Review by Tony Frame. Venue 29. Paradise in The Vault – The Vault

★★★★☆

After their online Fringe debut in 2021 (with the excellent The Little Glass Slipper as Performed by the Queen of France and her Friends), the Miles sisters touch down in Edinburgh (in person this time) with another French theatrical cuisine (if there ever was such a thing) in the form of The Madwoman. I have to admit, I went into this with a little bit of trepidation, primarily for two reasons: The first was that I always get concerned when a show (any show) depicts mental illness (that they exploit it, make fun of it, do it wrong etc.), and secondly – that I thought that they had very big boots (or glass slippers) to fill after their fabulous Fringe (albeit virtual) debut. Would their second show be as good as their first? 

The venue is small (smaller than I expected), but it’s dressed with a fabulous array (two to three layers deep) of large white curtains, adorned with hand-painted black and white murals on them, depicting different backdrops: a countryside filled with trees is on one set, a cottage with a black cat sitting outside it is on another. These curtains (created by the sisters themselves) unravel with the story, which begins when the titular character appears slightly dishevelled on the stage…

Cara Johnston’s blackened teeth and agitated disposition adds substance and realism to her character’s state of mind right from the outset. Set during and after the French Revolution, Théroigne de Méricourt recounts (from the asylum) of how she went from being a peasant girl and moved her way up into high society and tried to become an Opera singer. It’s a story that is peppered with romance and ambition, heartbreak and confusion, and has lots of humour along the way. But there’s also a vulnerability in the performance that makes you feel a sadness for the protagonist. And it’s this investment from the actor (Johnston) that elevates the drama up a notch. This is what makes it a great piece of theatre, as opposed to just a good piece of theatre. 

This is a fascinating solo show that knows its history and immerses you into the Parisian streets and gives you the glint of the guillotine. It exists in the same timeline as The Little Glass Slipper, it could even serve as a sequel of sorts to that. It’s a period in time that I personally love. A period that — despite their limitations of a small venue, and a minimal set — the Miles sisters bring to life with their ingenuity (curtains, outfits). They strike again, just like they did with their Fringe debut, by giving us another thoroughly engaging and highly entertaining show, except this time around you can go and see it in person, rather than watch it on a PC screen. So travel back in time to France in the late 1700s, and prepare to be engrossed for what was a very quick forty minutes.