Monday, 20 June 2011

Realism review, Soho Theatre

Out of head experience
Take one middle-aged man newly split from his girlfriend, confine him to barracks for the day - in this case a mangy flat in a city somewhere - and then climb inside his head.  What do you get?  In a nutshell, 75 minutes of wild fantasy and physical mayhem as he muses on his failed relationship, seeks comfort in the words and kindness of his dead parents, indulges in a sexual fantasy that involves his first and his current girlfriends and a toilet, relives a sado-masochistic childhood friendship and recreates The Black and White Minstrel Show. Confused?  You will be. Amused?  I've not seen Soho Theatre so full in eons.

The amount of work put into the production by Director, Steve Marmion, warrants the buzz: on that tiny stage, characters literally appear from inside fridges, washing machines, televisions and sofas. And all the time our hero, actor Tim Treloar as himself, is getting on with the everyday - doing the washing, using the bog, feeding the cat and heating prawn curry.  The cat?  Think Garfield with his own door key...

In conclusion: A lively way to start off a summer's evening in the smoke. Don't take your mother, she might choke on one of the songs, but if you have single male friends in their mid-thirties they will recognise the scenario, as will those who've had dull days indoors where the mind can't rest.

References
Tickets from Soho Theatre
Lyn Gardner in  The Guardian 

at

1 comment:

  1. Jackie Kane26 June 2011 at 23:29

    It seems so mental, yet it's so simple when it comes down to it... Every passing thought - no matter how mad - of Mister heading-for-middle-age Average Joe at a crossroads in his life is realised onstage in Realism. I'm not going to say much more in case of spoilers, but go see it and enjoy.

    I laughed my head off and - unlike in any other Neilson play - I shed a small tear. His work is visually stunning - but, for me, usually devoid of heart, so I oft leave the theatre cold afetr a Neilson. Not this time. I fear I have been manipulated big stylee though, as this heightened realism of a life played out in thought and emotion minutiae (hopefully that'll make sense when you go see it) seems to poke fun at realism on stage also. Should I have been stronger and not fallen for the schmaltz? Who knows. Maybe Neilson is holding up a one finger salute to those of us still fond of a bit of naturalistic theatre and stories about 'nothing'. Realism proves you can find emotion, humour and a story in the mundane, and the author, the actors and director, Steve Marmion, mash up every good and bad thought you've had and they lay them out for you be mortified by. Loved it. Loved it.

    I wish I could watch Anthony Neilson and Steve Marmion work for a day - it'd unlock the half-written mindf*** of a play I'm currently squatting...

    ReplyDelete