Joe McGrath (writer and performer) couldn’t have picked a better venue for his one man play. This mini-studio theatre was probably the size of a typical radio booth, the exposed bricks brought an apocalyptic coldness, and the pub’s sealed door complimented the plotline.
The comedy centred on a radio show called Grace FM which still broadcast a show every day, despite being set in a post armageddon world with the possibility of no-one actually listening in. It was a funny and tragic premise all at once. For those who might have been pinning their ears back, the show could have been in some way a “saving grace”, a definition deconstructed meaningfully in the play text. Each scene concentrated on the significant days or the trivial days. Once the radio presenter, James Carr, introduced a song playlist on air, he conducted a YouTube style vlog using his video camera. He opened up about who he was, how he felt, and gave survival hints and tips to potential viewers. The camera became the focus but I would have thought this content was meant for the radio show? It’s not the end of the world that McGrath did this (pun intended) I just thought this was an oversight that could have been considered.
As you would expect, there was a radio mixing desk, laptop, and microphone in the set design. The “On Air” sign completed the overall design nicely. Was he really “On Air” if no-one was listening in, in the first place? A guitarist and singer opened up tonight’s performance but the way this was introduced seemed random. I didn’t get a programme so I can’t credit his name, sorry. Despite this, he was in fine voice: there was a grit to his singing voice with a refined falsetto. I’d liken him to James Arthur actually. The lyrics he sang, “Meet me at the end of the world” related to the play at least.
This play was a good example of a tragi-comedy. The writing effectively balanced the meaningful and the meaningless, laugh-out-loud punchline comedy with anti-comedy, and what was goofy versus what was serious. As the play played on, it became more bizarre. Becoming more darkly hilarious when you intermittently reminded yourself that actually no-one might be listening and the whole thing was meaningless. There were some technical difficulties with the audio at times like in the karaoke scene.
McGrath asked a photographer to photograph the play for promotional purposes, this was disruptive and annoying (especially with the flash). Really, the shots should have been captured in the dress rehearsal. He also ended the play by declaring it was the end, which you simply don’t do because it breaks character and the theatrical formality of the event.
So this is my summary outcue: the writing was worthy of the number one spot for comedy, McGrath’s performance was personable and hilarious. It was pleasing, even with the minor plot oversight, technical hitch, and inexperience showing slightly.
Reviewer - Sam Lowe
on - 10/7/19
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