People Zoo Pint Sized, The Kings Arms, Salford, 4th-5th December, 2014
For their debut production, Manchester theatre company People Zoo chose to present three short plays from local writers. Each of Jumbo Shrimp, Let them Eat It, and Captain Awkward shared similar themes of awkward relationships, but other than that, the audience was treated to three very different pieces of theatre.
Opening with Jumbo Shrimp, the audience was asked to consider the power of chance encounters. As Flora (Verity Mullan Wilkinson) sits on the tube trying to get some reception on her phone, she is interrupted by Trevor (Joseph Aldous). He questions whether she truly needs to spend her time on the tube searching for signal she is unlikely to find, and tells her that he finds this forced gap from digital communication something of a relief.
Despite seeing him as nothing more than annoyance in the early part of the play, their relationship takes a turn when they discover a shared passion for oxymorons. Warming to each other, the characters ask increasingly revealing questions and what was once small talk turns into something deeper, to the point that these two commuters seem to be considering the meaning of life. Opposite them, a man sits, seemingly sleeping. When they discover something surprising about him, their musings take on an even greater meaning. This is a short but sharp play with two interesting characters portrayed brilliantly by the actors and a final section that leaves the audience with a lot to think about.
The next play, Let them Eat It, began with two women dolled up as Marie Antoinette standing between two tables full of cake, one of them constantly offering the other a slice of the many pastries on offer. With characters speaking in preposterously posh voices, and mostly discussing banal pleasantries, it does take a while for this play to become anything more than just mildly amusing.
When a man dressed as Jack Sparrow briefly totters across the stage, you begin to sense that all is not as it seems. And as the play develops we return to the night’s theme of awkward relationships. What is really at stake here is a friendship. Two friends that have long shared a hobby have come to an impasse, and we are left wondering if it is something they can survive. It’s another strong piece of theatre from People Zoo, even if it could have done with finishing a few scenes earlier than it did. The current ending maybe dulls the impact, but overall it’s a fun and original way of looking at the way friendships evolve, change, and survive.
The evening’s final piece came in the form of Captain Awkward, a play which looked at themes ranging from office politics to sexual harassment and bullying. When Alan begins working for a new firm, a male colleague takes him to a strip club to celebrate. This begins a series of incidents in which Alan is made to look less than professional in front of his boss. Luckily for Alan, a female colleague has also suffered at the hands of this particular person, and the two of them plot to bring him down. Perhaps the most exciting of the three plays, it was again let down by a slightly unnecessary ending. After a satisfying conclusion to the play’s conflict, a twist slightly undercut the satisfaction. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that this was another fun and thought-provoking piece of theatre.
Performances throughout the night were strong, despite a couple of small wobbles. If I was to pick out a single performer for praise it would probably be Joseph Aldous, who played a main role in both Jumbo Shrimp and Captain Awkward. His character in the opener was brash and confident, whilst the closer saw him take on a shy and reserved young man forced into a working world that doesn’t entirely suit his personality. He played both roles with aplomb. But the same could be said of nearly every other actor, too.
If I was to pick one play, it would probably be Jumbo Shrimp. Endings are crucial, and of the three it left you with the most to think about. The other two plays certainly had their moments, though. Both were extremely amusing at times, and Captain Awkward had four great characters. Overall, this was a successful start for People Zoo. It will be exciting to see what they do next.
Fran Slater