Anna Burnside reviews an ‘extraordinarily warm and life affirming’ production.
In this age of turning every small life ritual into content, sitting in a dark theatre is one of the few non-performative moments left. Until Belgian tricksters Ontoroed Goed turn a camera on the audience. Then all bets are off.
They don’t do this in an abrasive or confrontational way. Instead, they draw a curtain over the stage and project the street outside the entrance. It’s a gentle way into a show that plays with our perceptions of ourselves as individuals and unobserved entities.
There’s no overarching narrative here, just a patchwork of brilliant camerawork, commentary and cast members lipsynching to audience comments and suggestions.
Near the start, there’s a slow pan along each row of the theatre. We all watch as our neighbours from the next seat have their moment on screen. Some can’t resist and mug for the camera. Others deploy an admirable game face.
Later on, we follow a cast member out onto the street as she chats to people and brings a baffled young man, with the biggest afro she’s ever seen, into the theatre. He gets a great round of applause.
Thanks for Being Here is extraordinarily warm and life affirming. It celebrates the communal activity of going to the theatre while observing our individual idiosyncrasies. It is mundane yet utterly surprising and, by definition, different every night. The thanks are due to them.
The run for Thanks for Being Here at Tron Theatre has ended. Its European tour continues. For further details, go to Ontoroed Goed’s website.
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