Healing Trauma, Maternal Fear, and Finding Free-Spirited Grace: Amanda Knox: Cartwheel Review | Zoe Sievwright

Image credit: Andrew Perry

‍ ★★★★★ ‍

Attending the final sold-out performance of Amanda Knox’s Cartwheel, I found myself immersed in a theatre piece that is often misunderstood by those who only know it through sensational headlines. At its core, the show isn't an attempt to stir controversy or revisit a tabloid circus; it is a profound exploration of motherhood, maternal fear, and the inevitable day Knox will have to explain the truth to her children. Set entirely inside a young girl’s bedroom similar to Knox’s daughter’s, Knox moves around the stage tidying up toys and neatly folding small clothes. She speaks softly about how much she genuinely enjoys these mundane domestic tasks, calling them a privilege. It’s a quiet, grounded reminder that despite six years of wrongful imprisonment in a foreign country, she is the lucky one, keeping a respectful and gentle memory of Meredith Kercher alive.

‍Throughout the performance, Knox pays deep tribute to Meredith, painting a picture of a girl who did everything right in life. She was kind to her friends, loved her family, and lived a good life. She addresses the tragic unfairness of what happened to Meredith with immense respect, while also highlighting the frustrating hypocrisy of the global media landscape. Today, everyone remembers Knox's name, while the actual killer, who fled the country after leaving bloody footprints all over the crime scene, is so often relegated to the background. When asked why she never changed her name to escape the shadow of the trial, Knox explains that altering who she is would feel like an insult to her mother's sacrifices and an admission of a guilt she does not bear.

‍The show offers a heart-breaking look into the human cost of being misjudged. Knox reflects on her upbringing and discusses her mother teaching her to be fearless, light-hearted, and free-spirited, quirks that even earned her a "Freedom Award" in her school days. Yet when faced with unimaginable trauma in an Italian police station, those exact traits were twisted by authorities and commentators into something suspicious. Whether the yoga stretches and splits were a coping mechanism to handle unimaginable stress or simply an outlet for her active spirit, they were instantly spun as cold indifference. A simple, comforting peck outside a crime scene was similarly turned into evidence of guilt. She exposes how an entire case was built on "vibes" and misread quirks rather than reality.

‍It is widely understood how deeply theatre can help people to process trauma and PTSD. After enduring years of wrongful incarceration for a crime she was proven innocent of, using the stage to digest that pain and explain it to those closest to her feels profoundly human. When Knox asked the audience, "Did I make it weird?", the room responded with an overwhelming silence and a chorus of "no." Standing firmly among those who said no, it felt clear that the Fringe made the right decision not to cancel the show following protests against it. By allowing individuals to share their stories with raw vulnerability, the true spirit of the Fringe lives on.

Knox closes with a moving reflection on the fear every parent carries. She admits to losing the completely fearless girl she used to be, knowing that at some point, the world will inevitably hurt her daughter and son. But rather than letting fear dictate her parenting, she vows to teach her daughter and son to be brave, quirky, free-spirited, and to get right back up after a fall. Cartwheel is a brave, deeply empathetic piece of storytelling that offers a healing space for trauma while honouring the memory of a life cut tragically short.

Amanda Knox: Cartwheel is a courageous, deeply moving theatrical catharsis that handles trauma, motherhood, and memory with genuine respect and grace. It stands as a powerful testament to the healing nature of art and the enduring spirit of storytelling.

Amanda Knox: Cartwheel was performed at Gilded Balloon Teviot – Wine Bar from 7-17 August as part of Edinburgh Fringe.

‍ ‍By Zoe Sievwright