As the swimwear clad cast back crawl across the stage to the beach we find ourselves on strange new shores.
This mix of movement and live music attempts to capture the atmosphere of the beach, seemingly catching random memories from the sea breeze.
A procession of characters ebb and flow, sometimes in overly theatrical movement as they turn and stare or play an exaggerated game of Connect 4.
We see a group of lads on tour, all macho bravado but hiding insecurities. Yes, one declares it’s the best holiday ever, but he misses his mum; mammoth drinking is revealed as a white wine spritzer that was too strong and a well-spoken boy uses guttural utterances just to fit in.
There are the fit, the laden with beach toys, the slathered with sun lotion. It’s absurdist and surreal. Not all of it works, but there are some moments of sunshine. A “mimed” accompaniment to My Little Surfer Girl with limited repeated movements; a sunbather battling a melting ice lolly, the heat provided by a hairdryer. The group of older ladies and the snap-happy holiday makers are more sketch like.
This piece is by final year students of the BA (Hons) European Theatre Arts course at Rose Bruford College. It appears to have replaced the originally programmed Et in Arcadia Ego (We thought we heard fireworks), the company's first work. New arts graduates may be able to determine the influences of the methodologies and practices of European theatre, but along the way it seems to have lost any political or social comment and feels like an end of term showcase.
The production is a work in progress and, while the Fringe is ideal for avant-garde theatre, there is a difference between putting on experimental and unfinished shows.
As a “happening” it is presumably in the spirit of Tadeusz Kantor in attempting something he described as “an allegory of chaotic society” when talking about his 1972 Fringe production “The Water Hen”. That weird event caused a sensation and was said to push forward experimental theatre. One commentator said "rather than discuss the event as theatre it might be as well to say that Cricot 2 give a magnificent party"
This isn’t such a great party; and there are definitely no fireworks.
Show Times: 9 – 13 August 2016 at 6pm.
Tickets: £8 (£5).
Suitability: 14+