Review: STARVING, Oran Mor, Glasgow

Starving is a new play written by Imogen Stirling and directed by Eve Nicol, staged as part of the A Play, A Pie and A Pint Spring/Summer season.

It's 1972 and Wendy Wood (Isabella Jarrett) is an eighty-year-old woman five days into her hunger strike. It's 2024 and Freya (Madeline Grieve) is a thirty-year-old woman who hasn't left the house in days. Freya finds Wendy standing in her living room, having lived in the same property many years ago.

Freya is baffled at Wendy going to such extremes for a political cause, initially assuming that her hunger strike was some sort of weight loss cleanse. Wendy is confused as to why a young woman is so scared of the outside world. Telling tales of her fearless exploits and the lengths she's gone to for what she believes in, Freya is keen to hear more.

Things are a little more complex than they first appeared. Freya questions Wendy's reasoning and upbringing, challenging her status as a pioneering woman. It's a fascinating watch as both women examine their preconceived notions about the other.

Starving has Imogen Stirling's stamp all over it. Both performers are particularly captivating when reciting Stirling's poetic monologues. Starving is a brilliant watch that achieves a lot in just under an hour, delivered by two powerhouse performers.

Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

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