^{Picture: Jassy Earl}

Sarah Hopfinger has created something extraordinary in Pain And I. Part poetry, part memoir, it’s a piece where dance and movement are laid against total stillness, and unbridled raving contrasts with tender caresses. Every moment is a revelation, in a performance that examines Hopfinger’s long-term relationship with chronic pain. 

She opens by making sure we all feel comfortable in the space. ‘Stand, lie down . . . sit, snack . . . close your eyes.’ Hopfinger wants us to know we don’t have to be polite here. She appears fully nude, peeling away layers of social conditioning to become raw and honest. ‘I’m scared of this body,’ she says. And yet the same body also generates total power as she cavorts shamanically across the stage. 

Performed live at Summerhall, there are also audio versions, a graphic score and BSL interpretations available. Despite it being a hugely personal work, Hopfinger has thought carefully about how to include everyone in her story. 

Summerhall, until 28 August, 1.25pm.