Amanda Knox has made her debut at the Edinburgh Fringe with a new show titled Cartwheel. The performance, which some critics have labeled as controversial, sees the 39-year-old addressing her past experiences through the lens of motherhood. Knox, who was previously acquitted of the murder of her roommate in Italy, describes herself as “the human version of the blue/gold dress,” a figure onto whom the public projects various labels ranging from guilty to innocent or simply strange.
While some audience members may perceive the show’s opening line—”Welcome to the most controversial show on the fringe!”—as a sign of self-regard, Knox frames it as a necessary response to ongoing efforts to silence her. The production, staged at the Gilded Balloon Teviot, explores her “extremely prolonged and public trauma” while she performs mundane tasks like folding children’s clothes. She also engages in a dialogue with the voice of her four-year-old daughter, contemplating how to explain her wrongful imprisonment to her children, perhaps as a Dr Seuss-style story: “Knox the fox in a box with locks?”
The show serves as a platform for Knox to express her growing anger regarding her treatment by the justice system and the public. She remains determined to raise her daughter to be the person she was punished for being, rather than living in fear. Becoming a mother has clearly sharpened her perspective, particularly when faced with hateful online reactions to her daughter’s birth. Although she is a novice in the world of stand-up, her delivery is described as well-shaped and effective.
Ultimately, the performance is less of a traditional comedy set and more of a defiant, personal narrative. While classifying the show as comedy may be debated, the production is noted for being respectful to the memory of her late roommate. It stands as a significant effort by Knox to reclaim her own story, offering a stirring and well-judged account of her life that provides the insight many have sought regarding her experiences. The report also notes that it’s the last of these charges she takes on in this fringe outing, retelling her oft-told tale through the lens of new motherhood, her innocence now proved. The report also notes that some would say, is it a disgrace that she’s telling it at all – and profiting from it. The report also notes that but, judging by the evidence, Knox would be damned whatever she did.
