REVIEW: I Almost Died For This?! (Edinburgh Fringe Festival)

Star rating: ★★★★★

Have you ever watched a show not knowing what to expect, and then felt completely moved by it, like a wake-up call? Well, I had that exact feeling while watching Kristina Libby’s autobiographical show, I Almost Died For This.

It is a truly remarkable one-woman show about looking for her soulmate, finding her soulmate, losing her soulmate, dealing with a brain injury, and learning not to just be a "good girl" who only follows the rules.

The way she works towards a point keeps you engaged throughout. One of the best elements is how she switches back and forth between her inner thoughts and what she actually says out loud to her soulmate. There is a deep irony in her delivery that brings plenty of humour to the performance, but it also carries a sharp layer of pain, especially when you remember that it is her own story.

Right in the middle of the show, something shifts when she is accompanied by a violinist, adding an extra emotional touch that is really moving. It feels like layer on layer on layer to wrap everything up before it breaks. After we know what happened and why she almost died for this, it leaves a mark, making you think about your own life.

There is only one outlet that truly helps her heal, and that is art and flower creativity—somewhere she can put her emotions in, the show is a beautiful reminder that you are good just the way you are, without letting other people make you feel differently.

I Almost Died For This is playing until 29th August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at Space 1 at theSpace on the Mile.