Review: Me and My Year of Casual ‘Monasticism’

“How many of you have ever been called a whore? How many of you have ever called yourself a whore?”

Image Credits: Emily Knutsson

What an opener! To preface this review, Me and My Year of Casual ‘Monasticism’ is a really strong production with much to recommend it—but I personally wasn’t convinced. The interactive element might benefit from a larger audience and the production would certainly be more relatable for a masters or postgraduate student as to that particular microcosm of the Cambridge experience.

Before departing for a run at the Edinburgh fringe this summer, Me and My Year of Casual ‘Monasticism’ takes the late show at the Corpus Playrooms and explores a year of study using the apt analogy of Cambridge students as monks, given their reclusive, studious and here celibate way of life. Emily Knutsson’s debut one woman show takes us from Medieval doctrine to devolving back to problematic exes all whilst deconstructing the Madonna-whore dichotomy, and inspects what it means to be a woman navigating love and sex alongside academic life. Perhaps a redundant comparison, but there is something of Fleabag about it.

Image Credits: Emily Knutsson

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Whilst I sometimes felt that jokes went amiss, the straight talking, charmingly energised performance of Emily Knutsson achieves the feat of keeping the audience engaged for the entire hour’s monologue: I was never bored and certainly couldn’t predict where her monastic antics would take her. It’s a skill to retain investment in an at times meandering narrative, and Emily Knutsson certainly has it. Me and My Year of Casual ‘Monasticism’ did leave me a little confused as to its medium: the production seems to be both self-contained podcast-esque performance and a PowerPoint pitch of a longer form episodic version. But, once it gets going after some teething problems, the conversational format lends well to its content.

There is great appeal to unravelling a corner of life often denied attention by Cambridge-experience-centric productions: the titillation of ‘girl talk’ in armchair familiarity. In the intimate space of the Corpus Playroom, we are taken in as Emily Knutsson’s confidence, and this interaction feels friendly rather than that of a performer addressing her audience, in a manner that lands well. Although I do feel that this scandalous element could have been taken further, her promise of a ‘Sexy Ted-Talk’ is met somewhat. Indeed, the staging lends excellently to that comfy insularity. You leave feeling like you’ve just had a conversation with a friend—I appreciated the interactive poking fun at types of Cambridge men. Indeed, the worst man you’ve ever met is probably a land economist.

“I don’t even have a slide for this shit”.

Image Credits: Emily Knutsson

The medieval guise that Emily Knutsson chooses to employ works well: it’s a really fun juxtaposition, and is certainly a good vehicle for innuendo, but it does at times lose momentum. The medieval illustrations and trappings are really very charming, and as an English student I appreciated the Hereford Mappa Mundi reference.

Me and My Year of Casual ‘Monasticism’ is a performance with much to recommend itself. The production is glossy and streamlined, with the interjection of animal noises to denote the bestial nature of amorous men earning the most laughs of the night. The melodramatic dimming of lighting at poignant moments was clever and effective. Albeit slightly halting, Emily Knutsson’s debut show does boast real heart, and is a lot of fun.

This production is suitable for ages 18 and over.

3/5

Catch it before it leaves for the fringe – Me and My Year of Casual Monasticism is showing in the Corpus Playroom at 9:30 from Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th of May—grab your tickets here!

Featured Image Credits: Emily Knutsson