On Friday night, I bore witness to one of the most astonishing acts of audience participation I’ve ever seen: at the end of Nic Green’s Trilogy at the Barbican Theatre, female members of the audience were invited onto the stage to strip naked behind the curtain, then it was opened again to reveal them in all their glory before the rest of the audience joined them in a rousing, celebratory singalong of ‘Jerusalem’.
They even put in a new centre aisle at the Barbican Theatre - an unnecessary extravagance, I’d have thought, for just two performances - for the first time in the venue’s history, to facilitate the passage of audience members to the stage; but they could just as easily have reached the stage via the normal exits, as we did in November in the constant two-way traffic between the stage and the auditorium during the Roman Tragedies.
Earlier in the evening, hordes of volunteer naked women - some 200 of them, apparently — had rushed onto the stage from all corners of the theatre for what looked like a flash mob (or maybe that should be flesh mob) dance. There’s been no more exhilarating moment on the London stage in ages.
The Barbican is certainly, to quote its own slogan, offering audiences the chance to “do something different”: and I’ve realised that my own new year’s resolutions contain a certain paradox as a result. On the one hand, I’m trying to see less theatre this year, as I was commenting only the other day here. On the other hand, I want to go to the Barbican more. But I might not be breaking my own new rules, since so much of what BITE is about isn’t strictly theatre. Trilogy is part performance art, part dance, part gender politics, and all parts something new, challenging and provocative.
The following night I was at the tiny Above the Stag in Victoria to see Silence! The Musical, an improbable-sounding musical parody of The Silence of the Lambs that was originally premiered at off-Broadway’s New York Fringe Festival in 2005 and is now being a second lease of life in London.
It’s downright astonishing to find Broadway director/choreographer Christopher Gattelli, who is currently represented on Broadway by his choreography for South Pacific at Lincoln Center’s Vivan Beaumont Theatre, working in such a tiny London fringe space; but then New York creatives aren’t precious about outlets for their work, and Gattelli has previously benefited from working on a smaller scale in London, when he was responsible for the choreography of the Menier’s Sunday in the Park with George which went all the way back to Broadway for him as well.
But even if his constantly inventive work on this show helps to disguise the fact that it’s a one-joke idea to adapt this film into a musical at all, I was constantly reminded of the 1989 British film comedy The Tall Guy, directed by Mel Smith and scripted by Richard Curtis, in which an attempt is made to stage a musical version of The Elephant Man entitled Elephant! The Musical. And the joke, such as it is, wore painfully thin for one reason above all: the nearly-delirious delight that one man sitting in front of me was taking in it. He whooped and cheered to make it plain that he got each and every reference; applauded every other line; and even stamped his feet as he did so. I thought he might pass out from sheer joy.
At the curtain call, he jumped to his feet, of course - and the lead actress Tory Ross, playing Clarice Starling, mimed to him “Call me”. Clearly, his own performance was one designed to let his friend know just how much pleasure he was having throughout. I don’t want to be a spoilsport for other people’s evident pleasure, but don’t they realise that when the show becomes about them, rather than the show itself, it undermines it for everyone in their vicinity?
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Seeing Trilogy on Friday night really shook my world.. I knew what was to come, having heard the whispers from the BAC audiences/critics... but seeing such a vast group of audience members feeling compelled to get up in front of such a vast space and bare all - it was inspiring.
I remember reading an article a few weeks ago by Lyn Gardner about how she finds herself rarely surprised by theatre anymore, how she longs to see something completely new and fresh - to make her really think about what she had just seen.
Trilogy was this for me. That feeling of, I doubt, ever again in my future will I bear witness to such powering 'theatre'. Or Movement, or act of courage by audiences.
Brilliant, just brilliant.
So lets, for arguments sake, say that I was the man sitting in front of you thoroughly enjoying my paid for evening at the theatre...and let's also say that perhaps I was genuinely enjoying myself. My first thought would probably be: "Oh my, that poor gentleman had to suffer through MY 'performance'...he should have asked for his money back if he paid". My second thought would be: "Well, I'm sure if I had rushed up onstage and stripped myself naked afterwards all would be forgiven" because CLEARLY that is what differentiates 'good' audience participation from 'bad' audience participation. Now I don't want to be a spoilsport for your evident need to blog, (tweet, facebook, stumbleupon, etc..etc...) your rapier wit and unprecedented dramaturgical skill, that I'm certain elevates you as impenetrable among Londons theatre intelligentsia, but it seems to have been the sour-faced chat board theatre bloggers that were in the minority that evening and giving the frigid performance of a lifetime. From what I remember (had I been that person you spoke of...) that entire audience was laughing uproariously throughout the performance and at least half of them stood during the bows. My enjoyment was FAR from singular. There was even another gentleman sitting on the opposite side of the theatre from me that enjoyed himself so much he shouted "Do it again!!!" as the actors made their way off the stage. All due respect sir, but when it becomes more important for you to show other audience members (and your readers) the enormous mileage you have between your eyes and the tip of your nose while attending feel good comedies like Silence!, maybe it is time to do us all a favor: take your own advice and start seeing much less theatre
I found some of the performance of Silence! very funny, some parts deserved a modicombe of laughter and other parts were just a bit childish - parody or not. Perhaps for younger people the show will offer more delirious delight.
I didn't go expecting too much and was neither disappointed or elated at the end of the show, I was simply satisfied that I had seen the show and supported the theatre so that they might continue to put on shows. It was fun, but I certainly didn't want them to "do it again" at the end!!
I was there on Friday night and heard 'Steve's' irritating whoops and over played out laughter - was it really that funny?? I'm glad I wasn't the only one that found him a pain. Perhaps he'd spent too long downstairs first or was on some over happy pills. Whatever the reason he was extremly annoying.
The rest of the audience laughed and enjoyed themselves in a way that was in chorus with the performance and not trying to draw attention to themselves. I just hope he doesn't go back to see it again and spoil it for everyone that night too.
And thank you for writing about the show, I like to support the Stag both upstairs and downstairs and I wanted to see what other people had been saying about it and found this review on Google. Perhaps you can answer this question - I'm sure they said it was a Premier event too - but on Google I found a reference to it being performed in October 2009 at a theatre in Barons court - was I hearing things at the beginning or did I just get this wrong?
Bob
I believe this is the European premiere of Christopher Gattelli's professional production. There was an amateur production late last year at Barons Court which did not include all of the material being seen at the Stag.
How odd? Two reviews of audiences. Deliverately post modern no doubt, but I miss actually writing about theatre. I fear we are close to a stage blog reading "Last Friday i didn't go to the theatre, but did meet an amusing man in Sainsbury's." The good news is, however I booked the "Footstomping Call Me" guy for a forthcoming nude cabaret. Seems everyone's a winner.
Mark,
How nice to get a reply. Particularly to a tounge in cheek comment written on the fly.
Anyways, I'm not sure if you're aware of the Barbican's triumphant link to your piece, which didn't differentiate between "review" and "commentary" as you neatly have. I guess you can't be blamed if your powers are misused.
All is forgiven. Keep up the good work.
Mike