Staging your play in a bar always gets a big vote from me. Apart from the easy access to drinks, it's a more relaxing atmosphere than a theatre. And Bramley's speakeasy style is perfect for a spot of cabaret.
The show is half interactive, half immersive. Before the show, you can wander around the bar looking at various displays: versions of Don Juan, sex and advertising, gender play, etc. There's even some suggestion boxes where you can jot down naughty secrets and post them in a box. The room basically becomes an interactive mood board, getting you warmed up for the show.
The show itself is essentially a cabaret: a mix of quotes, monologues, dancing and physical theatre, centred around the narrative of Don Juan. Content-wise it's certainly the raunchiest I've seen from T24, but it's witty and teasing like good cabaret should be. Be warned though- it's not the type of show you'd take your parents to, unless you are all very open-minded.
The personas of each actor work really well: we have the sleaze, the tease, the 'innocent' and various other types that immerse the audience. Unlike some interactive shows, there is always a performer with their eye on you and always something going on somewhere in the room.
The actors and directors (it's a collaboration between Steven Laverty and Kirsten Peacock) really play with the idea that the audience are basically voyeurs, more so as the show goes on, and that despite the awkward shuffle when you get eyeballed, really we want to be interacted with. It's an unflinching look at sex and relationships between men and women, but it also asks interesting questions about greed and the search for satisfaction.
Luckily, Don Juan is a very satisfactory show indeed.
The show is half interactive, half immersive. Before the show, you can wander around the bar looking at various displays: versions of Don Juan, sex and advertising, gender play, etc. There's even some suggestion boxes where you can jot down naughty secrets and post them in a box. The room basically becomes an interactive mood board, getting you warmed up for the show.
The show itself is essentially a cabaret: a mix of quotes, monologues, dancing and physical theatre, centred around the narrative of Don Juan. Content-wise it's certainly the raunchiest I've seen from T24, but it's witty and teasing like good cabaret should be. Be warned though- it's not the type of show you'd take your parents to, unless you are all very open-minded.
The personas of each actor work really well: we have the sleaze, the tease, the 'innocent' and various other types that immerse the audience. Unlike some interactive shows, there is always a performer with their eye on you and always something going on somewhere in the room.
The actors and directors (it's a collaboration between Steven Laverty and Kirsten Peacock) really play with the idea that the audience are basically voyeurs, more so as the show goes on, and that despite the awkward shuffle when you get eyeballed, really we want to be interacted with. It's an unflinching look at sex and relationships between men and women, but it also asks interesting questions about greed and the search for satisfaction.
Luckily, Don Juan is a very satisfactory show indeed.