Crazy Glue, Single Shoe Productions’ wordless whirl back to the 1930s, has an intriguing premise. We are presented with two characters and a simple set consisting merely of three boxes (representing table and chairs). Throughout the hour the characters fall in and out of love. Reminiscent of a silent film with cartoonish gestures and facial expressions, the style of the performance seems more suited to the form of short sketches; its hour-long timeslot makes it feel sluggish and one-dimensional.
Crazy Glue is slick and mildly amusing, but regrettably not much else.
There is no denying that Crazy Glue is a polished performance. The timing of the two actors’ (Filipa Tomas and Bradley Wayne Smith) stylised movements and clowning has clearly been meticulously rehearsed. There are some neat routines. However, though charming at first, the constant caricatured mimes and squeaks begin to get a little wearing by halfway through. One starts to long for normal communication. The hugely exaggerated facial expressions and clowning are in truth mildly irritating and there is little growth in style.
The storyline is stretched to breaking point due to the length of the play. More substance could be added to disband the feeling of repetitiveness and allow us to grasp more of a sense of the couple’s relationship. At times the clowning and cartooning cloud the personalities of the characters and so prevent the audience from having a real interest or investment in them.
Crazy Glue is slick and mildly amusing, but regrettably not much else.
A tragicomedy about loss. They have a car in the garage, a chicken in the pot and a child on the way. But is that enough to hold them together? The messy, sticky, absurdity of marriage told through vocal acrobatics, quirky humour and an evocative 1930s soundtrack. Silent film nostalgia and cartoon antics fuse into a whirl of physical theatre. ‘A striking transformation of my story’ (Etgar Keret). ‘Tight, compelling, and a rollercoaster for the audience’ ***** (FemaleArts.com). ‘The duo is a wonder to behold’ **** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk). ‘Carefully crafted, funny and heart wrenching' **** (ViewsFromTheGods.co.uk).
