Michael Cox reviews 3 more recent productions.
Three productions, and only two common traits bind them together: they are new, and they cannot be defined by the usual star-rating system.
First up, Apocalypse! Its subtitle is a fairly accurate summary of what to expect: ‘a glamorously ugly cabaret’. ‘Glamorously ugly’ indeed because the set is over-the-top seedy and the two performers have chipped teeth, smeared make-up and are celebrating the end of the world, which they predict will happen by curtain down, and ‘cabaret’ as the women perform scenes, monologues and songs, all about the impending doom.
It is one of the most cynical productions to be seen in Scotland for some time. Everyone is a target, including the religious faithful, bankers, do-gooders and liberal thinkers. It isn’t afraid to put itself out there, and it almost relishes in the fact that it carries one very large sting in its tail. For all of that, I actually quite admired it.
That said, the press performance felt like a work-in-progress. Parts worked better than others, and moments came across as under-rehearsed; either that, or it contained some of the greatest intentional flubbing I’ve ever seen. It also feels like it shouldn’t be an autumn-touring production but a fringe or festival piece. As part of a larger theatrical canvas, Apocalypse! could actually be a lot of fun, but on its own it feels a bit vacant—but for those few moments that work, it really is quite glorious.
In watching Vanishing Point’s Saturday Night, I was reminded of what the American film critic Roger Ebert says: it isn’t what it’s about but how it’s about. Any attempt in describing the ‘what’ of this play makes it sound preposterous.
A two-storey set consists of three rooms: a living room and a bathroom for a young couple and a sitting room for an old woman. A panel of glass separate the actors and the audience, so any dialogue and explanation is unheard. Do any of the characters truly exist? Are the couple and old woman aware of each other? Do they inhabit the same time and/or space? The more the action unfolds, the more questions arise, most of which aren’t given solid explanations: how can a woman discover in the blink of an eye that she’s months pregnant, why are there vines growing out of the wall, and what’s up with the monkeys and spaceman?
And yet, the production works very well on a level of ‘how’. Like a surreal painting or a David Lynch film (of which this has been inevitably compared to), what doesn’t make sense does in fact create moments of genuine comedy and suspense. Right when you think you have a handle on things, something happens and the game changes. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, especially as the design is so stunning and the ensemble so believable.
That’s the thing: Matthew Lenton’s production works well while it unfolds, but like a dream in the light of day it just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. There is much about the production that’s great, but like a Jenga tower with too many gaping holes and a wobbly foundation, it all comes crashing down in the end.
What doesn’t come crashing down is Stewart Laing’s The Salon Project, one of the most ambitious and interesting productions I’ve recently experienced. In fact, ‘experience’ might be a better word than any other: it is by no means what most would call ‘theatre’, everyone ‘performs’ in it and its success hinges on the fact that it isn’t really a polished and rehearsed ‘production’.
The deal was that you had to supply your measurements weeks in advance to attending. After a briefing, audiences are led to a dressing area where they are given a costume and must sit for make-up and hair. When ready, everyone is ushered into a large sitting room. Drinks are served, artistic entertainments are performed, guest lecturers give talks on relevant topics and everyone is encouraged to converse. And that’s about it. There is no plot to follow, and though everyone is dressed in period costumes (though the periods of dress differ) there are no characters. In fact, cameras are encouraged, and topics are all modern, so no one is pretending that they are in the past—we are just dressed in cloths that are not modern.
I found the whole experience thrilling and fascinating. But what is important to note is how personal each person’s experience is: the success of the evening hinges on one’s willingness to engage in conversations with strangers and embracing the situation. Those who shy from speaking their minds or find it difficult to converse with strangers are probably in for a torturous evening, but those that are willing to embrace the forum that Laing and his team have created will be richly rewarded by a unique experience that will no doubt linger for a very long time. My one regret was that I was too reluctant in the beginning to speak with other people (too busy observing). I was part of the first group to be brought into the sitting room, and I would have happily remained. The Salon Project is not only a triumph but is easily one of the best cultural events to recently hit Scotland.
Apocalypse! tours until October 29, Saturday Night tours until October 30 and The Salon Project performs at the Traverse until October 22.
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