Support Us Login
  • Home
  • Going Out
    • Things to do
    • Food & Drink
    • Theatre
    • Visual Arts
    • Cinema
    • Kids
    • Festival
    • Gigs
    • Dance
    • Classical Music
    • Opera
    • Immersive
    • Talks
  • Staying In
    • TV
    • Books
    • Cook
    • Podcast
    • Design
    • Netflix
  • Life & Style
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Gifting
    • Wellbeing
    • Lifestyle
    • Shopping
    • Jewellery
  • Explore
  • Shopping
  • CW SHOPS
  • Support Us
  • Get Started
  • Tickets
  • CW SHOPS
Get the Best of London Life, Culture and Style
By entering my email I agree to the CultureWhisper Privacy Policy (we won`t share data & you can unsubscribe anytime).
Things to do

Culture Whisper Review: A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts, Tricycle Theatre ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒

By Lucy Brooks on 14/1/2015

Mind-boggling feats both silly and profound make for an engrossing and refreshingly honest show, writes Lucy Brooks

Culture Whisper Review: A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts, Tricycle Theatre ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒
Culture Whisper Review: A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts, Tricycle Theatre ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒
'Be Authentic' reminds a scrawl at the back of the stage and it is this demand upon which the whole Series of Impossible Acts rests.


Any notion of dramatic pretence is splintered as the ensemble cast, clad in sports wear, invite the audience to pick a name out of a hat.
The chosen performer becomes the show's protagonist, and the subject of series of gruelling challenges. When we saw the show it was the endlessly energetic Stevie (Steven Webb) taking centre stage, but each show is subject to chance, making a set, standard outcome impossible. 


The tasks are like a series of barmy drunken bad ideas in a circuit training format: bend metal, perform extreme contortion, lick your own elbow, eat an entire lemon... You'll gasp and laugh and feel a certain admiration for such determination in the face of failure.
Between these physical feats, the performer is subjected to an equally overwhelming barrage of emotional trials. This was what set the show apart from standard physical theatre. From formative experiences such as a first kiss to quick fire blunt, brutal questions ( 'what do you hate most about yourself?' 'are your parents proud of you?' 'do you spend all your time together laughing) a complex character and narrative is revealed. The improvised reactions, while only spontaneous within the show's set structure, create some of the most honest and unexpected utterances we have seen on stage. And while there was a rawness to much of the soul-searching, there were also moments of surprising, splutter-inducing comedy, which sprang so organically from the moment that the audience feel like a part of the theatrical adventure. With each return to the circuit of Impossible Acts, there was a new significance, as the actor became increasingly exhausted, but also less isolated, able to rely on the ensemble for help.


Like a teenage game of truth and dare, A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts can be shocking and raw, but there's an essence of therapy in the protagonist's self-revelation, plus an enlightening sense of performative self-awareness. 'What's tonight's show about?' Stevie was asked, and it very much feels like the answer is different each night. 


In a lot of ways the show is more like the warm up and training exercises that actors face at drama school, all aiming to splinter inhibition and interrogate motivations to create a connection with audience. If you like your shows with a slick narrative and solid thread of plot, steer clear. But if you're looking for a more challenging and eye-opening experience, A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts is a delight.

Share:

Review

Reviews

Tricycle Theatre

Secret Theatre Company



You may also like:
  • Culture Whisper review: Women on the Verge, Playhouse Theatre ⭑⭑⭑⭒⭒

    Culture Whisper review: Women on the Verge, Playhouse Theatre ⭑⭑⭑⭒⭒

  • Emily Plumtree and Susannah Fielding in Merchant of Venice

    Culture Whisper Review: Merchant of Venice, Almeida Theatre ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒



  • The Culture Whisper team
  • Support Us
  • Tickets
  • Contact us
  • Press
  • FAQ
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions
  • Cookies
  • Discover
  • Venues
  • Restaurants
  • Stations
  • Boroughs
✕ ✕
Turning tips into memories
Login
Signup

You have reached the limit of free articles.


To enjoy unlimited access to Culture Whisper sign up for FREE.
Find out more about Culture Whisper

Please fix the following input errors:

  • dummy

Each week, we send newsletters and communication featuring articles, our latest tickets invitations, and exclusive offers.

Occasional information about discounts, special offers and promotions.


OR
LOG IN

OR
  • LOG IN WITH FACEBOOK

Thanks for signing up to Culture Whisper.
Please check your inbox for a confirmation email and click the link to verify your account.



EXPLORE CULTURE WHISPER
✕ ✕
Turning tips into memories
Login
Signup

Please fix the following input errors:

  • dummy
Forgot your username or password?
Don't have an account? Sign Up

OR
  • LOG IN WITH FACEBOOK

If you click «Log in with Facebook» and are not a Culture Whisper user, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and to our Privacy Policy, which includes our Cookie Use

Sign up to CW’s newsletter
By entering my email I agree to the CultureWhisper Privacy Policy (we won`t share data & you can unsubscribe anytime).
×