Set in the litter-strewn streets of Olympic London, The Remarkable Rocket follows a group of young adults hired for the opening ceremony clean-up. At a mere 25 minutes in length, there is little in the way of plot and character development, but that does not stop the time being packed with enjoyable moments from start to finish.
This is truly a great way to start the day. I had no idea that there was such a thing as 9:30 in the morning, and I entered the theatre with drooping eyes but left wide awake and beaming. The show is immediately accessible to all age groups, with particular dues to the incredibly well performed physical comedy. Ranging from bin jousting to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star played in the style of Stomp, there is plenty on offer to keep the audience entertained.
The remarkable rocket/first sweeper had an amazing presence on stage. His energy was infectious and engaged well with the audience, while maintaining a strong character identity. That being said, some other members of the cast need to be more confident talking to the audience, and should not be afraid to act up. Overall, however, the energy of the whole performance never died, and it was very difficult not to smile.
Billed as interactive, The Remarkable Rocket prefers to involve the whole audience in small set pieces than to drag people onto the stage. I was a little disappointed as the interactive elements amounted to waving my hands around - as well as singing the aforementioned ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ – and I had expected more from a show specifically advertised as interactive. On the flipside of this, though, safety in numbers means that the whole audience was more than willing to get involved, helping to keep the atmosphere alive.
The show ends rather abruptly with no real indication of its approach, which left me feeling a bit confused, but this does not detract too much. On the whole well worth getting up in the morning for.
