THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION at the New Diorama Theatre

★★★★

“The chaos is cut with emotion, and it’s carefully and cleverly structured”

YesYesNoNo are one of the hottest new theatre companies on the current London scene. Following a sell-out run of Nation at the Edinburgh Fringe, which he wrote and performed, Sam Ward’s latest offering is a chaotically absurd retelling of the French Revolution with pool noodles and bouncy castles.

There are five things this audience need to know about the French Revolution. Some are factual, some funny and some furious.

We begin in pre-revolutionary France. Inequality is rife, as demonstrated by peasants being thwacked by a pool noodle. This is a play that seethes under a jovial surface.

As the historical events develop, so too does the madness unravel. A bouncy castle, a performer on a treadmill, sports commentary of a protest, and a lot of wigs. Each performer multi-roles with cardboard signs announcing their character, none of whom are named. It’s pure Brecht. Thus, unsurprisingly, the silliness masks an anger and a serious message.

Here lies the uncertainty of the play. The anger is clear, and the parallels between modern day Britain and pre-revolutionary France, gloomily obvious. House prices are soaring, and as the rich get richer, the poor struggle for food. There is very little acknowledgement of the modern day, allowing the audience to join the dots themselves. But in doing that, the message becomes murkier, some aspects obvious, some obtuse. The ending makes the point of the allegory clearer, but feels disjointed, both in tone and meaning.

As a retelling of the French Revolution, it is sparky and punchy, if a little simplistic. As a modern-day commentary, it’s a little uncertain. It becomes a general comment on inequality and struggle, leaving the final visual moment, while striking, a little empty.

The show was devised by Sam Ward and the cast. There are some beautiful textual moments, some which have Ward’s signature flowing style. The chaos is cut with emotion, and it’s carefully and cleverly structured.

Joe Boylan is sublime, leaping over the vaulting horse, trudging on the treadmill and creating a balletic and pathetic image of the King. He also delivers the two most powerful and memorable monologues, striking an emotional resonance which is desperately needed. Jessica Enemokwu, Sha Dessi, and Alice Keedwell create delightful caricatures and bring energy and silliness to the stage. Paul Brendan deftly switches from the enthusiastic sweary washerwoman to the patronising idealistic bourgeoise, bringing each to life with joy and complexity.

Hazel Low’s set conjures an instant smile. With a shiny red floor, horse vault and an umpire chair, it is reminiscent of a school gymnasium. The childlike playfulness is brought to the fore. But the set also manages to encompass darker themes, and in combination with Han Sayle’s lighting design and Tom Foskett-Barnes’ sound there are moments of pure carnage.

This show has flashes of genius but based on YesYesNoNo’s previous work I couldn’t help expecting more from this play. It could’ve gone further, delving deeper into the messaging, and the payoff didn’t feel strong enough. As a devised piece it may evolve into something more complex as time goes on. But it’s an electric production, with some visual delights.

THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION at the New Diorama Theatre

Reviewed on 18th November 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Alex Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

KING TROLL (THE FAWN) | ★★★★★ | October 2024

BRENDA’S GOT A BABY | ★★★ | November 2023

AFTER THE ACT | ★★★★★ | March 2023

PROJECT DICTATOR | ★★½ | April 2022

THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

★★★

“complex and polished enough to build a community and keep them coming back for more”

Bridge Command is part escape room part video game, where participants must work as a team to captain a space ship and complete a fully immersive sci-fi mission.

The world is meticulous, if incomprehensible. Set in a distant future in outer space, participants are members of an intergalactic navy, who must fight alien pirates and navigate high stakes crises. Fans of Star Trek will rejoice, it’s a chance to be part of this fantasy world. For those less familiar with classic sci-fi tropes, some of the jargon is hard to follow. However, this is the kind of experience where a fan could keep returning, with many missions and different roles on offer.

On our mission, we must visit a space port to retrieve a data-pad for our home base. We are all assigned roles, with different responsibilities on board. Some of the team are familiar with the world, already able to excel at the game. While we do receive extensive training, it’s somewhat daunting to a beginner. While most escape rooms deploy a range of skills, and have obvious rules to the world, Bridge Command is more chaotically plotted. It is exciting though, the stakes are high, if not entirely clear.

There is a charming eye to detail. On arrival we don navy overalls and are asked if it’s our first time teleporting. We travel through a ‘teleportation device’ where the startling light show leaves no doubt at the impressive level of tech that will be involved throughout. The bar gives us drinks in flasks, strapped around our suits. Then our team is introduced, and the mission begins. We are ushered through room after room, shown an astonishing array of well thought out immersive space craft and bombarded with the lore of the world. This is where I get a bit lost, but for some of the team it’s clearly a thrilling chance to play.

It is easy to see that Bridge Command is a dream come true for fans of video games, sci fi, and role-play. The world building and enthusiastic commitment to character from the performers makes the experience feel very real and as we come under fire from enemy spaceships, it is genuinely stressful.

For me, there was too much to learn in quite a short time and then the actual game play felt confusing as the aim wasn’t clear. However, it would work well as a team building experience, or for those who’ve always secretly wished they could command their own space mission. This experience is complex and polished enough to build a community and keep them coming back for more.

Tag Archives: Alex Brenner

THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION

★★★★

New Diorama Theatre

THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION at the New Diorama Theatre

★★★★

“The chaos is cut with emotion, and it’s carefully and cleverly structured”

THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION at the New Diorama Theatre