Edinburgh Fringe: Inhabiting the Metamorphosis in ‘Resonant Void’
- Elspeth Chan
- 49 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Set against an opaque plastic backdrop diagonally intersecting a raw, intimate space, Joanna Rosenfeld’s Resonant Void opens in quiet stillness and minimal movement. Enclosed within a mosquito tent, her near-naked body rests on her left side as projected imagery of floating seaweed and algae, accompanied by water drippings, immerses the space. Gradually, curved limbs lift as the projection shifts into oceanic blue waves, engulfing her in a shimmering, underwater atmosphere heightened by glittering, silvery makeup.
What makes Resonant Void so visually arresting is how fluidly prop, costume, and performer merge. As her movements expand, the tent shifts with her, resembling a submarine navigating the depths. The netting is not a constraint, but becomes an extension of her anatomy — a kinetic layer of fascia. As she spins, the tent collapses and reconfigures around her, evoking the protective isolation of a cocoon or embryonic membrane before she subtly ruptures the mesh. This moment delivers a profound psychological shift: the internal, nurturing force ruptures into a surge of earthly and vibrant vitality.
Moving behind the plastic sheet, Rosenfeld dances beneath projections of dense, springtime trees and open sky. She spins fiercely, her long skirt swirling with increasing speed to a soundscape of vibrating, resonant frequencies. A light beam flickers against her rotating form, casting striking silhouettes. Expressing a raw state between crying and vomiting, her intense energy infuses the plastic backdrop with agency, turning it into a nurturing membrane for all living beings and giving the performance a harrowing emotional weight. As the rhythm ascends, she pulls and tosses the sheet overhead before wrapping herself in it, inhabiting a collective void that breathes life into a complex, evolving sense of femininity.
Yet, this femininity resists conventional beauty with surrealist imagery and her remarkable physicality to occupy the space. Re-emerging in a draped black top, Rosenfeld stretches her arms diagonally to transform into a bat. The void shifts into the fabric’s folds and openings as she peeps through and buries her head inside the cloth, using it as a blindfold to obstruct sight — and consciousness. Driven by uncanny scapular movements, she morphs into a beast: hands transform into antennae, while strong arms anchor inverted postures where her legs move like arachnid limbs. The piece builds to a frenetic climax as intense emotion propels her upward. In a fury of cathartic rage, she strikes the black drape against the floor nearly forty times, punishing the very garment that blinded her with ego.
Resonant Void is a standout work at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Executing a demanding solo performance while seamlessly managing lighting and technical elements, Rosenfeld commands the audience’s focus throughout. Her fluid navigation of Yin and Yang — the fragile and the monstrous, the fluid and the violent energies — create a profound, unforgettable study in transformation.
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Resonant Void is running until 30 August 2026 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026. For more information:
(Thumbnail photo by James Duncan.)
