Familiar Strangers by Louise McLeod Edinburgh Fringe Festival Review
Familiar Strangers, a unique and touching show by Australian anthropologist and photographer, Louise McLeod (no relation!) has debuted at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
McLeod shares experiences from from her life around the themes of life and death of both people close to her, and strangers. It’s told in the form of a slide show with commentaries and anecdotes. It is funny, intelligent and authentic.
McLeod tells us about her space in Paris’s 10th arrondissement, an old porn video shop that she has given a completely new life to. It’s open to the street, the passerby’s can see her, and she can see them. They often come in for a chat… In this space she calls ‘familiar strangers’ everyone knows her name. It’s a space to talk, be heard and open dialogues without judgement.
As a passionate anthropologist, McLeod immerses herself in the study of humans as they come and talk to her, telling their stories. She helps them out with whatever she can, often just by listening. It’s a poignant story of life and death, asking ‘how far we willing to go to help a familiar stranger’?
McLeod never seeks to please nor ‘performs’, she just tells us her stories as she would to friends, family or ‘familiar strangers’.
It’s emotionally raw and her tales touch us. The show is still a bit green, sure, and could have some more development. For example, she could make more of the slides. But Mcleod wins us over with her sincerity and truth and the show merits a long life.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/familiar-strangers
Here’s a flashback to Ruby’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival report for RubyTV and ABC.