Review: EARTHSIDE Is a Candid, Raw and Hilarious Ode to Love and Grief

This year I’ve been honoured to see some really special one-person plays, each one uniquely poignant, intimate and excellent. EARTHSIDE continues the tradition.

EARTHSIDE, written and performed by Candice Bernstein and directed by Jennifer Steyn, is a deeply personal exploration of the duality of love and loss. In this brave autobiographical production, Bernstein shares the grief of losing various figures in her life, including her indomitable grandfather, while simultaneously celebrating her pregnancy and the birth of her first child.

Part of what makes EARTHSIDE so fresh and intimate is the fact that Bernstein doesn’t change names or disguise her story as anyone’s other than hers – it is an unapologetically honest telling of HER story, and that’s what makes it so compelling.

The stage is bare except for a padded, comfy-looking couch, which proves to be chock-full of props and which Bernstein yanks out at the various appropriate moments. Each one was a surprise and I loved the effective use of staging.

It’s difficult to categorise this show as a comedy or a drama – and really, like any good autobiography, it is both. It’s two sides of the same coin: the heavy and tragic experience of losing loved ones, and also the beautiful, ridiculous, bizarre and hilarious life experiences that are often stranger than fiction. Bernstein communicates, and nails, both.

Her large, expressive eyes are made for comedy and they are her secret weapon when it comes to her masterful comedic timing. She had audience members, myself included, howling (literally) with laughter. Then, in the next beat, she brings the emotion – big, genuine, heavy grief, and I am rocked to core. EARTHSIDE is the perfect balance of the dark and the light and reminds us how easily one can flip into the other

Bernstein’s story, while certainly her own, is also relatable. Filled with Yiddish sayings and Jewish-community experiences, this is one of my favourite elements of the show. Indeed, part of what brings the show to life is Bernstein’s setting thereof – she paints a picture of each location in Cape Town, where the action takes place. We spend time at the delis she mentions, we have driven through the mansion-lined streets of the quiet places she goes to cry, and we (I) know the rabbis whose names she drops.

My favourite aspect of the show, hands down, is its role as an ode to Bernstein’s late grandfather. She has etched a beautiful portrait of the man he was, his role in her life and the legacy he has left.

EARTHSIDE handles death and grief deftly and delicately, while bringing her audience into her circle and trusting us as her confidantes. This is a privilege.

I hope to see Bernstein’s show back for additional runs, with sold out houses, and I hope to see more of her: both in the writing and acting seat.

As has been the theme with the excellent on-person shows I’ve watched this year, this gorgeous, authentic performance dives into what makes us human: our relationships and how fragile we are to love and loss. It’s a beautiful reminder that we ought always to remember, while we too are earthside.

Keep a look out for EARTHSIDE in the future. It is set to hit Theatre on the Square in Gauteng in 2026 with dates TBD.

Photo credits: Jesse Kramer.