What Makes a Body Terrifying?

Bodies of water. Bodies in space. Bodies together. Bodies alone. Who taught you to be scared of the sea? What stories did you hear? What powers of persuasion did they use? What Makes a Body Terrifying? is a queer exploration of two strikingly similar folk tales: the Slavic Rusalke and the Celtic Selkies. These two folk tales centre around mythical sea-people who shed their skins and become dangerous, beautiful human-forms: seducing sailors and luring them to their deaths. This piece explores how they use narrative and rhetorical devices to create fear, and how this parallels with the fear generated against queer bodies. With curiosity, this piece asks questions about how we are persuaded to be scared of the sea, to understand how we are persuaded to be scared of others.

Part of Camden Fringe Festival