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Marj felt like a revelation when I first saw her perform at last year’s Fringe.
Robertson brings her Shetland roots and mythology with her to the mainland every time, and this time around, she has circled back to one of the darkest periods of her life. She had thought out her funeral as early as age 7, but she almost died in 2006 when she was only 16. The how and why of it all serves as an indictment of how healthcare often fails women by writing them off as hysterical, or for having “bad periods,” not bothering to research the inner workings of the female body. Even the Shetland stories of Sea Mither (or Sea Midder) and Teran have more resonance for Robertson than do the diagnoses from her doctors.
There’s some playful misdirection afoot here that I shan’t spoil. Blood will be spilled, but also contained. And you’ll all leave happier knowing Robertson is still around, even in spirit, to share her stories anew.
Marjolein Robertson: O plays at Monkey Barrel Comedy during the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe
