Round 2: Improv theatre gets bite-sized

It would be the understatement of the century to say that London has great theatre, but how often does it give you something you can never see again?

Elena Pavli in Air Heart, a play about two friends whose conversation about Amelia Earhart helps communicate the things they can't say. Photo Credit: Indu Chandrasekhar

Such is the business of The Factory, a London theatre group and tour de force. They specialise in unrepeatable performances—shows that, because of their improvised, on-the-spot nature, you’ll never get the same thing twice.

Their repertoire includes the likes of Hamlet and Chekhov’s The Seagull. Sounds traditional enough, until you consider that in The Factory’s version of Hamlet, the actors use audience-submitted props and occasionally perform scenes in trees or on each other’s backs. Their version of Chekhov’s Seagull is inspired by, rather than an exact performance of, the play.

The company’s latest theatrical venture, Round 2, has the actors pushing the boundaries even farther. Debuting in early March, Round 2 features a rotating set of short plays, none longer than 10 minutes, with eight to 10 performed each week. The show takes place every Tuesday in the basement of Hoxton Square’s Electricity Showrooms, atop a light-up dance floor. There are no props or costumes. There is no blocking. Even the casting thumbs its nose at the establishment, with actors playing roles regardless of the authors’ intended gender, weight, height and age—the usual reasons great actors get denied great roles. For plays featuring more than one character, an audience member decides which actor speaks first; the performers, therefore, must be able to play every part. Amid this level of flux, the success of a play relies entirely upon the strength of the script and of the actors interpreting it.

For many of the evening’s plays, the equation worked, but required some healthy stretching of the mind. Scripts that depended on an actor’s gender or age to tell part of the story could came off as opaque, as in the case of Peter Rumney’s Tomatoes, the story of a husband leaving his wife for war. It was played by two men. The gender-bender worked well, however, in Nick Harrop’s Monsters, a story of a boyfriend and girlfriend, acted by a man and a woman. In an encore performance, the actors switched roles, utterly transforming the play.

The more successful pieces focused on personality rather than events. Sibley Falls’ Goose at Chaos told the story of a young transgender man, played with hilarity and poignancy by Factory newcomer Alan Morrissey. Elena Pavli performed in two plays, mastering unusual roles in both. Nonetheless, Robyn Kerr was the real star of the evening, playing the unlikely role of a 12-year-old boy on the eve of his birthday in Twelve, a monologue by Evan Placey. Kerr played the part superbly, exuding both the toughness and vulnerability of a hormonal almost-teenager, all the while spitting out a stream of juvenile and amusing phallic humour.

The Factory makes no qualms about their performances being experiments. Each week features unique shows; sometimes they are too dense, and sometimes things just don’t work. Audiences who prefer to have things spelled out for them should look elsewhere for entertainment. But for those willing to take a leap of imagination, the results will be perplexingly satisfying. With tickets for just £10, going more than once is easy—and recommended.

Every Tuesday at The Electricity Showrooms in 39 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NN; tickets are £10. Click here to book.