something in the water (assembly online, 6-30 august)

Exploring the confusion of gender non-conformity and self-discovery in an equally muddled show.

Part clown, part puppeteer and part, er, squid, Grumms is a performer who knows how to embody the confusion of gender identity. Their show Something in the Water is an exploration of gender stereotypes, self-discovery and an instruction manual on how to navigate growing literal gills. Along the way, social commentary bleeds into an uneven if spirited analogy, which certainly introduces chaos into the vortex of self-identification.

"There's a neat shorthand here for how trans and non-binary folk are often demonised and othered in the media, though Grumms muddies the water somewhat when as a sea monster they commit literal murder."

From the off, Grumms invites the audience to view the world through a binary lens of "normal/not normal". This judgement quickly becomes oppressive even when observing an ordinary romantic encounter. Grumms finds themself caught between expectations of women and men, scrabbling to ape the supercuts of targeted advertising. This is a full bodied clowning showcase, with Grimms yelling "I'm doing this for me!" through gritted teeth as they literally try on identities for size. This might feel rote but the fact that material prevails about gender stereotyping highlights that these problems continue to exist, forcing expectations onto children from a young age.

If high heels and boiler suits are normal, it certainly aligns Grumms in a position of abnormality when they awake from a surf-rocked-soaked night to find themself transformed into a sea monster. There's a neat shorthand here for how trans and non-binary folk are often demonised and othered in the media, though Grumms muddies the water somewhat when as a sea monster they commit literal murder. It's certainly an admirable metaphor with intentions of humanising the experience of identifying outside a strict gender binary, and Grumms ends up a local hero, but there's a hesitancy in their performance with the broader plot (involving an eleventh hour whirlpool) which causes the show to come loose.

Elements of the show feel lovingly crafted, between projected scenescapes and a gorgeous squid puppet (designed by Mind of a Snail), but this handmade approach also means that during those more confused elements of the plot there's an overall sloppiness to the show. It's a shame as there have been collaborations made on the original version, but there's still some figuring out to do when it comes to Something in the Water.

Something in the Water is available to stream on demand, 6-30 August. Find out more and buy tickets here.