Beef

When I was handed a flyer for this production on the Royal Mile I thought it looked like an exciting, new and interesting show. I was very disappointed. Beef is a modern day twist on Noah’s Ark. As the rain falls heavily and a storm grows, strangers begin to take refuge in The Oaks, a house owned by Rachel and Mark at the top of a hill. As nerves begin to build, Mark reveals the ‘secret’ that he’s been withholding all day - he had a dream about a cow. This cow is later seen by Mark as he is out driving in the storm, meaning that everyone on earth will die in a flood except those residing in The Oaks.Confused? Yeah, so was I. I assume the story was inspired by movies such as The Day After Tomorrow and Final Destination but with no adventure or action. The writing is stagnant and weak with little progression and no climax. There are massive holes in the script which need to be covered, and the end came rather abruptly. The premise of the story has potential but it needs a lot of work.The acting was unfortunately average and some of the devised ensemble work was dated. To show the passage of time, the actors moved from tableau to tableau as blue lights were faded up and a cheesy soundtrack played. Every time the script was paused for this I was cringing. New writing and devised work should be original and fresh, but most of the action in Beef was old-fashioned. The New Theatre was an award-winning company at this year’s National Student Drama Festival, and is well known for producing excellent student work at the Fringe. I expected a lot from Beef, but I felt let down.

Reviews by Carly McConnell

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The Blurb

As Britain floods, Mark finds himself in charge of seven strangers seeking refuge from the waters. One man's struggle between his unforgiving wife and the survival of humanity. A witty and radical reinvention of Noah's Ark. www.newtheatre.org.uk

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