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Premature ovations all round
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September 26th, 2013
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Catastrophic Sex Music ***** (5 stars out of 6); September 24 at Bådteatret
‘Catastrophic Sex Music’ definitely delivers on its promise of a “short sharp shock”.
Walking down the narrow stairs into Bådteatret, it’s obvious it’s going to be a unique experience. Perched in your cosy theatre chair with a glass of red in hand, you’re very comfortable, but as implied, you won’t necessarily stay that way.
Written by young British playwright Bysshe Coffey, the poetic script was picked up by new up-and-coming theatre company FasterPussycat and directed by their own Janice Dunn.
Clare Humphrey and Maria Lohmann portray two students who, according to the programme, are “in search of an identity” and “stumble into a legendary party”. They take us on an exquisite journey full of dizzying highs and manic lows as thrill-seeking youngsters.
From the very moment the lights dim, it’s intriguing. The empty black stage is littered with books, a noose dangles from the roof, a suit hangs neatly in the corner, and there’s a big white bucket of something that really makes the mind wonder.
Humphrey and Lohmann portray two different perspectives; however, as the performance progresses, it becomes more apparent that they may just be cleverly representing two different fragments of the same mind. We enter their thought process and experience every single perfectly articulated detail, enhanced by emotive movement and dramatic lighting.
Interspersed with wild dancing and sharp spurts of humor, the vivid interpretation of Coffey’s script makes you nostalgic for the old days. You want to jump up and join them on stage and live all those wild fleeting moments again.
Catastrophic Sex Music is a wordy but completely unpretentious performance that is every bit as entertaining as it is engaging. It draws you into the thrills and chills of booze, substance abuse and unrequited obsession, all with a generous handful of humour thrown in for good measure.
The performance is short and sweet with a whole lot of sensations cleverly crammed into a tidy 40 minutes. The time just flew by: excellent news for those reluctant to commit to a whole evening of culture.
You’ll laugh, you might cry, and at some point, you’ll definitely feel unsettled.
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