by Zahid Fayyaz

Fresh from a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Cassie Workman brings her lyrical 55-minute poem to the intimate upstairs space at the Soho Theatre. A spoken-word performance of uncommon intensity, it tells the fictional and fantastical story of the narrator traveling back in time to try to save Kurt Cobain from committing suicide. It touches on additional, more universal themes and issues however, so it isn’t just for the Kurt Cobain fans to enjoy.

This is a stark departure from Workman’s normal stand-up comedy performances, and is clearly deeply personal. Within this framework of the play, Cassie draws parallels between her life in the titular Aberdeen, and Cobain’s in Seattle. An absorbing tour of Cobain’s iconic life and tragic death commences. The show is moving and at times witty, and with some theatrical flourishes in such a involving the lighting that are a surprise in such a small venue. The rhymes and iambic pentameter of the text’s rhythm really work to showcase the poetry in the piece. Some of the more intense descriptive passages are hard to watch, especially when they describe Kurt’s suicide and death.

Ending with a good portion of the audience wiping a tear away, this is a lovely and worthwhile production dealing with difficult yet important topics. Hopefully it is a show which has a strong future and long life ahead of it.

Cassie Workman: Aberdeen runs through 16 December.

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