Two
shows on the same stage, one Saturday after another.
Bag
for Life
by Colin Bateman, produced by The Playhouse, 2016.
Puckoon
adapted by Vincent Higgins and Zoe
Seaton,
from the novel by Spike Milligan, produced by Big Telly, 2015.
An
opportunity for an 'old school' essay.
Compare
and Contrast.
Bag
for Life TELLS
and shows.
Puckoon
SHOWS and tells.
Can
both these shows be theatre?
In
Bag
for Life,
one actress stands on a box and tells a story in the 'I' voice,
supported by digital images on screens.
In
Puckoon,
six actors show a story in episodes of action, movement, song, dance
and explosions.
Bag
for Life
uses the long tradition of story-telling theatre, with a modern day
'seanchaí', pinned to one place in the metaphoric space created by
her history and the circumstances of her world.
Puckoon
acts out a narrative in scenes of riotous energy and invention, with
jump-cuts of telling to set-up/move along/comment.
Bag
for Life
brings a tv drama aesthetic to bear, with live action images,
graphics and animations augmenting and illustrating the telling.
Puckoon
use the traditions of physical theatre, farce, vaudeville and
melodrama.
Bag
for Life
is a staged tv drama, with the 2D attributes
of the genre.
Puckoon
is a live
absurdist romp, with the benefits of the form.
Bag
for Life
uses the digital effects offered by pre-recorded moving and still
images, which dialogue with the actress a number of times.
Puckoon
uses costume, props, set and staging, quick changes and smoke/bubbles
machines for effects.
The
language in Bag
for Life
is a spare, quasi-realist argot of the north-east region of urban
Ireland.
The
language in Puckoon
is overloaded, embellished, thrilling, poetic and punning, heard somewhere
in Absurdia.
Both
stories are 'thin', in different ways.
Both
Bag
for Life
and Puckoon
are delivered by effective performances and productions.
Large
audiences attend both performances. Reactions each night are
generally positive, with some dissensions. There is little
overlapping of the audiences.
Generally,
the Bag for Life audience knows and likes the work of Colin
Bateman.
Generally,
the Puckoon audience knows and likes the work of Big Telly.
Bag
for Life goes
for shocks.
Puckoon
goes for laughs.
Bag
for Life
offers
tragedy,
being concerned with murder, grief, madness and revenge.
Puckoon
offers
comedy,
being concerned with caricature, jokes, playfulness and satire.
Both
are concerned with threat and violence.
Both
are touring.
Can
both these shows be theatre? Do they work?
Go
see.
Enjoy.
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