REVIEW: BEA P. DEIGH, Camden Fringe at Lion & Unicorn Theatre, 15 - 17 August 2024

‘Bea turns miserable situations into an hour of slapstick stand-up’ ★★★★★

Arden Winant scrambles on to stage in an unkempt skirt-suit and declares herself Bea P. Deigh, secretary of ‘The Brain Inc.’. Bea’s brash, manic and lonely in equal measure as she attempts to control the life of one unfortunate BPD (borderline personality disorder) sufferer from the inside. Foregoing the classic three-act structure, Bea presents the symptoms of BPD through the quotidian situations of a flirtatious text or office conversation. Thus, ordinary occurrences become a crazed struggle and…it’s hilarious. Writer/performer Arden Winant and director Grainne Robson manage to deliver a high-concept production (think Inside Out meets The Office) while managing to stay grounded in relatability. By rooting absurd clownishness in fatigue, loneliness and suicidal ideation, Bea turns miserable situations into an hour of slapstick stand-up. This is done so effectively that I found myself thinking: ‘How could I possibly be laughing at this? A poor woman is venting about her inability to truly connect with people and here I am, splitting my sides’.

It has to be said that Bea P. Deigh isn’t all giggles. I came out of this production knowing far more about BPD than I expected from an hour-long production. There are the solid facts, such as 75% of people diagnosed with BPD being women, and there is the lived experience of the disorder. Regarding the latter, Winant has done an excellent job of conveying the actual difficulties of living with a condition that can feel all-encompassing. As the line blurs between Bea P. Deigh and herself, Winant’s fortitude behind her character becomes evident in a touching and personal finale.

Bea P. Deigh is the best thing I have seen on the Camden Fringe this year. Absurd and heartbreaking in equal measure, Winant and Robson have delivered an expert production that I hope they take to further stages.

Bea P. Deigh at Lion and Unicorn Theatre

Written and starring Arden Winant

Directed and produced by Grainne Robson.

Presented by BPD Productions

Photography credit: Dean Robertson, Edan Photography

Instagram: beapdeigh_play