Out of Blixen, Print Room review ★★★★★

Out of Blixen is the first of the Print Room’s two-part season of works inspired by the life and work of Karen Blixen – the Danish author, noble, socialite and beauty who is probably still best known via the 1985 Hollywood adaptation of her book Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. A co-production with Riotous Company starring Olivier Award winning actress Kathryn Hunter, this is an unusual offering, one that intermingles some of Blixen's short stories, including The Sailor-Boy’s Tale, The Diver, Sorrow-Acre and The Blank-page, with the life of the writer herself – played by Hunter as a ghostly presence occupying the wings of the stage, who, when taking centre-stage, is fully aware of her posthumous fame.

The stage is transformed from a boat to heaven to capture the scope, scale and stark contrast of each of Blixen’s stories. A highly skilled cast of four rely on aerial routines but limited props, with musical accompaniment by Nikola Kodjabashia – white sheets to depict the characteristics of each place, making maximum use of the stunning art deco setting of The Coronet.

The interludes with Hunter, however, are far too brief – she is a mesmerising performer, whose command of the language and interaction with the audience is second to none. Baroness Blixen’s sarcastic wit shines through: ‘... everyone wanted to meet me, from Adolf Hitler to Marilyn Monroe – I met Marilyn, but cancelled my appointment with Adolf’, and these recollections, addressed to the audience, are a highlight.

Yet we don't get to the core of who Blixen really was. The audience is presented with a thin representation of the multi-faceted, dynamic person. Although entertaining, the narrative is too fragmented to reveal the deeper psyche of this fascinating woman, and her outlook on the world is limited to her broken love affairs. The complexity and richness of her narrative style, which meanders between mythology, folklore and Biblical narratives, is lost, favouring instead the dreamlike quality of her work. As a reflection of her literary skill, this production doesn’t do her justice