Written by: Kirstie Ralph (@kjralph)
The Bussey Building, London
****
The first night of Wind-Up
Collective’s quirky cabaret Black Pudding
is a triumph, striking the right balance between the entertaining,
thought-provoking and simply bizarre. The company succeed in bringing to life
the fairy tale stories of childhood, with an extra helping of silly audience
interactions and melodrama. References range from Made in Chelsea-type shows to
general pop culture, to add some 21st Century spice to stories we
think we know. The Bussey building café, located in Peckham Rye, is a gem of a location
for this show, providing the informal atmosphere needed to stage a performance
of this nature.
The village fete bunting
overhead, coupled with candle lit tables and the offer of cake at the bar made
for a relaxed ambience, settling the audience into the mood for something a
little different. It also complemented the entire premise of the piece,
revolving around a house party with all the juiciness, like any good house
party, happening in the kitchen. As told by the narrator the Old Man, our host
is Madge/Mitch, a husband and wife split, with Madge attempting to make a
carrot cake for her abusive husband. “Barbara”, one unsuspecting audience
member, is called upon for help but unfortunately over whips the cream. These
moments are priceless, paying tribute to the group’s vision and ability to
create immersive yet non-awkward theatre. Madge/Mitch’s annual performance,
performed by one of the company at a piano, was an innovative scene made more
impressive by the time which had evidently gone into rehearsing it.
Live music added to the tone of
the performance with an impressive original soundtrack; a niche element that audiences
expect from a dynamic new theatre company. At some stages the dialogue could
have moved into song more smoothly, though overall the homemade music added to
the rich fabric of what was on offer to us. The Big Bad Wolf stole the show,
with his underdog status and role as the misunderstood party crasher, miming and
prancing around to ‘Big Spender’ and ‘Goldfinger’. The ensemble singing in harmony
and echo was fantastically witty, as well as the sneers of Clichéah, although a
stronger commitment to these select moments would have increased their
effectiveness twofold. The same can be said for the use of movement in the
finale and periods of sustained dialogue between the two “romantically
inclined” characters Dolly and Bluebeard.
The plot was difficult to identify,
with a narrative thread lost in the change in character focus. It turns out
that the Old Man’s story wasn’t all it seemed, with Goldilocks seemingly in
danger from his perverted advances. The others confront him, and encourage us
to write our own narratives, and not relying on those
before us. Although this could have been made more prominent throughout, it did
make the ending more memorable. The company are evidently hardworking and the
chemistry between them is infectious. For such an ambitious show, the end
result was a resoundingly positive one.
This production has now closed.
For more information: http://wind-upcollective.com/Wind-Up_Collective/PRODUCTIONS.html
@BusseyBuilding @WindUpCollectiv
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