A bare stage, save two coathangers full of costumes on either side. Cue appropriate English fanfare style music, and enter two young men, who, for the next hour will take us all, at lightning speed, through the history of Britain from Boudicca and The Romans up to Queen Victoria.
'Barmy Britain' is a fun, slick, and informative piece of theatre for older children (and younger-feeling adults!) performed with expertise by just two very talented actors. I really wish I had a programme as I'd love to be able to credit them both on here, but sadly I do not know the actors' names.
With rehearsed ease and skill, they transformed their characters before our eyes with sometimes just the simplest of hat change, and other times with an almost full costume change, but executed so cleverly that no time was taken up by it. They sang (altered lyrics to well-known tunes and indeed some very modern up-to-the-minute pop hits too), danced, and acted their way through the lives and events of a few seminal moments in our barmy history... perhaps some of the barmiest, perhaps not, but certainly ones which they could make into a visually humorous and entertaining sketch for their target audience to lap up! And lap it all up they most certainly did.
A pint-sized King John being 'pursuaded' to sign The Magna Carta, was followed by a fun audience-participation song, whilst Guy Fawkes was a contestant on a "Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire" style mickey-take. The actors were showing us how barmy our ancestors were by being barmy themselves; but it totally payed dividend. I have never seen a Horrible Histories show before (not even on TV!.. mea culpa I know), so was not sure what to expect; but I can wholeheartedly recommend them. This was fun, fast and furious, and an absolute delight to behold for the whole engaging 60 minutes!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.9.21
'Barmy Britain' is a fun, slick, and informative piece of theatre for older children (and younger-feeling adults!) performed with expertise by just two very talented actors. I really wish I had a programme as I'd love to be able to credit them both on here, but sadly I do not know the actors' names.
With rehearsed ease and skill, they transformed their characters before our eyes with sometimes just the simplest of hat change, and other times with an almost full costume change, but executed so cleverly that no time was taken up by it. They sang (altered lyrics to well-known tunes and indeed some very modern up-to-the-minute pop hits too), danced, and acted their way through the lives and events of a few seminal moments in our barmy history... perhaps some of the barmiest, perhaps not, but certainly ones which they could make into a visually humorous and entertaining sketch for their target audience to lap up! And lap it all up they most certainly did.
A pint-sized King John being 'pursuaded' to sign The Magna Carta, was followed by a fun audience-participation song, whilst Guy Fawkes was a contestant on a "Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire" style mickey-take. The actors were showing us how barmy our ancestors were by being barmy themselves; but it totally payed dividend. I have never seen a Horrible Histories show before (not even on TV!.. mea culpa I know), so was not sure what to expect; but I can wholeheartedly recommend them. This was fun, fast and furious, and an absolute delight to behold for the whole engaging 60 minutes!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.9.21
No comments:
Post a Comment