BUMP (Half Moon Theatre/Lots of Odds)***

  

By Emma 

Link: https://www.halfmoon.org.uk/events/bump 

Available until: Screenings every day except Sundays till Thursday 4^th April. The email arrives at 11am on the day of the performances and you have two weeks to watch it.

Bump could have been about a lot of different things and as Half Moon Theatre do a lot of plays for children, I thought it might be about a toddler who falls over sometimes. I wasn’t completely wrong as there will be a toddler in the future but for now, the only bump is a baby bump.

It’s mainly a dance piece and it’s mostly about the positives and anticipation of pregnancy but there are a few negatives thrown in too. The cravings (which are actually quite nice when you’ve got what you want but not so good when it’s all finished), the constant questions of everyone about the pregnancy, like they expect a new and interesting update every single day, and the fact your husband is the most irritating person in the world. (Of course he isn’t really but if your hormones are making you easily irritated, the person you spend the most time with will usually irritate you the most because he has so much opportunity.)

There are small amounts of conversation. Pedro encourages his wife Immaculada to go straight inside while he deals with the shopping (so sweet, till he leaves it all over the floor). Immaculada remembers some of the comments and questions she’s received. But mostly, Immaculada expresses her feelings through dance.

A lot of the music sounds like a tango which is probably appropriate because a lot of things become a big drama when you’re pregnant but even though it’s stressful, it’s also the most beautiful thing, like tango music is beautiful. Most of the music has a sort of Latin feel. I know tango is ballroom, not Latin but it does seem more Latiny because Immaculada is dancing on her own. You don’t actually see anyone else apart from the baby on the scan.

There is some humour too. When Immaculada is listening to Pedro who is offstage she does some really funny facial expressions like she really wants to murder him sometimes but you also know it’s nothing to worry about and it’s not going to turn into a murder mystery (not that it would really be a mystery).

Bump is short and fun and I think most people who have experienced pregnancy, whether they carried the baby themselves or lived with someone who did, will find something to identify with.