'Ohio' review — this musical two-hander is an idiosyncratic and warm-hearted hug of a piece

Read our review of Ohio, created by and starring Abigail and Shaun Bengson, now in performances at the Young Vic to 24 October.

Summary

• Real-life partners Abigail and Shaun Bengson tell their story in this beguiling musical show
• Ohio was a recent hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
• It is produced by Fleabag and Baby Reindeer producer Francesca Moody
• The affecting show explores subjects like religion and hearing loss

This musical two-hander, a hit at this summer's Edinburgh Fringe, is an idiosyncratic and warm-hearted hug of a piece underpinned by some beautiful, harmony-rich singing.

Produced by Francesca Moody, of Fleabag and Baby Reindeer fame, it sees indie duo and real life partners Abigail and Shaun Bengson tell their life story of growing up in Ohio with contrasting religious experiences (Abigail is Jewish, Shaun's father was a pastor in a Christian commune), while navigating autism and degenerative hearing loss. It’s introduced as a “death concert”, inspired by their young son asking what happens when we die.

The tinnitus that affects Shaun is hereditary and explained as the ghostly sound of dead stereocilia, tiny frequency receptors in the inner ear. This theme of encroaching deafness as a metaphor for the fragility of existence is prevalent, but life-affirming too, as the Bengsons attest through the sheer beauty of their music, which is rooted in country, folk and – perhaps ironically - hymns. They perform using loops and rhythms controlled from a laptop, while captions are shown on a screen overhead. The production, which is sensitively directed by Caitlin Sullivan, is a strangely effective mix of the hi-tech and homespun.

Shaun’s experience of extreme shyness in childhood, with music his only form of expression, is movingly told. The audience voice the words of his influential choir leader Mrs Wean, to whom they dedicate their song “Cardinals”. Their traumatic experience of the birth of their child is also affectingly relayed, with Shaun explaining he was unable to hear the medical professionals due to his tinnitus increasing amid the stress. There’s humour too as he points out he also suffered pain in his groin due to a pair of skinny jeans.

The show is in keeping with the first-person, experiential style that Moody is making her trademark, and also discovers in the Bengsons two accomplished storytellers with an infectious energy and charm. Although not overtly political (though at one point Abigail explains how supporting Gaza is "the most Jewish thing you to do"), it's also a welcome reminder that our transatlantic cultural connection can be both rich and progressive.

The press performance was impacted by two events, the first of them a technical issue which led to an impromptu dance break, the second a medical emergency affecting my friend (who I'm glad to say is OK and was well supported by the superb Young Vic staff). Both were expertly handled and also seemed somehow to chime with a message of the evening: that the best of us comes out when presented by moments of unexpected challenge.

Ohio is at the Young Vic to 24 October. Book Ohio tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Ohio (Photos by Mihaela Bodlovic)