Here are 15 theatre companies and artists putting on their short offering for feedback at another Theatre Souk after the last Bush Bazaar. The audience can pay for the shows they want to see or more likely whenever a show is has room as it got quite buys at some points of the evening.
The first show right next to the entrance is Circumference in which Nick engaged me in conversation while looking through some photographs on my phone. We proceeded to roll over each other along the floor while being filmed and continuing our conversation. Some phone photo inspired dance movement followed and some hula-hooping broke out by another dancer. The highlight was brilliant moment involving an audience member invited to dance with her and the hula hoop flew off down the atrium to floor below. But otherwise, it is attempting a tangential link between technology, telecommunication and modern dance which I was too involved in the rolling to work out properly.
A flyer brought us to Fight or Fuck by Salon:Collective where they built a boxing ring for the improv verbal fights. Audience can buy bids to shout out at any time to change the dynamics of the argument with instruction such as tantrum, ultimatum, kiss, etc. It is awkward and uncomfortable to watch because of the ferocity and lack of substance of the attacks. Or maybe it is the cringe worth improv that makes it a truly difficult viewing. It suits a dip in dip out format but hard to see it expand to a full evening’s worth.
The third show of the night is The Bliss Of Solitude by Fiddler’s Green, a sci-fi theatre company. An old man is alone in space with his defunct computer equipments and a malfunctioning computer voice for company. There is a lovely symphony of keyboards, computer memories and harddisks and there is a hint of interrogating the mechanics of storytelling in the plot line but not much beyond that.
Next is Dyspla’s Welco Fertility Tech where a few of the audience are invited to see whether we can co-produce an embryo between the four of us while we share what we have to give as a parent and what our aspirations for the child. Some fun interactions and responses, nice production design and perhaps a little self discovery.
Treasure or Junk by AR TEA Collective is a game show which the two hosts tries to auction off their mementos from their relationships. The audience is divided into two teams and we have to bid for the items and the story of the winning item gets to be told. The two hosts are entertaining and capable with a flexibility and looseness that makes a relaxing, funny show with an undercurrent of sadness.
The final work of the night is Youaremine’s Sandwich shop with their colourful, detailed and resourceful set. A cast of two young and energetic performers who put on a children TV show like mix of songs and sketches. They are accompanied by a narrator and four musicians which makes this quite a high performers to audience ratio. There is food and drink, some light audience participation which makes it a charming and pleasant show.
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