Chuckles start early in Jennifer Jordan’s eclectic solo show and continue for the duration of 3 Minutes Inside My Brain – which, thankfully, actually lasts for over an hour.
Jennifer frolics with whole-hearted goofiness, the surprises coming at a rate of knots. Within the first few minutes, we have been welcomed to a science conference, had a flight safety announcement, been on a train (I think), she has been on an operating table, and has stripped to near nudity just for fun. But that’s how Jennifer’s brain works.
This is a show all about Jennifer’s brain – from the literal physical structure of brains, to more whimsical and abstract understandings of her brain and her thought processes. The central conceit is that we are shrunk down small enough to tour her brain on a red double decker bus, from where we are shown various parts of the brain. But the main thrust is her mental health, and the anxiety and self-doubt that she experiences. My favourite parts included a segment where Jennifer spoke for three minutes on a topic given to her by an audience member – it was a delight to just witness the tangents and twists of her mind as she free-associated.
The form of 3 Minutes Inside My Brain is endlessly inventive, with as many activities for the audience as an after school club. At times this feels it could be at the expense of building momentum. But the emotional crux, when it comes, is affecting. While the show is quick to return to its general tone of lightness, there are a few moments where we glimpse something darker and more poignant. My personal highlight was a mime sequence involving a prop made cleverly to look like a bed, in which Jennifer tries to get to sleep while being silently plagued by negative thoughts.
Inclusivity is baked into this show – Jen the BSL interpreter is present on stage throughout and is almost as focal a figure as Jennifer, and Jennifer often supplements her monologue with signing too. Some of the piece’s nicest moments are in the interactions between Jennifer, Jen and tech operator/collaborator Audra.
I left armed with some useful facts for managing mental health, a zine, a sour lollipop, a filled in bingo card and the memory of some willing audience members doing a fun dance on stage with the cast. It’s a fitting end to a generous, playful and warm-hearted show.
Jennifer Jordan: 3 Minutes Inside My Brain was on at The Actors on May 13 and 14 as part of Brighton Fringe.
