A Light in the Tunnel: Black Comedy Previewed

Fluorescent strip lighting can be misleading. It’s a dark place, the library. I understand you; as you bury yourself further in Byron and the Week 8 blues, the gloominess is bound to set in. But fret not, there is light (humour) at the end of the tunnel. There is ‘Black Comedy’ at the Barron.

Heading up a week of theatrical onslaught, Black Comedy is a must-see and must not be forgotten amidst the hype for Earnest and Spelling Bee. Despite it being his directorial debut, Alistair Bird has a strong vision and unpretentious passion; ‘we just want people to come and have a laugh’ – and it seems certain they will. A  good ol’ fashioned fast-paced farce, Black Comedy is imbued with calamity, chaos and, of course, comedy as endless mistaken identities and drunken antics ensue; all bound to bring laughs, and surely some flashbacks to last Friday night. That is if you weren’t, as I was, in the library.

To give you a brief overview, Brindsley (a poor and unknown artist) and his fiancé Carol have stolen their neighbour, Harold’s, furniture in order to impress Carol’s, Colonel, father and a multimillionaire art-collector. But just as the lights go out, Harold returns and Brindsley is forced to rectify the situation before the art-collector arrives and Harold realises what he’s done, whilst struggling meanwhile to schmooze his future-father-in-law amidst the re-appearance of an old ex. Makes the multi-tasking of Buzzfeed and Byron seem meek, doesn’t it?

After rigorous weeks of rehearsal, the show is set to be as slick as its plot is messy with directorial and acting talent brighter than any library bulb. Tripping over feet there will be, but tripping over lines there will not. It seems certain that although the power fails, this play definitely won’t. Make sure you catch Black Comedy in Venue 1 on Monday and Tuesday at 8 pm. The metaphors, cliches and analogies continue.

Photos courtesy of the Black Comedy team.