Richard Herring: The Twelve Tasks of Hercules Terrace
Jeremy Hardy
Jeff Green
Horse & Bamboo Theatre: A Strange & Unexpected Event

Sunday 26 October 2004.
The Platform, Morecambe Box Office 01524 582803

Horse & Bamboo Theatre: A Strange & Unexpected Event

Last time I tried to see Horse and Bamboo their policy of playing village halls and other out of the way places put them beyond the reaches of public transport and I ended up in a pub in Chorley. On Sunday in the Platform I at least got to see nearly half the show - the top half.

The basic problem of incompatibility between production and venue became apparent as soon as we went to find a seat. The set was low and the seating not raked, consequently only the front row had any view of the stage.

I had a look at the set before I sat down, which appeared to be a slightly odd Mexican shrine, and took a seat assuming that I would at least be able to see the performers from the waist up once the show started.

Three masked women entered and knelt at the shrine. Thus the majority of the audience were left trying to figure out what was happening with nothing more to see than the tops of three papier mache heads. A good deal of the action took place at floor level, frequently characters would look or bend down producing ripples of laughter on the front row and waves of frustration behind, causing children to jump up and down on their seats. About a third of the audience chose to stand at the back.

This lack of visibility was particularly annoying as the show was very much a visual experience. The action took place without words, using a soundtrack and in parts performers appeared unmasked to play live music.

Horse and Bamboo create a surreal and magical world, that is both funny and tragic, using a wide array of visual effects; masks, puppets, projections, pictures etc.

Using imagery of the Mexican day of the dead to tell the story of satirical print maker J G Posada, the show produced some fine spectacles.

Particularly memorable were the execution of a revolutionary and his ghost riding away on an ethereal white horse, and skeletons dancing in UV light. Posada's recurrent battles with the Devil (a wonderful mask sporting a delightfully cheeky grin) who kept stealing his drink provided some comedic moments, though as much of this happened while Posada was sitting with his jug on the ground I have only the laughter of those at the front to verify this.

I hope that in future both The Platform and Horse and Bamboo will take care to ensure that audiences enjoyment of the entertainment is not so dreadfully impaired by such fundamental practicalities as sight lines.

See: http://www.horseandbamboo.org/

Pictures by Satori (who stood up at the back with aching feet and about 20 other people to watch this lovely, if rather confusing, production).

Read reviews of the other Comedy Festival gigs:

Richard Herring: The Twelve Tasks of Hercules Terrace
Jeremy Hardy
Jeff Green
Horse & Bamboo Theatre: A Strange & Unexpected Event