These four friends are absolutely obsessed with reality TV. They’d do anything for their 15 minutes of fame. So, equipped with your trusty voting handset, help catapult one of them to fame by grinding the others into the gutter.
The messages here may not be particularly groundbreaking or original but the presentation of them certainly is.
From the word go, Losers has high production values. Great use of projection, stylish design and technology give the show a very professional feel which really adds to the sense of being on the set of a TV show. The bold colours of the costumes and furniture are very pleasing and their child-like appeal contrasts perfectly with the growing viciousness of the characters sporting them.
The structure of the show itself was a little unclear at times. One round which involved rewarding one contestant and penalising others was particularly difficult to follow, with the winner decided by a seemingly arbitrary set of rules which were not at all clear to the audience. Unfortunately the excitable crowd’s attention drifted slightly at these points in the show, though perhaps this was a deliberate attempt to demonstrate how stupid the premises of these shows can be.
All four performers were terrific fun to watch, each playing a distinct and familiar caricature. Tommy Swale’s thick but lovable oaf, Sophie Thompson’s ball of awkward energy, Arthur Jones’ camp sass and Rachel Johnson’s dancing diva.
An interesting comment on our 21st century attitudes on reality television, fame and celebrity culture, Losers is well worth a watch if you fancy something a bit different. The messages here may not be particularly groundbreaking or original but the presentation of them certainly is.
