202

General

Performance Review: ‘Spaces’ plays-within-plays alternate between laughs and reflection

Virginia Pedani
February 9th, 2019


This article is more than 5 years old.

★★★★★☆

‘Bin Juice’ is the second of three plays on CBS Theatre’s program (photo: CBS Theatre)

At first glance, the performance space looked incomplete and no great shakes, with a few light-coloured wooden chairs and a double bed located right in the centre of the room to catch the viewer’s attention.

But as things got going into the 30-minute ‘King Arthur’s Socks’ story, the set design seemed to be just what was required and totally fit for purpose.

As the title implies, we’re in Arthurian legend territory, although with something of a twist. After all, as far as I recall Malory didn’t make much mention of Arthur wearing socks. Whatever! Each of the four character (Guenevere, Vivien, Mary and Lancelot) fitted perfectly, and the play alternated on an invisible track between pure moments of laughs and more reflective ones.

Juiced up
With no intermission and by now a great rapport going with the audience, ‘Bin Juice’ was brought to the stage with a completely different, fresh, twentieth-century set design.

This time we were in a modern European context inside a room shared by two girls. The mix is complicated by the addition of Axel, who thinks he’s got an online date and uncomplicated fun.

Directors Piper McKenzie & Marley Hasselbach have written originally and subjectively for each actor, even though I would have liked to have seen the ‘writer’s block’ theme felt by Triss developed further.

Room of lost souls
After fifteen minutes pause it was the time for ‘The Waiting Room’. I can only describe the scenery in which the play took place as ambiguous. The play is about six souls in a waiting room after death being presented with a choice, and it just left me astonished and stunned. The afterlife is shown here as a place between worlds, where time is different.

Congratulations to the actors for their excellent performances – especially in this last part of the show. To sum up, I encourage you to go to see this production, it’s really worthwhile as well as being amusing.

Tickets still available for the matinee performance of ‘Spaces’ at 14:00 on February 9 at Huset, Rådhusstræde 13, Copenhagen. Tickets: 120kr


Share

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive The Daily Post

















Latest Podcast