The Old Market bar is decorated for Christmas in their typical, eclectic manner – it’s delightful. When we arrive the space is deliciously quiet which heightens my excitement at seeing the latest project from the theatre company whom I consider one of the if not the best in the UK: 1927. Within minutes the room is thronged with today’s audience eager for the doors to open.
Once admitted into the auditorium, walking through projections on the floor and walls of white animated number and letters, we find two female figures, costumed in white and black with dunce-style caps adorned with letters, standing sentry-like at either side of the stage. Intermittently they walk out into the audience, in stony faced silence to hand people a beautifully sharpened brand-new pencil before returning to their vigilant space. There was a lot of supposition going on around us as to who’s getting them and who isn’t and why. This is 1927, of course there may be no reason!
Black and white animated letters and symbols are projected on to the screen at the rear of the stage. As the lights go out our sentries alight the stage and the show heralded by a female voiceover. She tells us that the “twisted little story” they’re about to tell may be true or not.
The many characters in the show are played by four performers who interact seamlessly with exquisitely created, constantly changing, handcrafted projected animations from Paul Barritt on the surrounding screens and music by Laurence Owen.
This is story of a family whose father (Stefan Davis) has disappeared. His children, teenager Kim (Chardae Phillips) and son Davey (voiced by Patrick Copley) who is a screen-based animation believe, through letters from their dad aka Mr E, that he is on an odyssey to find The Big Man who stole a briefcase that he had been tasked with delivering by his boss. On his travels he’ll meet a lion, a kangaroo, drink cocktails and dance in a tropical bar and even more.
Throughout their mother (Jenny Wills) is heroically trying to keep the family afloat during her husband’s absence. She’s constantly fending off her ‘friend’ Sally (Lara Cowin) who we quickly realise is something more sinister than she appears.
Darkness and humour bumps shoulders with film noir, silent movies, graphic novel and even Disney vibes. As one would expect from 1927 there is more to this than simply a mad-cap caper although kids will accept it as such.
The play based on the childhood of writer, Suzanne Andrade, about the role that fiction can play for children processing trauma and facing difficult experiences safely.
Directed by Andrade and Esme Appleton the surreal performance will often break out into song and dance routines which heighten the other worldly feel on stage which permeates through us, the audience.
The show is intensely moving and disturbing in parts as one comes to realise the truth of the situation in which the family and their neighbours are placed.
If you possibly can get down to TOM to catch this impressive show in the short few days remaining of this run before they head off to The South Bank you won’t be disappointed.
https://www.theoldmarket.com/shows/1927-please-right-back
Until Thursday 19 December 2024
