Hilarious History-onics at the Intimate
28 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Beren Belknap, Gabriel Marchand, James MacGregor, The Intimate Theatre, The Pink Couch
It’s the final death rattle of the Boer War. Two soldiers are manning the last strategic outpost of Boer command, waiting for final orders to be telegraphed. One is a young Afrikaner soldier with a gruff manner and half a head. The other is a Brit double agent in a pith helmet and wedding dress.
So begins Out of Order – a madcap tale full of pithy narrative and passionate nationalism, not to mention a delicious koeksister cameo. It’s South African history like you’ve never heard it before. Mainly, of course, because it’s all completely fabricated. But still, you know. Still.
Out of Order marks the first collaboration between up-and-coming theatre production companies The Pink Couch and The Space Behind the Couch – as if it wasn’t tricky enough distinguishing between their names. The Pink Couch has an eye for comic book style vignettes (employed by director Tara Notcutt to superb effect in Mafeking Road). The Space Behind the Couch has an ear for quirky narrative (last heard in the zany banter of the undead in director Beren Belknap’s Madame Touxflouwe). Together with original animation from Jeremy Carver, this collaboration brings a wealth of young, creative talent to the local stage.
The two-hander features James MacGregor (Shakespeare’s R+J, Madame Touxflouwe) and Gabriel Marchand (Sadako, I Love You When You’re Breathing). MacGregor plays the (oh-so-)straight guy to Marchand’s chipper jokester. There’s a wonderfully balanced energy between these two – their irreverent approach and deadpan banter brings to mind moments from comedy classics like Monty Python. They are committed and clever with the script. They are, also, hellofa funny.
In what could be a case of ageing eyes and ears, I felt the sound levels needed some fine-tuning at times. I also found the animation lost some effect – and narrative clarity – by being projected in a relatively small area on an uneven background. Aside from these small details, I was sold.
Quick march to the Intimate – the show ends this week. If you do, MacGregor and Marchand will have you in stitches. The good kind.
