Performed by Rachel Mclean
BSL interpretation and subtitles in English are available for this work
I am a dwindling image on your phone as you scroll through Facebook, a wavy rippling mirage as you look into the filling bathtub. I am a glimpse of a shape as you walk by a shop or a high towered building. I am the silhouette in the mirror when the lights are out.
I am that small stretched-out reflection on the doorknob, the dark figure behind you when the sun is out. I am the result of looking into a mirror to fix your hair as you walk past me, heading out the door. I do that too. In this digital age, we are so distracted by our phones, laptops and the algorithm of social media, that we forget the image staring back at us.
We’re Not Really Strangers explores one woman’s experiences and existence, amongst the chaos of her twenty-one years of life, in order to find a sense of self-awareness, identity and self-acknowledgement. It is a series of dialogues that arises between the performer and herself, herself and her reflection in the mirror, her reflection and her conscience. A reflection on voices of past joy, old laughter and memory. We’re Not Really Strangers presents the burdening questions and truths that storm within the performer; an eclipse of the mind and body with the woman who performs her.
This performance is viewable online only. You will receive a viewing link once you have booked a ticket. Click the link at the scheduled time and date of the performance to view the video stream. The performance will then be available for four days after the launch stream. This performance was filmed in March 2021 at the Atheneum Theatre, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, following COVID-19 guidelines.
Approximate running time: 40 minutes
Rachel Mclean is an introvert-extrovert, actor, writer and performance artist from and based in Airdrie, Scotland. Her practice is varied, and she is interested in using real voices and stories. Through her practice, she looks into herself and her history in order to explore the hidden issues within her community. Rachel is a neuro-diverse artist that enjoys conversation, she is fluent in Doric Scots and often displays her heritage in her work. She works mainly with text, objects, video and movement. Rachel hopes to use these combinations as a guide to make an audience think and start a conversation towards mass change.
