Skip to main content

Review of The Body Of One Theatre Research Groups first performance at University Of Northampton, Avenue Campus

Bewildering. Confusing. Bizarre. Bamboozling. Oblivious.
All words to describe my opinion of The Body Of One's first performance. However when asked my favourite word to explain my opinion of a production that I didn't quite "get" is "interesting".
I used interesting last night when asked after the show. I like using it.

However, it turned out that this production, influenced partly on Butō (I thought Popeye at first when I heard that if I am honest), was very deliberately ambiguous, verging on what the hell was that? Primarily because of the second part of the evening where we all sat around in a room and tried to discuss what we had understood from the play.

I honestly said last night as I was leaving that the discussion at the end was the best part of the evening as it gave a little more understanding but also allowed me to know that I wasn't the only one confused. It was a bit like the old English Lit days where you watch a Shakespeare play (first if you were lucky) and then dissected the living bejesus out of it.

That whiteboard didn't complete. The meat? What happened behind the curtains (I know, well actually, no I don't)? The meat! All those bird sounds were what? The meat...

If you are still reading now, you must either have been there, or you may be needing medical treatment now. Surely reading this means nothing to you? No? I knew I was right.

However if you are still with me, I have to say that I was happy that I went to the show last night and I would go again to another one (free tea: shall travel). I have seen a few shows, plays, things, call them what you will, this year and to be honest, I have been fortunate that I have enjoyed them all, even the ones I have found "interesting". I always just simply appreciate the skills, the effort, the talent and the time that has gone into them. Never be the one to condone and rubbish, what you are incapable of doing thy self is a motto I could use, if I used mottoes.

However, I think this piece is in danger of getting more confusing than the show, so I will cease now. And really, if you are truly still reading this, I salute you, you honour me so.

The Body Of One is a theatre research group made up of Arte, Fran, Lydia and Sam and their website can be found here: http://tboo-theatre.co.uk/, on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TBoOTheatre or on Twitter @TBoOTheatre

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Murder She Didn't Write at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Murder She Didn't Write , stopping off for a four-day run at Royal & Derngate on a lengthy UK tour, treads the now well-worn path of an improvisational evening of theatre entertainment. Unsurprisingly, from the title, this show from Degrees of Error's takes a murder mystery as its inspiration, with the story influenced by ideas from the audience each evening. Due to this, Murder She Didn't Write and a review are very much an individual affair. What I saw in my evening at the theatre will differ significantly from what the audience will see the following evening; however, the fine performers will remain. The touring cast, in no particular order, is Lizzy Skrzypiec, Rachael Procter-Lane, Peter Baker, Caitlin Campbell, Stephen Clements, Douglas Walker, Harry Allmark, Rosalind Beeson, Sylvia Bishop, Emily Brady, Alice Lamb, Sara Garrard, Peta Maurice and Matthew Whittle. For my performance, Skrzypiec, Procter-Lane, Baker, Walker, Bishop, and Clements were on stage alongsid...
Read more

Review of Immune by R&D Youth Theatre at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

The cover note for the script of Oladipo Agboluaje's Immune describes it as "a challenging science fiction play with a large cast", and the word challenging in this case is not a lie. This is a fast paced, multi-cast changing script which leaves little room for error for its young cast in the performance. If the script isn't enough to handle for the young performers, director Christopher Elmer-Gorry and designer Carl Davies have made the situation even more complex for the actors with the set and stage work. Having to manhandle great panels on wheels and a huge cube, which also splits in two occasionally, during scene changes requires skill, coordination and cooperation of a high level. As if all this is not enough, the actual story is epic enough for the relatively small stage of the Royal. Attempting to form an apocalyptic world (albeit only happening in Plymouth) offers challenges in itself, but Agboluaje's script does that in a sort of apocalypse in the teac...
Read more

Review of Les Misérables: School Edition (NMTC Youth Society) at the Cripps Hall Theatre, Northampton

From my four years or so of watching theatre in Northampton, there is one thing beyond the huge professional shows that I see touring, that I always enjoy so much more (despite the occasional dodginess of the quality), and that is youth theatre. For me in my heart, it adds something special, here we have the often maligned young of today, getting out there and doing something truly fulfilling. Here though, with the debut of the newly formed Youth Society, spinning off from the adult Northampton Musical Theatre Company, we have something also which goes beyond enthusiasm of the young to create a really special piece of theatre. Les Misérables is in the top three of musicals for me, I love its huge numbers, I connect to its story, and it has some extremely strong characters, for me, it just works. Therefore, you could say that I would have an immediate bias towards this show, however, I do feel protective of it as well, so, it needs to be done right. However, I have nothing to worry...
Read more