I Am The Wind not only plays with these idea of meaningful space but relies upon it. The play is translated from Jon Fosse’s original Norwegian version into English by Simon Stephens and the piece is brought to the Fringe by Warwick University drama society. It is in many ways an adaptation within a translation, as the group seeks to put their own slant on the well received work.
This is a beautiful piece that is performed very well, sometimes making you think about all sorts of things and at others, nothing at all.
This two-person, one-act play deals with what is essentially a friendship between two companions who are on a small boat. Normally played by two male actors, this group has chosen one male and one female, which straight away adds a different facet to the dialogue. They don't seem to be romantically linked, but perhaps they are more than friends. As they sail and talk the conversation is ponderous and questioning. They question their surroundings, their choices, their purpose and the dialogue itself. Much of what they say is wrapped in their own inability to articulate; there is a frustration at the confines of expressing oneself through words. Both actors are fantastic at representing minuscule details of tone and physicality. There's a noticeably enquiring and concerned tone from him and a subtly defensive and insular tone from her that is created in nothing other than the pauses and gaps in the flow of their conversation. It's not even really a chemistry between the two - it's more of a complete understanding of the text and their own tempo.
The play is beautifully accompanied by a violin and piano duo, with original music that complements the play at every turn. It also helps to fill the pauses and gaps with something gentle that maintains the idea of the pauses without losing the tone of the moment for the audience.
Jon Fosse says of it, "I go into the unknown and I come back with something I didn't know about before". This I think is central to the whole story. It delves into depression, philosophy, grief, loss and separation, but more importantly it takes us out on a journey with these concepts; we don't really know where it will end.
The performance techniques and understanding of the text shown by these young actors are outstanding. I would have liked to see a little more intensity at the start: I felt the audience took a while to get on side.
This is a beautiful piece that is performed very well, sometimes making you think about all sorts of things and at others, nothing at all. Couple that with an ending that makes you want to watch the whole thing over again and you've got something really special.
