Camden Fringe 2022: Dreamworld at Camden People’s Theatre

As part of the Camden Fringe Festival, Amelia Gann presents her one-woman show, Dreamworld, at the Camden People’s Theatre. Her comedy follows the antics of main character Cathy, who tries to achieve her lifelong dream of being noticed nationally for her dancing.

Gann dons the hat not only of Cathy, but of an eclectic range of other characters, exhibiting her capacity as an actor, dancer and singer. It is no mean feat to singlehandedly hold an audience’s attention for almost an hour; through her thrusting and vibrancy, the writer/performer keeps them engaged from start to finish. 

Though there’s evidently a wealth of technical intricacies, it often feels that the complexities get in the way of the aim – to amuse and tell a story. The story in itself has potential for many comedic moments, but they often fall short due to the quickly changing nature of Gann’s characters or an overused trope such as repeating the same actions, making what was originally a humorous gag slightly tiresome to watch after the third or fourth time. 

Unfortunately, what could be quite an insightful and comedic piece is muddied by a lack of editing. Undoubtedly, Gann is incredibly talented; however, at times, it feels as though she could embrace some simplicity and stillness to allow the story, the comedy and the heart of the performance to shine through. We begin and end with a Zumba session, and though she touches on themes of LGBTQ+ and loneliness, they are not explored with any real depth or cause, ending up only briefly filling the space between displays of talent when they could be so much more.

Dreamworld has a lot of potential to be an excellent, funny one-woman show, however, as it stands, for the most part it struggles to come alive. There are some redeeming qualities – such as Gann’s knowledge of dance and her beautiful singing voice – and if it’s tightened up in places, it will be well worth the watch.

Natallia Pearmain

Dreamworld is at Camden People’s Theatre from 11^th August until 14^th August 2022. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Camden Fringe is on from 1^st until 28^th August 2022. For further information visit here.