Review: Ohio (The Maria Theatre, Young Vic)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As we move into the winter months, we are starting to see some of the most talked-about shows from this year’s Edinburgh Fringe find their way to London. One such production is a new musical experience, Ohio, from real-life couple The Bengsons. Having heard amazing things from those who saw it in Edinburgh, I was keen to see its debut London outing for myself, in what proved to be a rather eventful press night.

Ohio is an exhilarating and celebratory true story about its writers and performers, Abigail and Shaun Bengson. In a starkly honest and raw experience, they recount some of the biggest themes there are, talking about loss of faith, disabilities, the confusion of religion, and finding hope in the darkest of places, all the while attempting to answer the age-old question, “What happens when we die?”

Those might not seem like the lightest of themes, but they are a part of life, and explored so beautifully by The Bengsons through song and story. As well as being completely honest, the pair are creative in attempting to get the audience to understand what their lives are like, particularly with Shaun’s acute degenerative hearing loss, with a powerful and effective demonstration of what his hearing is like. Elsewhere, Abigail shares her thoughts on being Jewish and what that means to her, while a journey to atheism is revealed.

Ohio doesn’t quite fit one genre - elements of a musical, others of a play with music, and a great deal of performance art come together to create a distinct and unique musical experience. One thing that is never in question is the talent of the Bengsons themselves. Creating a wall of sound, Abigail has an incredible energy that, at times, reminded me of a cross between Alanis Morissette and Shakira, with their indie-folk music brilliantly translating their story.

With The Bengsons' talents perfectly complemented by Caitlin Sullivan’s inspired direction, the show also features a great deal of audience involvement, collectively as opposed to individually. This allows for a community feel that breaks down any barriers to leave an intimate and fully exposed production where the performers and audience come together in unison. Making full use of the beautifully intimate Maria studio space inside the Young Vic, this meant every beat of the story landed with a full force, as we stepped into the Bengsons' world and found beauty in their darker aspects.

Another fantastic aspect of Ohio is in how completely accessible it is. With every performance captioned, these captions prove to be a vital part of the story, giving the audience prompts and characters to join in, and even being used to demonstrate Shaun’s hearing loss. In a time when not all shows are as accessible as they should be, Ohio feels incredibly refreshing.

It was certainly a dramatic press night, prolonging what was supposed to be a single act of 75 minutes. A technical issue early on was handled in such a natural way, it actually added to the show. Rather than stopping the show, Abigail asked audience members to join her in dancing before telling a dirty joke. It was this unexpected moment that endeared her to the audience in an instant, making it impossible not to fall in love with her and Shaun, as they bring their whole hearts to Ohio.

Unfortunately, a medical emergency in the audience meant the show came to an abrupt stop minutes before the show was due to end. It must be said that both The Bengsons and the theatre themselves handled this speedily and safely, and while it was a shame that the show was unable to finish at this performance, the health and safety of the audience must always come first. I debated whether it would be the right thing to write a review, given that I didn’t get to see 100% of the show, ultimately, I felt like I had seen enough to make up my mind, and given how much I loved what I had seen, I felt it was only right to shout about how fantastic this show is. Though I didn’t see the end on stage, I did read the rest of it in the playtext and got an idea about how emotional and powerful I imagine it would have been.

It is clear to see why so many have fallen in love with Ohio. To tell such a beautifully honest story with such creativity and accessibility is a real rarity in theatre. The result is an experience like no other, making Ohio stand out from the crowd. The talent of The Bengsons is awe-inspiring to see, and in Ohio, they have created a show that is important and impactful. I may not have gotten to see the show in its entirety at this performance, but I have no doubt that there will be many more opportunities to see this intimate and incredible show in the near future.

Ohio plays at the Maria Theatre at the Young Vic until 24th October. Tickets from https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/ohio

Photos by Mihaela Bodlovic