Sasha Krohn, a seasoned aerial acrobat, dancer, and performance artist, is set to make his Edinburgh Fringe debut with The Weight of Shadow.
This gripping hour of physical theatre explores the labyrinth of mental health struggles through a blend of aerial acrobatics, dance, mime, and physical storytelling.In this exclusive interview, Sasha discusses the personal inspirations behind the show, the unique elements of its production, and the challenges faced during its development.
The Weight of Shadow will be performed at Assembly Checkpoint from August 1st to 26th (excluding August 7th, 22nd, and 23rd). Tickets are available now.
You’re bringing The Weight of Shadow to Assembly Checkpoint at Edinburgh Fringe. What can you tell us about the show?
‘The Weight of Shadow’ is an emotionally charged one-man show depicting the anecdotal account of a psychiatric patient’s tenuous grip on reality. Inspired by my fiancée Cíana, who is also a contemporary artist, and has battled with psychiatric hospitalisations over the course of her life, I was moved to create a show that portrays a symbolic fraction of the impact that mental health can have on everyday life.
Mirroring the experience of witnessing this struggle, the show alternates between moments of anguish and comedic frustration, to ‘talk’ about something serious in a more entertaining way, in order to make it relatable.
The show is inspired by your partner Cíana Fitzgerald’s battle with mental health issues. How did her experiences shape the narrative and performance of The Weight of Shadow?
Her experiences were the driving force behind it all. Seeing her battle with the everyday, struggling to find the energy to even just get out of bed, and seeing her in the depths of darkness, truly hurt to watch. So ,with her help I started to physically recite a day, in parts symbolically, from her perspective. The aim was to create a show that some people might be able to relate to, but also for people who would like to understand how severely mental illness can impact all of us to access.
The Weight of Shadow uses a combination of aerial acrobatics, dance, mime, and physical storytelling. How do these elements come together to convey the story?
I love to use the physical languages as a tool and means of communication on stage. All the elements used invite a beautiful scope for expression: mime isolations to get stuck (mentally/physically), acrobatics for a switching state of mind, dance influences as a tool of confrontation, aerial acrobatics to express a suspended struggle etc. Rather than thinking about which tool to use to describe the different scenarios, I used the scenarios to decide which tool to use to accurately describe the emotions and situations. That way the story came together quite naturally.
You have performed on stages around the world and collaborated with renowned companies. How does performing at the Edinburgh Fringe compare to your other experiences?
To be honest, I am equally terrified and excited. This is the first time showing my own work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and knowing the quality of shows that present at the Fringe, can and does feel intimidating. The fear of inadequacy surfaces quite often at the moment, but at the same time I am dead excited to get such a good run of my show, to experience the festival in all its varieties, and hopefully leave a good impression on stage. I wouldn’t be able to compare it to past experiences, as the Fringe feels too extraordinary to be compared.
What were some of the challenges you faced while developing this show, and how did you overcome them?
The first challenge was relatability. As I am personally not heavily affected by mental health issues (apart from the depicted body dysmorphia through a history of anorexia), I used Cíana’s feedback to accurately describe the feelings and struggles through movement. I would create the scenes trying to relate from my perspective, though sometimes that turned out to be the opposite of what she truly felt. Cíana then helped me through explanations to find the right physical languages to describe what she actually felt in those moments.
The second challenge was to make sure I was not to creating a ‘One Size Fits All’ show. The show is not meant to be a generalisation of mental health issues. Everyone experiences these things differently, and I did not want to come across as the ‘chairman of mental health’. I try to always make sure that audiences know that I am depicting what I saw from a second-hand perspective, ensuring there is no undermining of individual experiences of people with similar issues.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see The Weight of Shadow?
I deeply hope you will enjoy the show, despite the weight of the topic. Come prepared to be moved, inspired, and maybe even changed.
“I deeply hope you will enjoy the show, despite the weight of the topic. Come prepared to be moved, inspired, and maybe even changed”
