have treated with care and ended up with an enjoyable piece that does not aim to be overly divisive or judge. It simply opens a discussion on the present & future for us all with a bizarre but thought-provoking story. An important mention of the fact that as Sleepless Theatre Co. is an inclusive theatre company, Nine Foot Nine is entirely captioned with the screen being built into the simplistic set. Fantastic to see at Edinburgh’s international arts festival and something that hopefully this theatre company can inspire into others within the creative industries and beyond!