Festival Theatre
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NEW WORLD ORDER Neo-consplracy crimes, Shakespearean—style 0000
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in ;f’ ' : ' . li‘oin the programme notes. Ursula O'ce' s an '\ t i r i . t a Han. Saunas play sounds a dark. yet '< / i:.<‘« ‘ ' ' cont-om; ates passionate io'-.'e story
ONCE AND FOR ALL WE’RE GONNA TELL YOU WHO WE ARE SO SHUT UP AND LISTEN
Kids‘ stuff 00
OK, so enough with the sweet cheeky kids already. The audience pretty much obeyed the injunction in the title of this new piece from Belgium’s Ontroerend Goed at the Traverse and came away amused, if not exactly enlightened. The piece essentially examines the anxiety and awfulness of being an adolescent through the performances of 13 teenage actors.
Alexander Devriendt’s production is essentially summed up by a young girl who says, ‘lt‘s all been done before — but not by me!’ The sentiment encapsulates the boundary-pushing spirit of anyone‘s teenage years, but also, perhaps less fortuitously, the nature of this kind of show. Perhaps, given the efforts of companies such as Victoria, another Belgian company that has worked with teenage performers in recent years, it’s time for a change.
Here we watch the larks of this horde of youngsters
98 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE
truth 's s:ck and black'.
Mow g between the chaiacters of a nefarious ruiei. a soldier and a fool. 531i .tn j)()\.'.".3lltllly manages to hold the {lilti'tf'ltitl' ‘.‘.’itll this challenging agit prop style ‘.'-.ioik. His use of the stage and props could be better. but it's the t matter here and they are stunning and coinxincingly delivered.
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goes to show how misleading a synopsis can be.
The Magic Tree explores themes of murder and gang rape and how these experiences destroy lives ino. really’?). the problem here is not only that the plot is unintelligible to the audience. but that it also seems so to the actors. there is absolutely no explanation given. whether through dialogue or acting. for the choices these characters make. so the action feels
n'xliich just completely hapha/ard. as though the
unfold anarchically, and with little further comment as they water fight, tangle themselves in skipping ropes, career about with skateboards and imitate large breasts and pregnancy with balloons. Then they stop for a bit and do it again. And again.
One sequence, which moves from classical ballet to house music, pounds with energy, recreating the atavistic spirit of the world of not-quite-adulthood with great physical articulacy. Yet, the feeling that hangs over the piece is that of an unfinished youth workshop exercise, which proud parents might endorse, but may not be particularly interesting to the rest of us. It tells us little through its brief periods of monologue beyond the assertion that kids are pretty much like adults, but do things a bit differently.
For all that, it’s hard to resist the gusto of the young cast, who, with a modicum of brave audience interaction and a massive, messy, all-partying climax at least leave you grinning at the rather abrupt denouement. (Steve Cramer)
I l/ai/e/se [limit/e. 4’28 HU-l, (NIH/IV Aug, tunes va/y. til-i i‘ii; rifle l‘l Ii.
actors have been given the script and told to follow it blindly. without investing their characters with depth of feeling or understanding.
An audio depiction of a child character works effectively. and the rock soundtrack is enjoyable enough — it's just a shame it‘s only played over lengthy and clunky scene changes. Overall. however. the play feels implausible and (lull. Upon leaving the venue. two women stopped me and asked if I knew what the peculiar. wistful ending meant. I didn't.
(Sarah Redhead) I Assembly Rooms, (523 3030, until 25 Aug. {5pm. 5310—177 I (ESQ—£10).
THE LIE-IN THE ITCH AND THE WHOR’E’S nose Ikea-style physical theatre O.
This comment on the consumerist ideology that holds us all together like a gargantuan supermarket carrier bag. imparts the notion of an overly ordered life with a fairly diverting blend of dance and rhyme. As a shrieking. nagging housewife coerces her seemingly downtrodden. and certainly speechless. husband into jumping on the rat race bandwagon. the effect of her ceaseless tirade becomes apparent as her beloved begins to crack.
An appropriately pounding. piercing soundtrack accompanies this disconcerting look at our incessant need to organise everything from people to socks in a multi-faceted Ikea drawer system. A simple hospital—bed set is put to good use as both performers explore the space around them With childish exuberance. The suggestion that perhaps human interaction is more important than material possessions is welcome. if a little obwous. though the fact that it's all brought about by the love of possessions proVIdes a clever irony. A sharpening of both physical performances would certainly enhance the experience. which. promising as it is. lacks the depth and colour to truly match the company's Vision. iDaVId l aingi I Rocket La.» [)emarco Roxy Art House. ( 8/] 7:50 00/7. unti/ 23 Aug, 5.20;)17). .‘V‘ (5‘513'50).
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