Review: 24 Hour Plays

On Saturday evening, 24 hours prior to the performance, five drama students began writing. The theme was ‘The Brothers Grimm’ and the brave playwrights were given until 7.30am to complete their scripts.

The first play of the evening was incredible. Written by Chris White, it followed the existing plot of ‘The Juniper Tree’, but with some updated, dryer dialogue. Lucy Mangan reflected this with her slick, innovative direction, so the pace of the piece never faltered. Props were used confidently, the most ingenious and visceral example being a tomato as a heart, thrown by the narrator and crushed in an actor’s hand. Live music added to the professionalism. At times, it was hard to believe this entire piece was devised in just one day.

The theme for the plays was ‘The Brothers Grimm’

Written by Ben Rogers, the premise of the second play was an interview between a therapist and her patient, Alan, who had fairy tale characters as imaginary companions. These characters were outspoken and modern, comedy created in Rapunzel flaunting her new pink hair and Gretel admonishing Snow White for her politically incorrect grumbles about dwarves. The piece brushed against some darker ideas, but was ultimately light and amusing. Particularly responsible for this liveliness was Jonathan Moss, who played the rowdy, indignant Hansel.

The third play of the evening indisputably got the most laughs, although perhaps not for the reasons that writer Josh Husselbee intended. The story was of a fairy tale princess (Cinderella, not that it was particularly relevant) charging inexplicably into a rich businessman’s flat only to be accidentally murdered, leaving four ‘normal’ people to figure out their reactions.

However, the performance became anarchic quickly, lines lost and actors laughing uncontrollably on stage. Fortunately for Minotaur, in the evening’s cheery atmosphere, the audience embraced the inevitability of giddiness and spontaneity, laughing far harder than the actors as they improvised desperately, trying to regain control of the scene.

Tom Eaton’s play came after the interval. Set post ‘happy ever after’, two stepsisters outwitted Fate by embracing their miserable futures rather than struggling in anguish as he intended. This was one of the most original and interesting ideas of the night although it turned out quite absurd, most of the comedy coming from Tina Baston’s robust digestive biscuit tango and the confirmation that Fate wears a skimpy silk kimono and brandishes a penis-shaped salt shaker.

Clearly a necessity in all the very best of plays

Freddie Van der Velde and Lewis Garvey teamed up for the last play of the evening which was related to critically unloved 2005 film, ‘The Brothers Grimm’, set at the call-backs for the film’s leads. The script was a little erratic, and its reliance on a fairly obscure film didn’t help this. Although there were some funny moments, again, lines were forgotten and scenes struggled through quite slowly. It felt quite flat, whole-hearted exertions not really being made to salvage theatrical integrity.

Altogether, Minotaur put on an enjoyable show. The evening’s appeal was in its time constraints and the audience consequently arrived expecting some spontaneity.

Breaking character was, under these time and sleep-deprived conditions, absolutely excusable as long as the audience’s laughter surpassed the performers’. Unfortunately, at times it didn’t and there was an occasional sense that a few particular performers were luxuriating under the stage lights.

Bright lights, not always outshone by talent

At times, the atmosphere became more like that of a peer based workshop than a professional show, which is ultimately not what the public paid to see.

Minotaur set themselves a daunting challenge and didn’t fail to deliver some fantastic, incredibly accomplished theatre as well as a lot of laughter one way or another, the audience treated to an energetic and entertaining night.