Experimental, absurd and occasionally bewildering, AB Drama’s PHAB brings together a collection of short plays by Martin Szalla and Liam O’Grady that cross the boundaries between actors and audience, reality and performance. Staged in the intimate surroundings of Camden’s Libra Theatre, it is an evening full of interesting ideas, strong performances and flashes of humour, although not every scene lands with equal impact.
The evening opens with Jesel, seemingly waking inside his own story while a narrator describes his actions and the different ways he might move through the world. It establishes the playfulness of what follows, although the meaning of some of these connections remained elusive. That may be intentional, but without some familiarity with drama and absurdist theatre, I suspect parts of PHAB could easily go over an audience member’s head.
Audience participation plays an important role. In two scenarios, we were invited to choose whether stories should end in comedy, tragedy or absurdity. One involved an increasingly ridiculous domestic dispute after a woman spends the couple’s money importing a zebra from Africa, while another centred around two men burying a lizard. There was plenty of humour in both, although the opening of the zebra sketch felt slow and could have benefited from more dynamic staging.
One of the most interesting theatrical jokes came from Waiting for Godot. Rather than continuing to wait, Godot actually appears. The characters, apparently unsure what to do now that the man they have been waiting for has arrived, simply leave him behind. It is a simple but clever reversal of the familiar premise.
Kafka’s The Urban World provided a darker family drama. Oscar returns to an angry and disappointed father but seems unable to communicate with him without bringing a friend back to speak on his behalf. The strained father-son relationship and Oscar’s need for his father’s approval gave this section a noticeably more unsettling quality.
Elsewhere, a boxing shrimp father attempts to persuade his human son away from paper folding and towards fighting. It is a wonderfully bizarre premise, although the scene outstayed its welcome slightly. A couple more energetic shorts could have helped vary the pace of the overall production.
Ben Owora is a standout performer, moving naturally and seamlessly between contrasting characters. Martin Szalla brings an assured, seasoned presence to the stage, while Iulian Szalla offers an engaging freshness across several roles. Some lengthy pauses occasionally made it difficult to tell whether they were deliberate, and some character mannerisms could be reined in, but there is clear potential in his performances. Claire Tregellas brings welcome comic energy to her appearances; having only seen her in two scenes, I would happily have seen more of her.
The production also deserves credit for its slick costume changes, particularly given the number of characters and short pieces involved.
PHAB works best when its absurdity, humour and performances come together quickly. At other points, the pace slows and its ideas become harder to penetrate. I also expected more of the advertised grotesque or burlesque elements. Nevertheless, this is an inventive and likeable company willing to play with theatrical conventions. In a larger space with a fuller audience, its interactive elements could become even more effective.
A curious, imperfect but genuinely interesting evening of experimental theatre.
Review by Serwah O’Neil
Camden Fringe continues until the end of August. You can find out more on their website here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of A Foot Is Not An Appropriate Prize for the Tombola, Under the Influence and Meet Mayor Max.