Oh My Heart, Oh My Home

Oh My Heart, Oh My Home was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. It is a story written and told by Casey Jay Andrews. It is the story of Freddy and her approaching 33rd birthday and she is going back to the small town where she grew up to visit her grandfather to celebrate it. Her grandfather is named Howard. It is a story of loneliness, and missing family. Freddy remembers when her family was all together and having fun growing up in this small town. 

Andrews based the story on Freddy being born during a meteor storm which arrives only every 33 years, and hence her heading home for this birthday. Howard is now living alone, his wife, Freddy’s grandmother, having passed away. Freddy finds out Howard is about to lose the family home.

Andrews takes some time talking to the audience before she starts the show to explain shooting stars, meteor showers, and meteorites. She asks who in the audience has seen a shooting star and 90% of the audience say they have. She admits that is the same response she got in Edinburgh. So, when she explains all of this, she already knows many people know it. 

She begins the show talking about Freddy getting on a train to go home. I am not sure why, but she moves to a seat at a desk, and talks into a microphone, when she is supposedly on the train. Seems to me that is not really needed. Andrews goes back and forth a couple of times between being in the story talking about Freddy, and then suddenly talking to the audience as Casey, outside the story. I am not sure how effective that is. 

Now Andrews talks non-stop for an hour and fifteen minutes, the length of the show, except for a few musical interludes, and that is not easy. But she left the story of Freddy to be herself and drank from a large orange water bottle during the telling of the story. I thought that was a little disconcerting. While she is not an actress in this show, she is a good story teller. 

The musical interludes were provided by Jack Brett, clearly a very talented musician, and singer. He provided the background music for the whole story and did it superbly, clearly working hard the whole time. My one issue was I often couldn’t understand the lyrics to his songs. He has a really pretty voice, but to me it was a lot like listening to Billie Eilish. I love the sound, but need a few hearings to understand the lyrics. 

The show is performed in the small 4th floor theater of Studio, which is a good choice. Only three rows of seats so you feel close to the story teller. The set is interesting and revolves around a doll house which is shown room by room as the story unfolds. There is video of Freddy growing up and her family, and the doll house rooms light up as they are unveiled. Rachel Sampley does a great job as Lighting and Video designer.

This is a small show, basically Andrews telling you a story of a little over an hour. She has a pleasant voice, and if you go into it knowing that, you can enjoy it. 

Oh My Heart, Oh My Home will be at Studio Theatre for only three weeks. Tickets are available now.