Ovalhouse, London
*****
Gathered in the bar area of the Ovalhouse Theatre, guests
are aware of an underlying sense of excitement as they await the highly
anticipated return of Omar El-Khairy’s cultural explosion Sour Lips. Originally
developed through the Ovalhouse FiRST BiTE programme in 2012 (and now in
association with Paper Tiger) as the theatre itself celebrates its 50th
birthday, Sour Lips marks the open to Ovalhouse’s Counterculture season
which aims to promote new political voices through challenging original plays
that are as bold as they are stylish. This show is force that tears through its
audience, working relentlessly in order to achieve its soaring ambitions.
Sour Lips bursts into life, compiling elements of
film and recorded music against its highly stylised ensemble of actors,
presenting a show that connects with you from the word go. The cast are
completely in tune with each other - proven amply by the sheer energy of the
chorus - whose slick deliverance as they recite El Khairy’s fast-paced,
overlapping lines propel the play into modernity, causing the audience to sit
up in their seats and give this story their full attention. The set, too, is
incredibly stylish: a row of 5 large stark lights running down the centre of the
space in front of a chorus platform with various microphones hanging from the
ceiling, all captured between a pair of tall, scratched walls that remind you
of a hostage bunker. We are closed in, forced to listen to this gripping piece
of theatre. The company are constantly looking for new ways to
communicate with their audience; each section is unique and distinctly
choreographed to keep up with the play’s spiralling narrative. The ensemble
surround you unexpectedly between each bank of audience, their presence
noticeably missed whenever they do retreat to the shadows.
Documenting the journey of Amina Arraf, played by Lara
Sawalha, the story follows the media hype concerning the kidnapping of the
American-Syrian blogger known as A Gay Girl In Damascas. Sawalha gives
an impressive performance, seamlessly jumping between Arabic and English as she
emotes the powerful voice of posing blogger Tom Macmaster. Simon Darwen plays
the dynamic Tom, filling the stage with energy and immense stage-presence
opposite the amicable Sawalha. The pair are supported by a striking vocal
chorus of 3, made up of Takunda Kramer, Celine Rosa Tan and Eden Vik, whose
echoing lines are the very core to this script as they multi-role throughout
this fast-paced rhythmic rollarcoaster. As the playwright states, they hold the
play together by pulling it apart.
Sour Lips is
dauntless, experimental and exciting; Paper Tiger are sensationalising the ways
in which we tell a story. The play’s unavoidable comment on the affects of
widespread Internet sensations (portrayed within the media) resonates strongly
with a contemporary audience, forcing us to question our own habits of social
networking in a buzzing society where Twitter is fast-becoming one of the
media’s main driving forces. Omar El-Khairy’s script is thoughtful and daring,
perfectly fusing fantasy narrative and non-fiction in a medium that is bang on
trend.
This production runs until 16 February 2013.
For more information: http://www.ovalhouse.com/whatson/detail/sour-lips1
@Ovalhouse @TheloniousO @SourLips_a_play
1 comment:
Anyone know what percentage of the material was written by McMaster and what was original? Also how much was McMaster paid for his writing?
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