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For Article 10

"Article 10 brought to my attention a whole new style of theatre, in which the audience is used as a central part of the show. Last night, watching in the basement of Aces and Eights, I felt immersed within this piece of art simply because I was being addressed within the issues; rather than ignored. The breaking of the fourth wall was a technique used to its full advantage here. By acknowledging our presence in the room, we were kept on our toes as to what their next move, in terms of the plot, would be.

The play itself centered on the issue of self-censorship, particularly within the arts, and its increasingly growing effect on our society. As an audience we represented an underground, revolutionary theatre group, masking itself as a comedy club. Led by Dominic (Guy Hodgkinson) and Briony (Abby Restall), the atmosphere was set straight away, and no time was wasted in delving into the important topic of freedom of speech.

For the first five minutes, I noticed a woman talking and rummaging through newspapers, just as I was about to tell her to stop; she nervously took to the stage, and only then did it click that she was part of the show. She introduced herself as Emily (Beth Watson) a fellow member of this revolutionary group, here to tell her story of how reporting on a pupil’s parent for the use of one racially offensive word, caused a child to be separated from their father.

As a trio, they interacted with each other well."

LondonTheatre1

"Freedom of speech — the right to communicate ideas and opinions without fear of censorship — is a fundamental feature of democracy. Along with its pair, freedom of expression, it allows for the free exchange of concepts and viewpoints, it sparks debate, it brings leaders to account and it guarantees that things — all things, at all times — may be questioned. In Western democracies, it is held up as one of the most important rights we possess; a right which distinguishes democracies from many other systems of government. But it necessarily comes with caveats, because what happens when the right to freedom of speech impinges on other fundamental rights? The balance that must be struck between free speech and other democratic freedoms is a delicate one, which is in itself an on-going source of debate.

As part of the Camden Fringe Festival, Closing the Gap Theatre weighs in on the debate with its latest experiential production, ‘Article 10.’ Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights is the article in which freedom of expression is encoded. In Britain, Article 10 is incorporated into law by the Human Rights Act 1998. After a string of recent controversial events around freedom of speech, including the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January, and the censoring of a number of London artistic ventures, Closing the Gap sought to explore what freedom of speech means in modern Britain. Are we comfortable with expressing ourselves, or has the fear of being viewed as politically incorrect gagged discussion and encouraged self-censorship? How do laws and law enforcers deal with art that is provocative, offensive or disturbing? Has the advent of the internet opened our minds, or are we organising into “safe” and segmented digital territories? Why is trolling now a thing? Was “hater” always a word?

Article 10 is staged at Tufnell Park’s Aces and Eights Saloon and Bar, which is 20s prohibition down below. We descend the stairs at 9pm and are immediately taken into the world of Article 10, as one actress begins greeting us, asking our names, and applying name tags to our chests. We mosey into the main area where there is a man on stage doing stand-up. The stand-up is deadpan, monotone and features pointless anecdotes about his dog. But we’re not there for stand-up, as is discovered when Briony, played by Abby Restall, storms in demanding to know where David is. David, we learn, is our leader. We are a group. An underground group. A group of resistors, assembling in the name of free speech. The government has cracked down, and people are being “removed” from society. To where? We do not know. Then Briony leaves the room.

Dominic, played by Guy Hodgkinson, is not in fact a comedian, but a playwright, and the founder of an underground arts journal. He tells us about a series of resistance arts projects that are happening in the next few months, to which we are all invited. He leaves the room, and we’re left in awkward silence.

But then, a girl from the audience, who’s been gabbing for most of the production, tentatively takes the stage to announce that she thinks she knows someone who has been “removed.” A boy from the school she works at said a racist remark, and is now being taught in isolation, away from his parents. His father is missing. She anxiously debates with herself about whether it’s right, on the one hand arguing that it’s good for teachers to have an avenue for dealing with problem remarks, on the other hand wondering if something has gone wrong with the reporting system.

What happens next is a bit of muddled mess, but perhaps that is the intended effect from Closing the Gap, who are proponents of the Theatre of the Absurd. There are impassioned arguments between the three cast members, which play more like speeches; there is communication with another resistance group, there are threats of the police arriving, and there are accusations against audience members for snitching on our absent leader. Thankfully, there are also more light hearted moments, where the absurdity can shine.

The overall effect? The play presents an imagined future in which the balance has tipped in favour of censorship, for the sake of preserving so-called liberal values. It presents us with an extreme and chaotic endpoint, and by placing us quite literally “in” that endpoint, asks us to consider how we would feel if our freedom of speech was formally curtailed, and what the broader implications might be. Conceptually, this play is interesting. While it has a very short running-time, it still might benefit from a tidier script, which seeks less to “tell us” and more to show us. Still, an innovative contribution to Camden Fringe."

Metropolist

For Chances

"The immediate double-standard displayed by Closing the Gap when going to see Chances wasn't lost on me. The sole option a member of the public has when visiting the theatre - which seat to sit in - is done away with here. It was kind of an odd tack to take in a show which is built around choices and decisions. But on entering the tiny Lov'edu Gallery, it became clear why. This is just as much an intriguing art installation as it is a piece of devised theatre.

Previously, Closing the Gap have always toyed with the idea of audience interaction, giving us backstage roles in Time: Four. Us Two., for example. But up until now, they've always seemed to be a token interaction before the main piece started. With Chances, the barrage of audience questions and roles you're asked to play make this essentially a Choose Your Own Adventure as written by Harold Pinter.

Four scenarios are played out in front of us, leaving the viewer to decide which path it will take. Sometimes, as with a woman (Tara Godolphin) standing trial, it's up to all of us to pass judgement as to whether she's guilty or not guilty. In others, such as the Self-Image scenario, it's up to one member to decide whether Meg Matthews will drink Coke or Diet Coke or which dress she'll wear. Others include a tragic option of turning off a life-support machine along with a heartbroken mother (Felicity Bartlett) and, much lighter in tone, helping singleton Hannah Blaikie on the dating scene.

This is a piece that will only be rewarding if you're willing to commit to the premise and go along with it. Not one for those who like to slink into the shadows (or have a bloomin' review to write). The barriers don't exist, with the performers sitting in the round with us and a fifth character, Sofia Moura ever present circling the... umm... circle. Delivering the prologue and the epilogue, she's the personification of Fortuna herself, comforting us - or possibly worrying us more depending on your outlook - about the paths we took. It's all a bit ambiguous, even down to the idea of determinism versus free will, yet it all works in the piece's favour.

Another word to the wise - if you want the audience to be involved, things are going to get a little unpredictable and - if opening night is anything to go by - actors run the risk of getting wet. But roll with it. All five are excellent performers, imbuing each of their characters with life despite flitting between multiple roles at a moment's notice. When they pick their marks, they should feel free to improvise more, responding naturally to the more verbose members of the public to ensure the magic they weave never falters. Still, these are only small points to help them grab that elusive final star.

Given that two nights have already sold out, and the incredibly limited seating, this gem of a show isn't going to be seen by many people - which makes it all the more special. My plain advice would be that if this sounds like it might appeal, book your tickets now because there's probably little chance you'll get a walk-up. And frankly, this is a show that deserves to be sold out every night. After the grand Time: Four. Us Two. and An Evening of the Absurd: Are We Still Waiting for Godot?, Closing the Gap and Joe Allan have pulled it out of the bag again. What are the chances?"

 

Views From The Gods

"Walking into the LovEdu gallery it's a surprise to be seated not in rows of chairs but in a small circle where the audience mingles unwittingly with the cast. But then Joe Allan's new play is set on breaking down the barriers between participant and observer. The cast emerges unexpectedly from the audience and take to the middle of the circle, weaving between the motley mix of furniture that makes the warmly-lit room resemble a cosy attic. 

Chances revolves around a series of scenarios whose narrative depends on the decisions of the audiece: a mother wonders whether to switch off her son's life support; a singleton searches for the perfect guy; a woman stands accused of murder; a girl frets about her image before a night out. The involvement of the audience goes beyond either/or decisions. People are plucked from the audience to share in the awkwardness of a part on stage. In one wonderfully bizarre moment, an audience member stumbled into the role as the singleton's cinema date. 

It is particularly impressive watching the cast adapt seamlessly as the audiece alters each character's path, meaning each performance of 'Chances' will vary greatly. With such a talented group of actresses that is a tantalising thought."

 

- Camden New Journal

"Is decision-making an art or a necessity, and does chance really rule our lives? If you’ve ever watched a sci-fi show, you’ll know that every decision a person makes leads to countless possible outcomes, each usually played out in some form of parallel world. In each of these cases it is usually fate that controls these possibilities. At the Lov’Edu Gallery, however, it is the audience who are firmly in charge. Presented with a variety of scenarios it is the viewer rather than the writer or actors who decides what happens here, making each show completely unique.

Performed by five actors, and with an audience of just 12 people per show seated in a circle together, Chances offers a new meaning for interactive theatre. Right at the beginning without any context or information everyone is asked to decide whether a person in court is guilty or not guilty. Completely randomly each person answers and that decides the outcome of the first story, setting in motion the consequences of that choice. Another set of options is presented in a hospital, while more trivial choices need to be made on whether a young girl should join a dating site and what dress another should wear on a date. These stories run concurrently and episodically with a light illuminated by each section’s ‘lead’ actor – and with each playing multiple roles, it’s a very useful tool.

This is nicely staged in the tiny gallery at Camden Stables Market. Although many may baulk at the idea of interactive theatre, the intimate setting and the tiny size of the audience makes this feel quite safe. The cast – Hannah Blaikie, Felicity Bartlett, Tara Godolphin, Meg Matthews and Sofia Moura – make for an excellent ensemble and their performances, though very different, are believable and engaging.

The point being made in Chances is that everyone makes decisions all the time; some feel significant, others don’t; some you make, some are made for you, but all choices could have life-changing consequences for the person involved. The production does make a fair attempt at this but without seeing the alternative outcomes, as you would on that sci-fi show, it is hard to really grasp the significance of what is being attempted here. This is, of course, more like real life as one never knows the alternative outcomes of such choices, yet dramatically it is harder to think profoundly about decisions without seeing what might have been.

Chances is an interesting and worth-while experiment which leaves the audience with plenty to think about. Deservedly part of this year’s Camden Fringe, the fine performances in this production are worth seeing, and while it may not entirely tackle the big questions about human choices, it is an interesting approach to theatrical engagement that will certainly make you reflect on just how many different types of choices are being made all the time."

 

- Public Reviews

"Chances says what it is on the tin, a play about chances. Not necessarily those of the characters but those of the audience. 

The suitably small audience (there are only 12 seats) is invited into a seance style circle to have the four stories played out around them. The enigmatic and rather unsettling narrator played by Sofia Moura sets the scene and prepares those gathered for getting involved. You are then immediately thrown into the deep end and presented with a weeping young woman (the incredible Tara Godolphin) and asked one by one ‘guilty or not guilty?’ This is a great way to warm the audience up and getting them used to speaking in a group. This is excellent for the small performance space...

A simple shift of lighting and then we move onto the next tale. Not every choice carries such weight, in one you guide a young woman through her dating life, another through their pre going out choices, coke or diet coke? Hair up or down? The final story has a punter deciding if a loved one’s life support should be switched off as the rest of us watch the mother’s response to that choice. Jumping between different emotional beats means you don’t have a chance to tire or feel drained and it really is a credit to the actors that they move so quickly between genuinely funny improv to characters in turmoil.

On the whole it works. The staging, lighting, costumes and excellent acting all draw the audience into the various scenarios...

It’s a shame that Chances is only running till Saturday as the good far out weights the bad and the cast deserve to show these well rounded characters to more people... If you’re in the mood for an experience that takes you out of your comfort zone and have a spare tenner you won’t go far wrong with this."

 

- EQ View

For Time: Four. Us Two

"If there's one thing us reviewers like the most, it's being told we're useless. Whether that's because we overanalyse the smallest detail, or laugh at innuendo that may or may not be there, according to Assistant Stage Manager 1 (Tomas Mountain) and ASM2 (Inina Nouar), we're practically scum. So it pleases me greatly to say I'm not going to even bother trying with Closing the Gap's latest piece - and we can all go home early. How was it? It was good. Happy now, artistic director Joe Allan?

As with their previous piece, Are We Still Waiting for Godot?, and aligned with their manifesto, the walls of the traditional space come tumbling down. The audience starts its journey being asked if we have any backstage experience. We're then taken through to the theatre to start our training (I was responsible for keeping the emergency exits clear). As the aforementioned ASMs battle with the controlling but misunderstood Stage Manager (Kathleen Douglas), two shelterers - Alan Bradley and Joanna Harrington - shield themselves from the harsh reality of an undisclosed disaster.

More than many I've seen recently, this actually comes across as a devised piece. Not for any wildly negative reasons, more because it has a sense of theatre as play about it. Bradley and Harrington's games are the perfect example of this - childlike, wide-eyed description as one sits blindfolded, or an artless rhythmic applause. This sense of naivety pervades the whole piece, with ASM 2 deluding herself as to her role, wishing to be a designer, and the Stage Manager when alone admitting she's not cut out for the job and just wishes to be liked. It all adds a certain charm and helps repeated idea of lies versus the truth, artifice versus honesty and - ultimately - theatre versus reality. Although now I worry I'm being too pretentious.

Three people simply want to make it to the end of a show without any major catastrophe. Don't we all? But what comes out is competition, bickering and a sense of loneliness and isolation to rival that of the Shelterer. In the funniest and most heartbreaking scene, the Stage Manager candidly opens up to us about her lack of confidence and her inability to manage people, instead just wanting to go for a drink with her colleagues. Douglas' performance is absolutely note-perfect, every joke landing, every pathetic whimper serving to garner sympathy from an otherwise disagreeable character. Mountain and Nouar, for their part, are also amusing as the standoffish pair.

ultimately, this is another mind-bending, interesting and cerebral work from Closing the Gap. If there's a lack of thematic analysis here, it's not because I'm still bitter for being called out. Far from it. It's because this is something that you do need to see for yourself and work at. For their next project, though, Allan and the team really need to do something brave - like shut the decreasing gap altogether."

 
- Views From The Gods

"Time: Four. Us Two is the latest play from Closing The Gap Theatre—a new company which sets out to, in their own words, ‘close the gap between the theatregoers and theatre-makers’. Their method of doing this is through a brand of unusual, experimental theatre, which is constantly surprising…

The play is made up of two very different halves, which alternate throughout, crossing an Absurdist Becket-style drama with a backstage tragi-comedy. In the former half, two nameless shelterers take refuge from the outside world and debate about life, truth and existence. They begin by playing games of sorts in their shelter, before passing through various states of fear and helplessness, struggling to engage their senses with world around them, and end by planning for the civilisation that they will create when they eventually emerge—eating a lot of cold beans in the process.

The other half of the play is less abstract and perhaps more engaging, revolving around a stage manager and her two assistants who toil to keep everything onstage running smoothly. Amidst the difficulties of finding props, holding the set together and taking an opportunity to mock the critics in the audience, there are also moments of pathos where characters reflect on the disparity between their ambitions and the reality of their current lives.

Perhaps the highlight of the play is the Stage Manager’s monologue on social anxiety, delivered compellingly by Kathleen Douglas, who tries desperately to talk herself into asking the rest of the cast if they want to go out for a drink afterwards. We see here the conflict between her inner identity and her outward persona: to the rest of the crew she seems anal and whiny, but we see her in a different light. She is really driven by an obsessive fear of breaking the rules, belied by a vulnerable sense of loneliness—she uses a chapter on body language in an acting book as a kind of self-help guide.

The dramatic vision which Closing The Gap Theatre presents is a compelling one. They advocate a form of engaging, challenging drama with scripts written from improvised dialogue using actors starting out in the industry… the company have good prospects and I think there’s better yet to come. This is worth a watch if you’re looking for something experimental and ambitious."

 

- MiddlePeg

For An Evening Of The Absurd: Are We All Still Waiting For Godot?

"In devising the work, the team - led by artistic director Joe Allan - have honed in on the bleak gallows humour that makes this genre so well-loved. . .

The almost labyrinthine script is witty, with the discussion of the nature of the Loss Victim's loss working like a perfect jigsaw despite being made from three different puzzle boxes . . .

All of the performers acquit themselves nobly, with Wyatt's Councillor being just the right side of smug and intolerable, Stuart giving off a sincerity and Khan a bullishness that gives way to insecurity. Bernard also gives a startlingly uncomfortable performance before the show proper. . .

Closing the Gap, as the name suggests, want to close the gap between theatre-goers and theatre makers. With a few twists, they certainly succeed. From engaging with the audience in a prologue of sorts, to Khan actively addressing them as employees (only to be corrected by Stuart), we're guided through the show almost by the hand. It feels natural. . .

It's almost ironic that in presenting two pieces based around a struggle to find meaning, the group have created something from which myriad meanings can be found."

 

- Views From The Gods

"an intriguing take on the value of time, self-awareness and communication. . .

AJ MacGillivray’s excellent process from enthusiastic to desperate is brilliant and you can feel a genuine sense of pain by the end. . .

A piece that is driven by the detailed facial expressions of the cast, who you could tell have great chemistry together. The ambiguous ending still has me wondering what the intention was. What happened with the veteran? What did the change in the veteran mean? And did the family fall apart? These questions are testament to the work put in by the Artistic Director . . .

The characters of Counsellor (Briony Wyatt) and the Boss (Tiana Khan) were the most enjoyable. Khan was excellent in the piece. Her ability to wonderfully patronise the audience and the other characters, her completely stupid suggestions and conclusions and her utterly oblivious nature were extremely funny and brilliantly portrayed. . .

An Evening of the Absurd: Are We All Still Waiting For Godot? is an enjoyable piece which will leave you looking for answers for several days."

 

- lastminutetheatretickets.com

"The show itself is comprised of two scenes, which are at times confusing, at times curiosity-inspiring and even at times very humorous (there's something rather funny but then sad regarding oats). . .

Some memorable performances, such as Briony Wyatt's Councillor, who is an interesting catalyst for the two main stories which unfold. Her character seems possessive and more harmful than good in one instance, yet genuine and compassionate in the other. . .

Tiana Khan's Present Controller is also well acted, and you get the idea you've come across her character either in your own office (and/or every single time the Apprentice rolls across our television screens). . .

If you like your theatre a bit odd and open to your own interpretation, this is for you."

 

- Everything Theatre

"In both Breakfast with Chamberlain and Glory Days, Joe Allan’s company teases the familiar mannerisms and gentle colloquialisms that season our mealtimes, with the cast bringing in abstract characters and events in order to get their teeth into meatier topics. . .

Briony Wyatt gives a sharp performance as the counsellor who could do with an hour on the couch herself. . .

There is also an artfulness to how the most minute gestures have been devised by the company, as characters roll their eyes, play with each other’s hair and navigate awkward silences. . .

It’s easy to imagine that the truly transformative performances are yet to come."

 

- A Younger Theatre

"Frustration holds the key to the performance and it leaves the viewer questioning who the janitor really is? Perhaps he is a deity in his last days trying to prevent his creations from destroying themselves? Or does this happen when the toy-box lid closes and the lights go out . . .

Next, a guerrilla counsellor offers advice to a woman who can’t decide if she is giving birth to an essay or a cake, while an office manager and her assistant spar with internal demons and infernal memos. . .

The constant switching back to the dinner party scene provides a nice frame until there is a full realisation of the apocalyptic finale that is approaching. . .

Both plays are enjoyable and reasonably thought provoking."

 

- Broadway Baby

"Excellent show, I haven't seen anything like it before."

"This is a thought-provoking show which brings a modern-day feel whilst happily remaining true to the style of Theatre of the Absurd. . . If you want to see an original piece of theatre which allows you the space to make your own conclusions then this is the show for you."

"The writing is exceptional, I thought that it was a script taken from someone who has been writing for years but it was the group who created it."

"A very high standard of acting and directing and by far the best performance we've seen to date at the fringe! Just fantastic!"

 

- Big Audience Project
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