“Funny and clever for a few minutes, but all too soon like a bizarre adult Mr Bean sketch. Disappointing.”
Adam Scott-Rowley’s one man show ‘This is not Culturally Significant’ sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe last year and this performance as part of the Vault Festival 2017 was no different. It received a number of glowing five star reviews from the Fringe so expectations were high.
Out of Spite Theatre, Scott-Rowley’s company that produces the show claims it “strives to create confrontational, unsettling and high-intensity theatre” – well you could say they have definitely managed that with this show.
The USP of the show appears to be the performer’s nudity. There’s few props (a chair and a lamp), a lot of running around and Scott-Rowley flitting between an array of characters mostly from the more troubled side of society.
To his credit, he is an adept performer, the speed in which he goes between characters and the detailed manner in which he shows their personalities is to be admired.
Unfortunately, the fact that he is naked throughout sends mixed messages about this show. The nudity is apparently to enable the actor to be as expressive as possible and to not be shackled down when changing between characters. From the comments of nearby audience members, what Scott-Rowley has created was more akin to a hen party act, as they’d certainly not come along for the artistic merit of the show.
From what I’ve been told, the show hasn’t changed much since the Fringe (apart from a haircut). It’s difficult to see how it can progress and its probably a good idea that this show is quietly retired and Scott-Rowley focuses on his obvious talents and not trying to shock or be ‘original’.
Funny and clever for a few minutes, but all too soon like a bizarre adult Mr Bean sketch. Disappointing.
