On Stage: Ember

It comes as no surprise to discover Isabella Perversi wrote her one woman stage show, Ember, during Melbourne’s COVID lockdown.

It’s also most likely many people are experiencing similar thoughts to those Perversi brings to the digital screen as part of the Melbourne Fringe festival.

Ember is the story of 28-year-old Fleur, who like her friends, has a `look’ which includes a wardrobe featuring puffer jackets and holidays in Bali.

As she comically explains those friends also cleanse with different juice concoctions and experiment with cosmetic surgery, often with disastrous results.

Fleur has lost her job and is struggling to find a new one, despite having a marketing degree, and has a challenging relationship with her mother.

At the same time she’s living with a man who loves her dearly.  And that’s her greatest dilemma.  She also loves him but does she want to spend the rest of her life in the domesticity associated with marriage?  What does she want out of her life and how does she achieve it?

When it became clear Ember wouldn’t make it to the stage for the festival thanks to COVID, Perversi joined forces with new production house Mad Hatter Films to film the 30 minute show.

The filming of the production has allowed Perversi and director Emma Gough to creatively produce different settings to illustrate key moments in Fleur’s story.

Perversi, who has performed as an actor and dancer in main state theatre productions of Opera Australia’s The Ring Cycle, Rigoletto and Don Giovanni, is very believable as the confused and unfulfilled  Fleur.

Ember is showing as part of the Digital Fringe which aims at letting audience members mingle and chat pre-show and  debrief post-show.  Given Fleur’s attitude to life and the decision she makes, there’s likely to be some lively discussions after the screening of Ember.

Ember is screening from Thursday November 12 to Wednesday November 18 (with no show on Monday).  Visit the Melbourne Fringe website for more information and tickets.