The Boy Who Climbed Out of His Face: review
Boundary-breaking arts collective Shunt's latest project was intriguing, with moments of brilliance, but ultimately was neither immersive nor theatrical enough, Lucy Brooks reviews.
The Boy Who Climbed Out of His Face: review
Boundary-breaking arts collective Shunt's latest project was intriguing, with moments of brilliance, but ultimately was neither immersive nor theatrical enough, Lucy Brooks reviews.
An Immersive Experience?
Instead of a stage, The Boy Who Climbed Out of His Face takes place within a temporary space specially created out of shipping containers. We were called up in a group of 20 and stripped of shoes and socks. The anticipation and curiosity was tangible as we were ushered through labyrinthine darkness into the 'industrial pavilion'.
Once inside we were shepherded from space to strange space, with no agency to explore or carve out an individual experience. While this follow-the-leader formation may have a meaningful artistic message, it robs you of one of the more compelling elements of immersive performance and feels more like a fairground House of Horrors. This was a shame, as the shipping cargo capsules are peppered with inventiveness, sardonic humour and the occasional symbol from The Water Babies and The Heart of Darkness , both of which inspired the production. Light and sound were manipulated to mimic movement and create airless claustrophobia. The rubber-faced performers were either grubby or grotesque, offering spectacle in place of narrative, and the best moments where those when we were left with just space and senses provoking wild thoughts.
However, these flashes of terrifying affectiveness were undermined by the limitation of the actual immersion. Told to carry a shoe box for the duration, and cast in constant proximity with fellow audience members (who vastly out-number the solo performers) it's impossible to overcome a whiff of awkwardness. Full disorientation and absorption is fleeting when you're all too aware of other people's smirks and are lugging around a reminder that in under 45 minutes you'll be shod once more and joining the queue for a cocktail.
About Shunt
Shunt are at the forefront of immersive theatre. The collective of artists began at Central School of Speech and Drama and set up base in a railway arch under London Bridge. And it was this space, The Vaults, where they created their work while also running a bar and club nights to fund early projects. This format gave them lots of freedom to create fresh and experimental work, which built a steady buzz. Shunt are renowned for creating performances for strange spaces. Most recently they collaborated with The National Theatre with The Architects a re-working of myths that was staged in a Bermondsey biscuit factory and divided critics. This brand of bold theatre is certainly not for everyone and Shunt don't pull their punches. But if you like your shows to shatter tradition and the fourth wall with a wave of weirdness, then it's worth taking a punt on Shunt.
Want to read more? Members enjoy full access to all Culture Whisper's arts previews, exclusives and features. Click here to take our cultural quiz and get a month's free trial.
An Immersive Experience?
Instead of a stage, The Boy Who Climbed Out of His Face takes place within a temporary space specially created out of shipping containers. We were called up in a group of 20 and stripped of shoes and socks. The anticipation and curiosity was tangible as we were ushered through labyrinthine darkness into the 'industrial pavilion'.
Once inside we were shepherded from space to strange space, with no agency to explore or carve out an individual experience. While this follow-the-leader formation may have a meaningful artistic message, it robs you of one of the more compelling elements of immersive performance and feels more like a fairground House of Horrors. This was a shame, as the shipping cargo capsules are peppered with inventiveness, sardonic humour and the occasional symbol from The Water Babies and The Heart of Darkness , both of which inspired the production. Light and sound were manipulated to mimic movement and create airless claustrophobia. The rubber-faced performers were either grubby or grotesque, offering spectacle in place of narrative, and the best moments where those when we were left with just space and senses provoking wild thoughts.
However, these flashes of terrifying affectiveness were undermined by the limitation of the actual immersion. Told to carry a shoe box for the duration, and cast in constant proximity with fellow audience members (who vastly out-number the solo performers) it's impossible to overcome a whiff of awkwardness. Full disorientation and absorption is fleeting when you're all too aware of other people's smirks and are lugging around a reminder that in under 45 minutes you'll be shod once more and joining the queue for a cocktail.
About Shunt
Shunt are at the forefront of immersive theatre. The collective of artists began at Central School of Speech and Drama and set up base in a railway arch under London Bridge. And it was this space, The Vaults, where they created their work while also running a bar and club nights to fund early projects. This format gave them lots of freedom to create fresh and experimental work, which built a steady buzz. Shunt are renowned for creating performances for strange spaces. Most recently they collaborated with The National Theatre with The Architects a re-working of myths that was staged in a Bermondsey biscuit factory and divided critics. This brand of bold theatre is certainly not for everyone and Shunt don't pull their punches. But if you like your shows to shatter tradition and the fourth wall with a wave of weirdness, then it's worth taking a punt on Shunt.
Want to read more? Members enjoy full access to all Culture Whisper's arts previews, exclusives and features. Click here to take our cultural quiz and get a month's free trial.
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