Frances Mercanti-Anthony makes her Fringe debut with the endearing Frances Floats, a work which chronicles the performer’s story in an amusing manner, touching on life, societal expectations and the search for love. Whilst Frances is a charming storyteller, Frances Floats never quite achieves the depth it seems to reach for.
Broadway performer Frances shares her journey, from life on stage and years of yo-yo dieting, to ultimately finding acceptance and self-love. Her story takes her from the bustling world of New York and New Jersey to the calmer shores of Maine, where she finds love and begins a family.
Taking centre stage in the Gilded Balloon’s Appleton Tower, Frances is supported by a punchy photo slideshow, with images ranging from the deeply personal to the comic. These visuals enhance her anecdotes, underlining both her flair for humour and her ability to find levity in the everyday.
Frances delves into struggles that many will relate to: ongoing battles with weight, body image, and the idea that even when our bodies are at their best, contentment can still feel out of reach. She reflects on how cultural pressures and media ideals of perfection shaped her insecurities, illustrated through photos of herself at times when she was most unhappy with her appearance. She also addresses feelings of invisibility, particularly in the shadow of older women’s Jane Fonda workout mentality. A striking section on AI’s previous inability to generate images of fat bodies resonates at first, though loses impact when Frances clarifies that newer models have since corrected this limitation.
As the show progresses, Frances opens up about learning to love herself, drawing the audience in with warmth and self-deprecating humour. Anecdotes about her time working at an elderly music camp are especially charming, particularly as she recounts meeting her now husband. There is optimism in her account of settling into life in rugged Maine, even if she pokes fun at how her own interests differ from the mountain climbing and jam making women of the state.
The recurring motif of water offers a gentle through-line, with the sea serving as a source of calm and grounding amid the chaos of life, and a fitting metaphor for the work as a whole.
Tonally, however, Frances Floats can feel uneven. The sudden shift to her experiences of being in New York during 9/11, though deeply personal, jars with the otherwise light and comic tone of the piece.
Ultimately, Frances Floats is carried by its charm, warmth and relatability. Frances is an engaging performer with a gift for connection, yet the balance between lightness and depth remains slightly out of reach.
Frances Floats runs as part of Gilded Ballon’s Fringe programme. Tickets are available here.
