Drawing on the Bottle

7th – 8th June 2024

They say a picture paints a thousand words, and in the case of Lisa Gornick’s one-woman show, Drawing on the Bottle, which ran for two nights at Camden People’s Theatre on the weekend, it certainly does.

In just one hour, Gornick transports the audience through some of life’s most poignant moments, including the day she was born, her mother giving birth in front of several medical students while being encouraged to drink Guinness, her student days reading History at the University of Edinburgh, and most notably her life-long battle with alcohol.

What makes Drawing on the Bottle even more impressive, is that Gornick tells her story via a small desk in the corner of the stage. Armed with little more than a sketchbook and a selection of paints, pastels and pens, a camcorder broadcasts her drawings onto a big screen, adding a colour and depth to her story which cannot be achieved through words alone – no matter how impressive Gornick’s Scottish accent is.

“In just one hour, Gornick transports the audience through some of life’s most poignant moments”

Creating a show which promoted drawing felt like a natural step for Gornick to take, as it has always been a very important and grounding part of her life.

She said: “Drawing is my first language. It was where I went to release myself from the troubles, frustration and trauma of being a little child, and I feel a bit uneasy when I haven’t drawn – it’s like the best calming drug for me.”

“So, I wanted to create a show that put drawing at its centre, as the main way of creating the scene, alongside the real time voiceover. This is basic, immediate filmmaking, and as a filmmaker, it’s very exciting to create a cinematic sensation as a one person theatre piece”.

Gornick pointed out that there’s something very universal about drawing.

She explained how: “Sometimes words cannot explain everything. A line or two can be very universal, and everyone can hopefully connect on a deep level.”

“It’s an immersive creation – you are watching a screen, but you’re watching drawing being done too which is very hand on paper on ink, and that’s something we’re all beginning to crave a bit more of”.

I think she may be right – in a world so caught up with technology, there was something very cathartic about watching somebody go back to the basics, even down to using a good old fashioned sum to work out how many days she has now been sober, and it managed to get right into the root of being human, in a way that seemed almost effortless.

I suppose that’s why Gornick describes drawing as “a bit like dance” as your pen moves in a similar way, connecting with your body, brain and soul , and Drawing on the Bottle is a dance I feel very lucky to have watched.

If you ever get the opportunity to experience Gornick’s impressive and thought-provoking show for yourself, I highly suggest you do.

Maggie John