For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last couple of decades, then Orlando Bloom is a famous and respected English actor probably best known these days as playing Legolas in 'Lord Of The Rings'. However, this is a de-bloomed show, and so of course, he isn't there and never actually turns up either despite promises to the contrary. What there is though, however is a life-size cardboard cut-out of him centre stage, which, in the King's Arms tiny studio space, pretty much takes up the whole performance area.
Instead, what we are given in this 60 minute performance is actor Leo Mates, aka for this performance Hector Dunderbridge. Mates' one man show holds the audience - quite lietrally - to ransom, as his character, the world famous author Hector Dunderbridge teeters on the edge and tries to hold everything together whilst trying to perform excerpts of his greatest moments in his writing. - about bears, bees and goodness knows what else.
The studio space is tiny and cramped and Mates makes no apologies for picking on poor audience members seemingly at random and even ushering us all on the stage at one point. We just simply had too, willing and unwitting guinea-pigs that we were. His publisher never turned up, and of course, Orlando Bloom was ostensibly locked outside by Dunderbridge so that he could purposefully highjack his show.
The hour is frenetic, fast-paced, and as Mates gets continually more and more demanding and authoritarian, we acquiesce and capitulate like the good little cirtizens we are..laughing along and taking it all in our stride, which just irritates him even more. Finally he holds the whole audience hostage and - well - no spoilers here.......go for yourselves to find out more.
Mates, behind the manic, idotic, bambastic ranting, is a sincere performer who has crafted a piece quite cleverly and if there is indeed any message to take away from this verbal and aural onslaught, it is not to take things too seriously. I laughed, I was enraged, and then laughed again. What Orlando Bloom would have made of it, goodness only knows.....!
Reviewer - Chris Benchley
on - 18/7/19
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