The performance was followed by a brief ‘questions and answers' with some general discussion. Most of the audience returned to the theatre, along with the now clean and dry cast, and the session was chaired by Dr Andrew Quick of the University's Theatre Studies Department.

Some interesting issues came up, starting with Schlock's sources, explained by the cast as including horror films, personal narratives taken from a selection of one-to-one interviews. Whilst the piece can perhaps best be described as ‘experimental theatre', the cast's description of the piece's evolution and rehearsal phases, with improvisation, exploration of particular emphases of the ‘text' etc, were common to most forms of theatre.

Several present discussed the piece's musical structure and ‘theme and variations' form, and some had clearly saw, heard and felt a musical aspect to the performance. Attention to dynamics, pace, acoustic quality, the controlled rise and fall of tension was clearly identifiable in the production.

The references to and the presence of comedy were also mentioned. When asked how comedy can impact on or relate to pain or trauma, one suggestion was to "See more horror movies'. There is also sometimes a lightness, a ridiculousness in pain, as anyone falling over in an undignified manner can vouch.

One contribution likened Schlock to a "Cataclysm of accidents' as shown in JG Ballard'sfilm, Crash. Another asked "Did you know how beautiful it was', citing a parallel with the paintings of Francis Bacon.

Perhaps more pertinently to wider political and social issues of the day, there was also some debate about ‘are we desensitised to pain, injury, disaster?' Tsunami-fatigue and other mollifications of continuing tragedy (the civil wars in Northern Ireland, Sudan, parts of Africa, global famine and starvation) are examples of how society's and individuals' views change over time. The piece opened up far too many issues to address in some half hour or so.

But this production, one of the best pieces of experimental theatre I have seen, was a complex, well-thought out and finely-produced achievement. I am looking forward to Uninvited Guests' next work.