Edinburgh Fringe has a wonderful habit of producing shows that arrive without enormous marketing campaigns or publicity machines behind them, yet somehow manage to completely take you by surprise.
Bipolarcoaster was one of those shows for me.
Inspired by Amanda Andrews’ personal experiences with bipolar disorder, Bipolarcoaster asks whether people are born on the mental health spectrum or whether the mental health spectrum is thrust upon them. This one-woman production combines storytelling, comedy and original music by Kyle Lacy to explore uncomfortable self-awareness and ultimately finding freedom on the other side of it.
I was very fortunate to see this show by Amanda and felt incredibly lucky to be part of this performance.
From a production perspective, Bipolarcoaster was exceptional.
The lighting was some of the best I had seen at the Fringe. It wasn’t simply there to illuminate the performer; it contributed to the atmosphere and storytelling. The transitions from one scene to another were incredibly smooth and gave the whole production a polished quality.
There was a confidence to the technical execution which immediately made this feel like a production that knew exactly what it wanted to be.
And then Amanda started singing.
Her singing ability was superb. There were moments when I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn’t somehow wandered into an ethereal world. Her voice combined beautifully with the music and atmosphere being created around her.
Amanda introduces the audience to the idea that we are attending the Bipolarcoaster support group – and that we are there to support her.
It is a clever device because suddenly we aren’t simply an audience sitting and observing somebody else’s story. We have been brought into Amanda’s world and given a place within it.
Her dialogue and mannerisms were superb, and she had the ability to move between humour, music and more meaningful moments without those changes ever feeling forced.
You could also tell just how much this show meant to Amanda.
There was heart throughout the production. Bipolarcoaster deals with a deeply personal subject, but Amanda doesn’t allow the show to become defined entirely by its seriousness. There are plenty of meaningful moments, but there is also warmth, humour and entertainment.
That balance is important.
The production raises awareness of bipolar disorder and gives the audience an insight into experiences they may know very little about, while still allowing us to be thoroughly entertained. It never felt as though we were being lectured or given a lesson. Instead, we were invited into somebody’s story.
And what a beautifully presented story it was.
This is exactly the sort of production that demonstrates why you shouldn’t judge the potential of a Fringe show by the size of the marketing campaign surrounding it.
Bipolarcoaster may not have arrived at Edinburgh with an enormous marketing budget behind it, but based on production values alone, this is a giant amongst Fringe shows.
The pacing was superb. The execution was superb. The music, lighting and transitions worked together beautifully, while Amanda remained completely captivating at the centre of it all.
I normally try to find something within a production that could perhaps have been approached differently or developed further.
With Bipolarcoaster, I couldn’t.
I genuinely struggled to find criticism to give. This was simply a superb piece of theatre that had been thoughtfully conceived, beautifully put together and performed with enormous heart.
For me, there is absolutely no hesitation here.
Bipolarcoaster fully deserves 5 stars.
Unfortunately, its Edinburgh Fringe run has now ended, but I have a feeling this isn’t the end of the journey for Bipolarcoaster.
Whether that journey continues across the pond in the USA or brings Amanda back closer to home, I sincerely hope this show lives on.
★★★★★ A giant amongst Fringe shows
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