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

Desert

'Desert' by MolinoGroup, The Bike Shed Theatre

This was an interesting play to watch as, for me at least, it acted more as a launching platform to find out more about the Bradley Manning case than a conventional self-contained-story.

Desert was premiered last year at the Bike Shed, it has returned with an updated version as Manning has now spent over 1000 days in pre-trial detention and should be put on trial properly next month.

I know very little about the Manning case, the same as our narrator at the beginning of the play. We then follow her progress as she delves into the information available, tracing Manning's actions and talking to him about why he leaking classified US army intelligence. The story blends real-life transcripts and video with imagined scenes. I'm not sure if its an advantage or not that for some scenes I'm not sure if they were recreations of real events or fictitious. From their portrayal Manning doesn't seem particularly likeable, he seems awkward and a bit messed-up, but he is intriguing and as the narrator weaves her way through the story its clear that no-one is quite sure where it will end up.

It's a play that really gets you thinking - why did he have that much access to sensitive information? Was Lamo justified in turning him in? And most importantly, what would you have done in Manning's place?

****

Desert continues until Saturday, 7.30pm each evening. Tickets £7-10

The Incomers

'The Incomers' at the Bike Shed Theatre

I loved it.

The Incomers is a story of sex, drugs, and perfectly seared scallops. Throughout a wedding anniversary dinner party we see the at first sensible-seeming characters fall apart as a French woman (and a fair amount of cocaine) cause them to examine their lives and secrets.

The language is poetic without it feeling like one very long poem and the acting is brilliant. There's also some very funny and clever use of music and lighting.

Recommended to anyone with a slightly dark sense of humour.

****

A side note on audience dynamics. I can't say I usually much notice what my fellow audience members are up to during a play. But for this performance about 80% of the seats were occupied by high school students, and it made a strange difference. They laughed at different parts than I did, and some of them audibly cringed when the actors took their clothes off. They may have been old enough for the play (I'd say they were all around 15/16) but they didn't seem mature enough, and it made the atmosphere a bit tense.