The Factory Theatre presented The Odyssey as part of the London Jam at the Park Theatre. In two hours they re-enact all 24 books of Homer’s saga without costume or set, just two simple props (a stick and a hoop) and a whole lot of improvisation.
The Factory Theatre works as a collective with everyone taking part on stage and alternating roles. For each book/chapter an audience member picks a shard from a bowl on which a task is written. The performer who has taken the lead on that book has to work the task into the subsequent performance.
The most enjoyable improvisations are those which involve a restriction: act a scene while moving around connected by sticks or the scene in which each sentence had to be only three words long. The direct audience interaction, including one scene where the audience members moved the actors as puppets, was brilliant. These tasks show off the creativity and skill of the performers and are deeply entertaining.
The Odyssey had a great sense of play and the audience was warmly welcomed into the Factory’s community. However, it was not always comfortable: I struggled with the scenes that required the actors to shoehorn in a personal story that (vaguely) related to the action. The stories shared were touching but also felt too intimate: I wasn’t sure what to do with facts like “my girlfriend’s struggling with her job as an actress” or “I betrayed my mother.”
The first act especially felt over long, but the second hour of The Odyssey luckily sped up, making for quicker quips and better flow. It did show that the Factory performers are a talented creative bunch. The vocal harmonising was lovely and the (physical) comedy was an absolute highlight.
Improvisation by nature is showing-off skills but this performance felt a tad self-indulgent. I imagine it was great fun being in the performance - enjoyment was clearly visible on stage - but this was not a rehearsal room.
