Maya Shoham is finding the limitations in language very frustrating and explores these through her debut Edinburgh Fringe show In Other Words. As a multi bilingual speaker, she finds that some languages simply don’t have the words to translate everything she wishes to say.
Shoham explains how some feelings can only exist when the correct words exist to explain them. There’s no other way of describing them, and at times, she will “hit a language wall” and becomes really frustrated as that limits what she wants to describe.
There are also words in the English language that she would like to remove and discussing their removal she soon discovers that these are necessary, and to remove them creates more “language walls.”
If we don’t know that these words exist, does it limit our ability to express ourselves. Can you miss what you don’t know? From Shobam’s perspective, the answer is yes, as she knows the alternative exists in another language. This production leaves the audience with “words for thought” as many of us will never know what we are missing.
An additional member of the audience joins Shoham on stage and challenges some of her ideas. Especially around removing certain words from our vocabulary. The tempo certainly rises during that part of the show.
It’s a well written and constructed production that poses questions about different languages and the meaning of words. However, don’t expect to leave with all the answers as Shobam never claims to have them. If she did, she wouldn’t be so confused.
For more information about In Other Words, please use the link below.
Four Stars.
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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