EdFringe 2018 Review: Cazeleon: The Movies in My Mind

Opening with a belting rendition of Shirley Bassey’s History Repeating, Cazeleon’s vocal credentials are on full display. This is a performer with impressive range and stage presence – something which is continually highlighted throughout this solo show. Packed with Hollywood nostalgia from its earliest moments, Cazeleon goes on to document life at school – being misgendered by classmates, not being picked for sports, in an amusing silent cinema inspired skit that showcases the performer’s battle with societal norms from a young age.

As The Movies in My Mind progresses we get a femme-fatale murder sequence complete with Law and Order theme music and courtroom skit. Cazeleon cleverly incorporates lip-syncs from classic Hollywood features into the show – and this courtroom sequence is one of these – embodying the captivating appeal of the likes of Lana Turner or Lauren Bacall – except with the aesthetics of Conchita Wurst (who amusingly gets a reference later on).

With the murder trial behind her, we then follow Cazeleon’s ascent to stardom encapsulated with a stirring performance of Let Me Be Your Star from SMASH. The performer taps into the ups and downs of celebrity culture, the concept of Hollywood as a glamorous escape, yet also the vacuousness of ‘the biz’. In exploring this Hollywood dynamic so passionately, there is somewhat of a disconnect with the previous ideas of gender performativity – and The Movies in My Mind does not particularly acknowledge Hollywood’s role in reinforcing and shaping many of these societal expectations of gender.