Edy Hurst loves theme parks. He loves theme parks so much, he wants to create his own. Enter
Theme Show harnesses technology to curate a multidimensional spectacle, culminating in a spectacular finish.
It doesn't look like much: a projector poised against the wall or a line of string suspended between the crowd and stage, itself scattered with miscellaneous items. But each element comes together to form something bigger than their manifest form. Hurst’s attractions need co-operation; their maintenance is not via mechanics but imagination. Like a child, he continually plays with different mediums to best replicate his fantasy. Every attempt proves highly inventive and fascinating to observe. Collating an array of homemade devices, Theme Show harnesses technology to curate a multidimensional spectacle, culminating in a spectacular finish. The imitation of a rollercoaster is especially engaging, as the experience interplays the makeshift compromises with contagious enthusiasm.
Hurst is a big kid. He develops an internal world within the framework of building his park. It morphs into a drama of characters, all played by himself. A dark spin on Welsh folklore and an ambiguously northern policeman aptly named “DCI Pierre de Funzo” both feature as catalysts for the narrative and inspire opportunities for more subtle wit and wordplay. The set is filled to the brim with ideas. The result is an overload, albeit a delightful one, which appears to bring limitations to Hurst’s freedom on-stage. Distracted by the strict structure, Hurst sometimes loses the chance for even more impromptu fun; yet the network of ideas weave together so well that it is barely missed.
Although it is liberating to be freed from the relative constraints of maturity, Hurst strikes the balance between being bold and understated. Offering a cheeky smile whenever he strays into anything too sophisticated, we are limited to “one sentence” of politics but a few sly references prove irresistible. Never does he reach childishness in the pure, unadulterated joy he clearly takes from his antics. Joy is something Hurst takes quite seriously as he psychoanalyses his obsession, only to counsel his audience instead - banishing cynicism and shrouding us in the optimism he emits instead.
