Review by Markus Hamence – The Soaking Of Vera Shrimp – Performance date: Friday 27 February 2026. Holden Street Theatres, Hindmarsh, South Australia
There’s something quietly and gently extraordinary about The Soaking of Vera Shrimp, a theatre experience that sneaks up on you gently before landing with real emotional weight (not unlike Adelaide’s tropical & thundery rainstorm that is occurring as I write this piece). Presented as part of the 2026 Adelaide Fringe at Holden Street Theatres, this beautifully intimate solo work from Patch of Blue reminds audiences just how powerful simple storytelling can be when placed in the right hands.
“It’s an imaginative premise that quickly transforms into something deeply personal, exploring grief, memory, connection and the strange ways people process loss…”
Markus Hamence
Performed with remarkable sensitivity by Martha Walker, the production unfolds during a relentless rainstorm where Vera discovers she can read emotions carried within raindrops – each one holding traces of human experience gathered along its journey. It’s an imaginative premise that quickly transforms into something deeply personal, exploring grief, memory, connection and the strange ways people process loss.
Production Photo Credit: Frank Lynch
Walker commands the space with an understated confidence that draws the audience closer rather than pushing outward. There’s no theatrical excess here – just intimate acting with precision storytelling, emotional honesty and a performer completely immersed in Vera’s world. Every shift in tone feels organic, moving seamlessly between moments of gentle humour and quiet heartbreak. The tugging of her shirt, the moments of pride, of nervousness, of deep sadness, the eye connection with the audience, the distant glares, the descriptive words sprinkled into the dialogue, Martha hits the mark EVERY.FREAKIN’.TIME!
“Martha hits the mark EVERY.FREAKIN’.TIME!”
Markus Hamence
The intimacy of Holden Street Theatres proves the perfect home for this piece – creating a closeness with the actor that is instantly and enduringly unbreakable. The venue allows the audience to sit almost inside the story itself, amplifying the emotional resonance and making each revelation feel shared rather than performed. You can sense the collective stillness in the room as the narrative unfolds – a rare Fringe moment where everyone seems to breathe and hold-on together.
What lingers the most as you leave the creative space is the show’s poetic reflection on how emotions travel, settle and resurface long after events have passed. The Soaking of Vera Shrimp doesn’t shout for needy attention; it simply invites you in softly and rewards that attention with depth, warmth and reflection.
Among the buzz and late-night energy of the Fringe, this production stands as a beautifully calm counterpoint – thoughtful, imaginative and quietly moving theatre that stays with you well beyond curtain call.
Fingers crossed we get to experience Martha’s breathtaking work at further Adelaide Fringe for years to come.
A special nod to Adelaide’s own Joanne Hartstone for selecting, yet again, outstanding work for our Fringe’s stage.
The Soaking of Vera Shrimp from Patch of Blue
Tuesday 17 February – Sunday 22 March 2026
Judy’s at HST at Holden Street Theatres
Tickets
