Imagine William Shakespeare wrote
We need more theatre like this.
Unpolished Theatre’s Flesh and Bone is beautifully eloquent and incredibly funny. Elliot Warren’s writing is beyond good. The poetry and momentum of the language take us on a journey with some wonderful twists and turns. We recognise the characters but they are not stereotypes. We know these people; we have met them on the street, we have seen them on the television. Undesirable and angry, but full of heart, they lay down their stories.
The greatest thing about this show is the ensemble performance. It is tight, well choreographed and each moment is perfectly timed. There is no extraneous movement or sound. You get the feeling that Warren has taken his time specifically choosing each and every word. The same goes for the physicality of the actors. Each performs his or her role with confidence and truth. Michael Jinks as Binks particularly stands out with his inner turmoil (to reveal or not to reveal, that is the question…). These are a group of actors who clearly enjoy working together and that, more than anything, shines through. It’s definitely the reason the ensemble is so sharp.
Classical music and clever lighting is used to heighten the stakes, along with the heightened language. Though at times the music can be a bit overpowering, especially in such a small space, making it difficult to catch some of the words during longer speeches.
Flesh and Bone is very obviously a labour of love, and it feels particularly relevant at the moment, despite being written last year. We need more theatre like this. Sharp and clever: ‘What a piece of work is man’ or woman for that matter.
