By Conor O’Neill
55 minutes, that’s all the time this play to bring a rush of blood to the head and many memorable laughs to the fore. We’re hardly seated and audience members are being ripped ‘willingly’ from their seats and shuttled off into the bowels of the Accidental Theatre Company’s darkest dungeons. What exactly goes on down there I don’t know, nor do I want to.
Baby Lamb Productions were unknown to me until about a month ago, then a Belfast born actor emailed me with an invite. We’re all familiar with the Lyric, Grand Opera House, the MAC and all the big names, but more often than not these wee independents throws up work that’s as innovative and as surprising as any big theatre with their Arts Council funding and high-priced tickets could ever wish to produce. Anyway, enough of my babbling. Let’s get to the roots of this show.
The Emperor, Belfast’s very own Jacob Baird, is the hottest thing in modern Berlin’s fashion elite, everything is going well in the heated world of that tiny and incestuous circle. Then a bad review gets followed by another bad review, until, the greatest fashionista of them all, Michael M Michael (Ashop Gupta) calls the Emperor, or Ze Emperor in comedic German voices, calls him out for the ‘lazy slut’ that he is. Exit the audience members coaxed into wearing black bags and laundry baskets on the catwalk.
Surrounded by sychophants Mr Big believes all hype, revels in it and cannot take the critical pressure. Only one can see through the bullshit: the much overlooked Maureen (Nisha Emich), Being fed grapes by Alexa (Hannah McCleod) – who I also believe is also the director of this piece, Ze Emperor seeks way to resolve this crisis. And money is no object.
Enter Bree (again played by McCleoad) and her ditsy fellow French faux designer Oche (Kiera Murray) and the plot thickens. For only one, point four million Euros the French pair say they can rekindle The Emporer’s next line of fashion. Nu Cloth, a fabric so elusive and elite, only the cool can have the eyes to witness it, fools simply cannot see such a thing of beauty.The french duo up their prices twice more and the ‘cool’ pretend to see the invisible. Yanik, Areola, Johan, amd all the ‘yes sir’ crowd are all taken in by the conniving french pair
If only I could describe the part nursery rhyme part soliloquy the foolish enthrall over this new cloth. The pidgin French both Bree and Oche – get it yet? – slaver about its great qualities The Ride of the Valkaries themed seduction of Johan (Nicholas Aleander’) by Oche, and the Peter Mandelson-like cunning and guile that is Yanik’s true character, but I simply can’t. Some theatre breeches reviewer’s ability to explain the sheer mayhem on stage You’ll have to attend Accidental Theatre’s second showing of this riveting show tomorrow night.
We all know the fairy tale’s ending, yet just to tease you a little, it’s bombastic.
A bright and engaging reflection of the vapid world that is fashion, told with the smallest budget and a very talented cast of actors.
Must see theatre.
For bookings please visit http://www.accidetaltheatre.co.uk or phone the box office on 02890 325881
ENDS
CultureCrush NI 