Spun Glass Theatre have put together a really fresh, fun offering that demands extreme jollity from its audience
Spun Glass Theatre have put together a really fresh, fun offering that demands extreme jollity from its audience. The standard rows of seats when you walk in are deceiving though; don't expect to sit down the whole time; do expect to get to know the people sitting near you. This is a full-on audience participation event where a good crowd curates their own entertainment, but I suspect many Brighton Fringe-goers are going to be safe bets.
The set, lights and sound work closely together to recreate a hokey 1987-ish game show. Think Generation Game with exceptional team leaders. Utterly engaging, they are very funny and have perfected the art of getting people involved, pushing them just far enough and then popping them back in the box when they threaten to de-rail the narrative. Our Host, Helen White is gorgeously convincing and super confident in her material: it’s hard to know how much was intended and how much just improvised during the night. The answer doesn't matter, hardly anyone stopped laughing and she could clearly command attention on a much bigger stage.
A couple of reminders from the tech booth may have indicated that things were unravelling slightly; perhaps more reflection on the theme of the show had been planned. It certainly felt as though the ideas behind the jokes could have been developed more. ‘What held women back from winning the bin bag tug of war?’ Poor footwear choices, apparently. You are invited to find the point of the jokes but not quite led there. In the battle of the sexes you are expected to play your part. Grab some friends, but choose useful people if you want to win, and sign up.
