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 Death on the Nile at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

Agatha Christie is a name synonymous with crime fiction, perhaps the most famous, and her 1937 novel Death on the Nile is among her most notable. Adapted often for the screen and previously also as a stage play back in the forties, here Ken Ludwig brings a new adaptation to the stage, first performed in 2024 and arriving now at Royal & Derngate as part of an extensive UK tour. For this production from Fiery Angel, we return very much to the team that brought Ludwig's Murder on the Orient Express recently to the stage, including director Lucy Bailey. That was a solid adaptation, so, as we cruise the Nile, is it more of the same standard? Heiress Linnet Ridgeway and her new husband, Simon, are on honeymoon aboard a luxurious boat cruising the Nile, their journey shadowed by a priceless Egyptian sarcophagus. Tension simmers among the eclectic mix of guests, including Simon's vengeful ex-fiancée, a watchful MI5 agent, the British Museum's enigmatic Egyptology curator, and P...
Read more

Review of Mary Poppins at Milton Keynes Theatre

The 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins is one of the most fondly remembered family films and has been a staple of many children's childhoods ever since its release. Adapted from P. L. Travers's book series featuring the famous nanny, it took until 2004 for the show to reach the stage, with this musical adaptation featuring a book by Julian Fellowes. The stage musical used the familiar songs from the film by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and added new ones by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, all under the watchful eye of co-creator Cameron Mackintosh. It is safe to say that many people were involved in bringing this show to the stage. The story, of course, tells of the family Banks—father George, mother Winifred, and the tricky-to-handle children Michael and Jane. Following a job advertisement thrown into the fireplace, a nanny named Mary Poppins arrives at their home, and the Banks' family experiences a very different world than they have ever before. Touring to sele...
Read more

Review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Milton Keynes Theatre

There have been numerous productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's groundbreaking musical since it first appeared in 1968 and opened in the West End in 1973. One might wonder if there is still room for another tour. However, judging by the packed audience in Milton Keynes Theatre for the opening night of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , much interest remains for this show. Also, with this production first seen at The London Palladium in June 2019, and with a few production elements altered, Joseph still has, after all those years, the room to change and evolve. However, the question is, does this change help or hinder the show's history? For those unfamiliar with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, it tells the story of Joseph, Jacob's favourite son, in a lighthearted and musical style that jumps between various genres. Joseph's brothers are somewhat envious of him, leading to them selling him into slavery to an Egyptian nobleman. As for ...
Read more