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later. there was bound to be a Fringe event that reflected its dynamics. ()f/iee Party is a large- scale theatrical blow-out. which proved a roaring success when mounted at London‘s Barbican last Christmas. at the height of the workplace celebration season. The hype surrounding the show is on a par with that of The Donkey Slum: the Fringe extravaganza of 2000. which reworked the story of A Midsummer Night's Dream in a 70s disco context to splendid effect. While the sense of celebration which propelled The Donkey Show to its success is also a feature of Office Parry. Cal McCrystal. the director behind both shows. is keen to emphasise the differences. ‘l‘m told The Donkey .S'lzmr was the biggest success in Fringe history and l cart believe that.‘ he says. ‘1 used to go to the show every night — it was really good. But the characters in the show weren‘t interacting with the audience in a very open way: they were very characterised. dressed tip as creatures and so on.
They also had a storyline to play. A it/Iirlsummer
Night's Dream. The show was contingent on how the audience reacted on the night. and some nights it really took off. (If/ice Party really allows audiences to be in the show more.‘
This is the key difference for McCrystal. In Office Party. each member of the audience is allocated to a department of the show‘s fictional firm. After that. a good deal of the fun is imprm'isational. 'lf you‘re an executive you get champagne. and if you‘re not you get a tequila slammer.‘ Mc(‘rystal chuckles. ‘We could have turned it into a kind of Tony and Tina‘s wedding thing where yoti just watch these characters playing otlt their lives — it‘s not like that. though. the audience really are the party. we‘re the hosts of the party. and there are a lot of really fun surprises along the way.‘
He continues: ‘l‘ve always thought that when you go to the theatre probably 20 per cent of the audiences would rather be on the stage. The rest are just happy to sit back and watch. We like to think we cater to both of those groups. The audience really don‘t know who is part of the east and who are the audience. Sometimes the real stars of the show are really drunk. excitable. hilariously bombastic members of the public.‘
But. given that ()fliee Party is so true to life in its look and feel. isn‘t there a danger that audiences will simply be left recalling with shame the cringe factors associated with their own real office celebrations'.’ McCrystal maintains that. through the artifice of theatre. it‘s possible to create the perfect office party. because this show can represent all the benefits. without the drawbacks of the real thing. ‘This is the funny thing: because the audience doesn‘t take it personally. you can enjoy that cringe factor. You‘re not stuck with Maureen from Accounts all night. When we did the show at
Christmas. we got a lot of people saying. “If
only our office party was like this“. btit it never really can be. People know each other too well to let go in the way they want to in those circumstances; we create a situation where people can really let go. btit also be safe. because they‘re detached. so there really is no boundaty‘
lnevitably. the impact of this piece depends heavily on its staging. Perhaps surprisingly. it is
in the Appleton Tower —- that monolithic piece of
(i0s architecture which operates as a multifunctional teaching space for lidinburgh University — that McCrystal has found the perfect backdrop to his show. ‘You won‘t recognise the place when you go to see the show.‘ he assures me. ‘I really like that space: we‘re doing certain transformative things to it.
‘THE AUDIENCE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHO IS PART OF
THE CAST AND WHO ARE THE AUDIENCE'
Most companies. if they don‘t have their office parties around the water cooler. do take companies away to somewhere elaborate. With Appleton Tower. we‘re doing the same thing as we did with our show at the Barbican. we‘re turning it into one of those huge corporate entertainment areas. like you get in 80s hotels on the M4. We‘re using the balconies these big places can be used so well. There‘s a half do/eti spaces. some are normally academic lecture rooms or computer rooms we Use all of those in the show. We even have a special room called the Sexual Harassment Litigation Free Zone. It‘s kind of a nookie room. it‘s all cushioned otit. and people can go there for a snog or a shag or whatever they want.‘
This. along with a cast made tip of experienced Fringe comics. from (‘hristopher (ireen l'l‘ina ('l to La (‘quue‘s l‘rsula Martinex. experienced improvisers all. looks like a formula for success. 'Some of our cast have been to quite a few office parties as corporate entertainers. They‘re in a position to observe all that from the outside. You do see all the people who‘ve been wearing suits all year suddenly go absolutely cra/y when the company‘s paying for something free. We‘ve got a pretty good handle on what these parties are like. btit if it takes a different direction than usual. the show is not so themed that we can‘t go with that.‘
All this. and an all-night party ticket. The feast of fools lives on with a vengeance!
Office Party, Udderbelly’s Pasture, Appleton Tower, 0844 545 8252, 3-25 Aug, 8pm, 5212-5218 (£10). Preview 2 Aug, £6.
Office Party isn’t the only ‘high concept’ show at this year’s Fringe. David Pollock picks out five more theatrical curios
Death By Chocolate
'lnterview the suspects. sample the chocolates, solve the crime' is the pitch for this interactive murder mystery night. The setting is a
chocolate-themed singles' night; the audience are given notepads and pens and encouraged to question the actors/suspects. And eat lots of chocolate.
I Zoo Souths/de, 662 6892, 3—24 Aug (not 1 7 8 72, 78 8 79). 6pm, £12. Previews 7 & 2Aug, £70.
The Caravan Theatre company Look Left, Look Right win the prize for bizarre venues this year (but only just — see below). The Caravan is set in a tiny caravan
‘ and focuses on the plight of the 2.200 British households still living in temporary housing after the floods of 2007. The documentary theatre piece explores people's capacities to cope with a crisis.
I Pleasance Courtyard. 556 6550, 4—24 Aug (not 72), times vary, £8.50 (£8).
Apollo/Dionysus Musing on the conflict between the Greek gods Dionysus (wine and fertility) and Apollo (order and truth). this show by theatre company The Dead offers wine and water for the audience at some point — get in there. freeloaders!
I C, Chambers Street, 0845 260 7272, 30 Jul—25 Aug, 72.30pm, 2850-87 0. 50
(537.5049. 50).
This Show Belongs to Lionel Richie Actually five different shows from the same comedy troupe. the first two are straight sketch show and stand-up outings. Watch out for a one-off outdoor event up Arthur's Seat on 16 Aug. flashmob 'guerrilla sketches' in Princes Street Gardens on Fridays, and a ‘Dial-a-Sketch’ service. whereby the performers are available at your pleasure for an hour every afternoon.
I Gilded Balloon Tev/ot, 668 7638, 3—24 Aug {not 73), 3.45pm, ‘38—‘39 (E7438).
Supper
The follow-up to Symon Macintyre‘s al fresco show Ghost features no performers. just four volunteers from the
-. general public sitting
* M down to a dinner of wine and fondue. while an audio narrative is fed to the audience via 30 headphones. Everyone's a winner (if the shows any cop).
I Assembly Rooms, 623 3030. 6—24 Aug (not 77, 72. 78. 79). 2.30pm, £7 7. 50. Previews 37 Jul—3 Aug, £75.
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