A lone character travels through a futuristic world ruled by technology. Through physical theatre and mime, the story is told in a fast-paced, witty cartoon-like style. Three performers in gas masks take the form of ‘Storytellers’ and become the manipulators of the protagonist by creating his surrounding world. As he reaches for his hat, for example, a gas-masked figure holds it up as if it is hung on a wall. The three performers use clever ways to represent different sounds and props, adding to the quirky nature of the show. In one instance, a television is created by a torch being shone in a characters face, tinny speech coming through their gas mask. Once the gas masks come off, new characters are revealed, usually conveyed with a simple item of clothing or different posture which provides snappy changes that make the piece flow.Adding to the eccentric nature is the way that physical theatre and mime provide the means to travel through space and time. The focus on physical theatre complements the rest of the exaggeration throughout the performance and therefore fits seamlessly. Comical moments litter the show, physical comedy and subtle touches give the performance a light feel of not taking itself too seriously. The type of humour can be summed up through this example: the dramatic music increases in volume as the protagonist peers out of a curtain, then decreases again when he closes it, creating a comical farce out of a very simple gesture.Although the action is very precise and well-devised, the theatre taking the form of a thrust stage means some of the action and comedy is lost because a facial expression or gesture cannot be seen. This happens a number of times, isolating moments from some of the audience.The four performers studied together at the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris and this is evident in the physical nature of the piece and the unity of the performers. Shutterland is a fun, engaging piece of theatre.
