‘Blood Harmony’ tells the heartbreaking tale of sisters Anna, Maia and Chloe as they reunite in the wake of their mother’s death. We see them face loss, reminisce on their childhoods and take perspective over how far they’ve come since they were last together. This production is playing at the Traverse Theatre until 28th August.
Eve de Leon Allen is sublime as Chloe. As the youngest and yet most mature sister; there is such a complex balance shown here, we see the innocence of youth yet she almost has a maternal instinct while caring for her sisters. The portrayal of loss is very difficult to be shown so naturally and raw, yet Eve’s portrayal of Chloe truly shows us the struggle of loss so candidly. This is a beautiful and complex portrayal.
Phillippa Hogg brings us Anna; at first we are presented with her professional demeanor, even in the most personal of moments we can see her trying to keep it together with business intuition. When this veil is lifted, we see the humanistic side to Anna and what she has been running from. There is a gorgeous journey here portrayed brilliantly by Phillippa.
Keshini Misha delivers humour, and heartbreaking emotion as Maia. Keshini’s portrayal of Maia is stunning, where Maia’s grieving process is so incredibly raw yet we see her hide behind humour which is delivered with such brilliant comic nuance. The issues that Maia faces is relatable to so many and because of how open and believable Keshini’s performance is, the audience resonates with the character all the more. This is a wonderful performance from a very talented actress.
Eve, Phillippa and Keshini perform the musical numbers of ‘Blood Harmony’ with such beauty, intimacy and emotion. The harmonies really are the best you’ll hear this fringe. The music by The Staves captures the character’s journey which such emotion and plays into popular music genres or style, making it a contemporary feast for the ears. The music really pushes and enhances the story of these three sisters.
Matthew Bulgo’s script for this musical play is so powerful with his intricate approach to the sister’s own journeys. There is so many layers to this text which make it such an engaging story to watch unfold, the sisters each have such individualism and yet you see how they intertwine with each other so clearly. This is a story that could easily be overshadowed with heavy-handed darkness, however there is a lighthearted and humanistic scope at play here. Jonnie Riordan and Jess Williams’ direction plus choreography amplify the intricacy of the text and brings in a sense of naturalism. The space is used fully and effectively for the unfolding events. Hayley Gridle’s set and costume design is fantastic, the set for this production may be the best in Edinburgh this year for how simplistic yet detailed it is. This is all complimented by Charly Dunford’s lighting design which is utterly stunning and truly lifts the musical numbers.
‘Blood Harmony’ is a beautiful, moving, and heartwarming journey that features a talented cast, wonderful script, and gorgeous music.
Get your tickets for ‘Blood Harmony’ below:
Theatre Scotland 
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