The Last Post & James Tries To Make His Life Slightly Better

'The Last Post' by Kilter, a red mobile theatre outside Exeter Phoenix

When was the last time you got a loving email?

It was love at first sight between Mobile Sorting Office 451 and I. The cluttered treasure trove bijou performance space was a delight even before the play started. Within this unusual space a charming love story unfolds between two quirky nomads working to keep the old postal traditions alive.

Scored with live music played by a mute who arrived in a jiffy bag this heart-warming tale is gentle and eccentric, and reminded me that I really should write to my mum.

*****
You can see this play Friday and Saturday at 1pm or 7.30pm each day.



'James Tries To Make His Life Slightly Better' by James Tapp, The City Gate Hotel

Everyone who has gone through their early 20s knows that realisation of 'I guess I'm no longer a kid - I should probably sort my life out'. Twenty-three year old James started out with a list (featuring things such as, brew good coffee at home, build a vinyl collection and, make myself more attractive to women) and good intentions. Through anecdotes, poems and a dressing-down from his inner self he shares his realisation that the process is more important than the aims. He's also hilarious.

****
James has now finished his awkward explorations for Ignite.

www.igniteexeter.org.uk

Clark Andrews' Tempest & Wild Thing I Love You

'Clark Andrews' Tempest' by Woodnote, The Bike Shed Theatre

An actor reminisces to himself in his dressing room about his family whilst also practicing his solo performance of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' mixing the two story's together and hoping for a better outcome than Prospero's.

I think it helps if you've seen The Tempest so you know which characters he is portraying, but I'm not sure it's essential as the pieces he enacts are just vignettes and so you do not see the end of the storylines. You may be content to see the blossoming romance of a young man and a girl, and not need to know that they are Ferdinand and Miranda.

I saw part of this play as a scratch performance in February, some elements have been dropped since then, but what remains is a masterful combination of two stories mixing silent film elements with great acting.

*****
You can next see this on Saturday at 2.50pm



'Wild Thing I Love You' by Ella Good and Nicki Kent, The City Gate Hotel

Gathered around a map under canvas Ella and Nicki tell their story of searching for Big Foot in the Californian redwood forest.

Unfortunately I just found the whole thing a bit juvenile. There was something about the way they spoke in such soft voices, they're 'subtitles' for audio interviews that clearly left large chunks out, the claiming that some audio was of terrible quality when it turned out not to be, and the way one of them put a cardboard box over her head to re-enact a conversation that really grated against me.

I did like the way they used a live camera feed to create a real-time film on a small television with effects via a magnifying glass and paper scenery.

I like travel stories, so I had high hopes for this one, but I guess you can't get much sophistication from a story of nothing really happening.

**
You can see this today (Thursday) at either 7.30 or 8.45pm

www.igniteexeter.org.uk