Review: INFINITY, VAULT Festival

Nessa Matthews compares the struggles of mental health to an astronaut floating in space. The metaphor she draws in her new solo play Infinity falls into place perfectly and engages the imagination in a colourful journey of healing and acceptance.

Matthews talks about isolation (both voluntary and unintentional) delicately, opening up in a piercing and personal prelude where she introduces herself and her work. Then, the crowd is invited to close their eyes and imagine darkness. The auditorium slips into pitch black and the real show starts.

After having built their trust, she drags her audience through the strife of an astronaut lost in space. The Earth is slowly dying and she's about to fall into a black hole. The delivery of the monologue is of technical and visual excellence. It's quietly spectacular in its use of light and sound to transport the theatre into a new dimension of despair and alienation.

As directed by Eoghan Carrick, Infinity's - and therefore Matthews' - gentle force is to be reckoned with. With Naomi Faughnan's set and costumes, Bill Woodland's lighting design, and Dylan Tonge-Jones curating the sound, the piece is a triumph on all levels.

Infinity runs at VAULT Festival until 10 February.

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