ONE: Rough Edged Insights to the State We’re In
5 stars
Reconciliation, compromise & understanding. These are words one would be hard pushed to find mentioned in modern British political discourse. So evident is their absence that the more hopeless among us may feel they have been forever barred from the British psyche. Here in One, a show where theatre meets clowning meets performance art, the sense of windows being opened to let fresh air and ideas in the room is overwhelming. The most promising scent of course being its exploration of this paragraph’s opening words. To focus solely on this single thematic exploration would be to do a disservice to the multifaceted greatness on display here. ONE is funny, macabre and emotionally distressing at points. The control Bert and Nasi manage to exert over you with their powerful performances is disturbing but a testament to their skills as clowns, actors and artists.
We start surreal (don’t worry it only gets stranger), Nasi up a ladder, Bert asking him to come down. Nasi likes the space, the freedom. Bert seems keen on closeness. His love bordering on suffocating and selfish. The fourth wall is never allowed to be built as Bert brings the crowd in to the show from the off. Nerveless in his responses, the witty back and forths would make one think there were plants in the audience were the exchanges not so natural. The stage is simple, consisting of a chair, the aforementioned ladder, a table and a laptop. Bert and Nasi are casually dressed – looking like they jumped out the audience on to the stage. This all creates a sense of comfort which allows the emotional range on display feel more authentic – these are ‘just some guys’ and we see ourselves reflected in how they feel. It’s acting but doesn’t feel like it. Idiosyncrasies abound, Bert in particular providing a comic touch that is woven throughout. This humour helps to counter some of the more dramatic emotions on display whilst also meaning you feel emotionally dragged and don’t know what to feel when.
Nasi will eventually join Bert on the floor, but this only makes room for further wonderfully strange scenes – a highlight being Bert’s creepy-yet-funny monologue on stalking the audience home. In one moment Nasi comments on the state of theatre and those who are perhaps trying too hard to make something ‘new’. The brilliant irony of course is that they themselves have really made something that feels different to anything we’ve seen. Each scene is an invitation to think about how we relate to our loved ones and those who differ. The messaging is subtle whilst provoking.
In this show we choose the ending, tonight a happy one. This injection of the ‘democratic will’ is a fitting ending and one can only hope such a happy fate will follow for the country. ONE is essential viewing that leaves you exhausted with the emotional rollercoaster undertaken. Do not miss it.
