The Greenroom
Friday 25th April
Founded in 1989, Reckless Sleepers are a company that claim to be dedicated to the production, presentation and development of innovative and experimental visual art and performance. Yet this performance of The Pilots was odd, uncomfortable viewing and at some moments just plain boring!
The show was billed as part of a series of works investigating acts of terror, a modern day topic that was barely touched upon within the performance. When it was addressed it was treated in a ridiculous and hysterical manner. Constant shouted reference to the bomb in the suitcase and knife against the back of the neck for me were not the appropriate way to deal with terrorism.
The performance was structured as if the audience were witnessing a rehearsal, the florescent lights of the greenroom studio never went down and the two actors referred to scripts throughout. The props on stage, such as ladders, gas canisters and heaters implied the surroundings of an airport hanger; however this was never confirmed or denied. The show fluctuated from quiet to loud, ridiculous to tiresome; the comedic twists between the two performers also fell flat and constant introduction of new characters was almost schizophrenic.
The dialogue and context just had no continuity or clear meaning, if I had not have read the promotional material previously I would have been at a complete loss as to what it was all about. I knew it all was to do with pilots and terrorism, therefore the only interpretation I can gleam from this is that the show was supposed to be uncomfortable and inconclusive viewing, I suppose as an attempt to mirror the actions of a terrorist. The audience were told throughout what to think and what to feel, our control was being taken from us, just as control is taken from those subject to the will of the terrorist.
From this insight I suppose it is clear what the company were attempting to do, but I just do not feel it was done well. The attempted singing, dancing and constant repetition were just plain annoying. The performance ended with a complete showing of the video ‘Club Tropicana’ by Wham. Yes very strange I know, I think the point was to display that the life of an airline pilot is no longer seen as a happy go lucky career of choice, as Andrew and George clearly presumed it to be in the eighties. Terrorism has now turned flight into a dangerous rather than exciting concept.
A sensitive and important theme was handled clumsily within this performance. The acting seemed insincere and maybe a little pretentious. The structure was inconsistent and uncomfortable, leaving my enjoyment of the production little better.
3/10
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