Wonderful ‘Broken Bone Bathtub: The Documentary’ Delights Audiences New & Old (Review)
Creator/performer Siobhán O’Loughlin perfectly recaptures the intimacy of her signature show for the silver screen
One of the great shames of our immersive artform is that the artwork needs to be experienced live, in real time, to be truly understood. When explaining to the uninitiated, even as a reviewer I have so often struggled to convey what an experience feels like and truly entails afterwards, away from the performance itself. While immersive theatre’s experiential nature can be one of the reasons why audience’s love it, it also can lead to great disappointment when they miss out on an experience. Over the years so many great shows have come and gone, impactful and meaningful to those who were able to see it, but to the rest of us lost to the ages. Yet recently I am noting that companies are choosing to document their work to a further extent for posterity, which is the case for the delightful Broken Bone Bathtub: The Documentary that I witnessed in Philadelphia in July.
To appreciate this documentary, having an understanding of the incredible live performance experience it shares its name with is paramount. Following a serious bike accident, creator and performer Siobhán O’Loughlin devised the immersive play Broken Bone Bathtub retelling her real life experience of finding community. When asked by her friends how they can help while dealing with a broken hand, O’Loughlin would respond by asking to use their bathtub, allowing her to soak, saving her cast from getting wet. The live experience recaptures this very premise, with O’Loughlin performing in a real person’s bathtub for an audience of however many can fit in the bathroom. Back in early 2019 I had the privilege of seeing the live experience. Intensely personal, intimate, and vulnerable, the piece explores themes of community, activism, and connection, for as long as the bubbles in the bath last. It is a show that has stayed with me in such a beautiful way over the years, with using it as my go-to example to describe the impact and importance of immersive theatre for storytelling.
This piece received a lot of praise during its many, varied runs, wherein the one-woman experience was performed over 600 times in more than 40 cities over a five year period. In late 2019, O’Loughlin decided to produce a documentary of the final few performances of the show, reflecting on the journey of the piece and on the connections fostered during that time. Produced with the help of donors and Patreon members, the documentary is currently making its way around the country, and I was delighted to be able to make the Philadelphia premier, with O’Loughlin herself presenting the film.
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As someone who was able to witness the live experience many years ago, I was struck with how quickly the feelings and memories of Broken Bone Bathtub came back to me while watching this documentary. The documentary is a beautifully honest and relatable depiction of the life as an independent artist, working and struggling to make a show a reality in today’s modern, challenging landscape. This behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this fantastic show is a vulnerable and utterly moving peek into the life of a wonderful creative artist, and what it took to bring this in-person experience to life, not shying away from showcasing the struggles and pitfalls as well as the successes of O’Loughlin’s story.
The Philadelphia screening was sponsored by one of Broken Bone Bathtub’s supporters, who also hosted the live experience in their own bathroom previously during a local run. Screening the documentary in their backyard, it was great to chat with fellow supporters and immersive fans. I would say it was around a 50:50 split of attendees, between those who had seen the immersive show, and those who were being introduced to the concept for the first time. While the documentary does not have the same level of intimacy as the live experience, its artful direction and well produced through line was yet again able to bring a collection of strangers together, turning us into a community – even without a bathtub. Having the – writer, director, performer, producer – artist sit in the audience watching with us was a truly special experience.
Having been enamored with the original live experience and being a fellow creative myself, who produces and creates immersive work, this documentary hit incredibly close to home. It is a wonderful film, full of the same persistence and optimism of the original live experience and its creator. It is a love letter to every artist out there, encouraging them to keep going, keep making, and keep being wonderfully fantastically weird in their own unique way. If you ever have, or have ever thought about making immersive theater as an independent artist, I highly recommend seeing this documentary. It is a special piece of immersive theater, and this documentary is an excellent way of showcasing how we can continue to preserve any other immersive experiences for future audiences.
Inquires to host a private performance or a public screening of the documentary can be submitted online at Broken Bone Bathtub’s website.
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