OHIO
Upstairs at Assembly Roxy | Edinburgh Festival
Written and Performed by The Bengsons
Directed by Caitlin Sullivan
Produced by Francesca Moody Productions
Throughout this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, one show was continually talked about as ‘the one to see’, OHIO, written and performed by Abigail and Shaun Bengsons, a married couple from the US. Aside from seeing the show’s poster dotted around – a beautiful image of the Bengsons with their instruments surrounded by plants – I was not sure what to expect.
On a sunny afternoon, I made my way to ‘Upstairs at Assembly Roxy’ where OHIO was being performed and found a huge, snaking queue of people all eager to see the ‘hottest ticket’ at the Fringe (a statement that proved true as all performances sold out for their run). As we followed one another up a winding staircase to the top of the building, we entered into an almost churchlike space with a high pointed roof and staggered rows of seating leading down to the performance space. The set was relatively minimal; two microphones, instruments, a projection screen, and a couple of other set pieces, but the most noticeable was the map that lay in the centre of the floor, later revealed to be a map of Ohio state. As the lights dimmed and the Bengsons entered, we began a journey with them that I can only describe as an almost spiritual experience.
The show starts off with an introduction of the piece as a ‘death concert’, prompted by Abigail and Shaun’s son questioning them on what happens when we die, and whilst the whole show reflects on topics we may want to ignore or push aside – death, grief, fear to name a few – in placing them at the forefront of their show, the Bengsons illustrate their beauty. After a little introduction, Shaun picked up the guitar next to him, Abigail positioned herself in front of a very small keyboard and loop station (a device that allows a musician to record a motif that is then played out as they perform another motif on top of it), and the first song began. Throughout the show there are musical interjections, seamlessly navigated through the telling of personal stories.
Abigail’s voice is angelic, but not in a soft, classical sense. It’s grounded, connecting her to centuries of tradition through story-telling and with a strong influence of folk in her voice, she effortlessly uses her lower, belt register and the higher, softer tones, moving between the two.
Shaun’s voice is equally as memorising, softer and more private than Abigail’s, but with a husky edge that makes you lean a little further forward to capture every note he delivers. There is a strong sense of unity between them; in the harmonies they find, the breaths they share and the rhythms of each number. Somehow, they make every moment feel like the first time they have performed it, each second fresh, new and unburdened with an expectation. In allowing themselves to just be, rather than strive for some ‘perfect’ demonstration of skill, it makes the show all the more deserving of the word perfection.
There are a few particularly poignant stories throughout the show, including faith and the changing relationship both Abigail and Shaun have with religion, but one narrative that is, perhaps, at the heart of the show, is Shaun’s gradual loss of hearing. Coming from a long line of pastors, Shaun reveals his father’s loss of hearing and how he is experiencing the same loss. In a musical moment entitled ‘Voices in Ohio’, Shaun explores the gradual decline of his father’s and his own hearing, and the parts of the world he can no longer access. It is an incredibly emotive moment, which brought tears to our eyes and a collective silence, the audience trying to hold on a little longer to the feelings the Bengsons generate through their artistry.
For one hour and 15 minutes, OHIO captures its audience as we move through different moments of the Bengsons lives, feeling a spectrum of emotions and entering an other-worldly space which is hard to let go of as they leave the stage. Abigail and Shaun are truly superb and they have created a piece of art that will stay in my mind for a long time. It may not be for everyone, but I would encourage everyone to see it and experience the magic that I was lucky enough to be a part of one day in August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
OHIO was performed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 in ‘Upstairs at Assembly Roxy’ and will play at Bristol Old Vic from 2nd-13th September and London’s Young Vic from 30th September – 24th October 2025.
Reviewer: Lily Sitzia