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Bear with me: Sun Bear @ParkTheatre

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If The Light House is an uplifting tale of survival, Sarah Richardson’s Sun Bear gives a contrasting take on this. Sarah plays Katy. We’re introduced to Katy as she runs through a list of pet office peeves with her endlessly perky coworkers, particularly about coworkers stealing her pens. It’s a hilarious opening monologue that would have you wishing you had her as a coworker to help relieve you from the boredom of petty office politics.  But something is not quite right in the perfect petty office, where people work together well. And that is her. And despite her protesting that she is fine, the pet peeves and the outbursts are becoming more frequent. As the piece progresses, maybe the problem lies in a past relationship, where Katy had to be home by a particular hour, not stay out late with office colleagues and not be drunk enough not to answer his calls. Perhaps the perky office colleagues are trying to help, and perhaps Katy is trying to reach out for help. It has simple staging
Dance: Naked (of sorts)

Caught George Piper Dances / The Ballet Boyz preview of their new production Naked at Sadler's Wells last night. Dance, video projection, lighting and music combined to tell a story of love and revenge etc. While I could not follow the full story (short attention span), it certainly looked great, and the dancing was quite exciting and clever at times. Particularly the scene the boys have together in the second act - a stylised fight of sorts - seemed to have everyone on the edge of their seat. Not being a dance afficianado I don't know the significance of the choreographic choices made, but it is fascinating to watch people do things with their bodies that you assumed wasn't possible or legal in some countries...

The production was stopped 10-15 minutes into it as the sound system kept popping and cracking. I actually had thought that was part of the effect but apparently no. The show was delayed for 45 minutes while they sorted it all out and many people took the opportunity to head to the bar for the unscheduled interval. When we got back I couldn't really tell what had been improved (it was that sort of music). Not that there was a problem with the music, it was perfectly suited to this sort of thing, but when there are scratches and cracks and pops throughout it, it is hard to distinguish between what is intended and what is an audio malfunction.

Later, back in Soho for drinks, people were quite interested in the programme cover which depicts two bodies writhing around covered by little pieces of fabric. It all looks very smart and stylistic and sexy so it should be able to pull the punters in for the week it is playing... Oh and is there any garden variety nudity? Well no, not unless you count the video projections that project an enormous set of buttocks in the first act...

Overheard at the bar at the Well...

American Girl: (to barman) Just the house red please. I am American, I don't need classy...

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