Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
HOME have really brought the fun into their auditorium this festive season with the hugely talented madcap ensemble from Amsterdam. This is just what the doctor ordered this close to Christmas – musical laughs, zany escapism and meticulous clowning – a pleasurable escape from all of the usual seasonal fluff.
Despite the title of the show, the Dutch quintet do not just present the audience with a physical clowning routine. Between them, the ensemble are expert musicians, masters of over 100 different instruments – it is this blend of fine musicianship and eccentric knockabout clowning which makes the show so special.
Paying tribute to the slapstick heroes of bygone years, a routine from Laurel and Hardy is re-enacted while the classic film plays on a backdrop behind. Släpstick pays homage to the musical comedian but with a very modern twist. Many of the instruments serve in multiple uses, the slide detached from a trombone may be used as a bow on a violin. In the style of carnival, a fast talker gets the audience involved in a series of fairground games.
Running at around two hours with an interval, the first half of the show seeks to subvert the audiences traditional view of slapstick. Taking an alternative stance to the expected cruelty or harm as a trigger for laughter, the performers set up a boxing match where the competitors show their prowess through their dance steps, not their fists. Succumbing to the crueller elements of slapstick, the second part of the show turns the heat up a notch and sees instruments get smashed up, ladder to the head silliness and a spectacular fall into the audience.
The audience are primed for an engaging experience. Prior to the show and during the interval, the cast leave the stage and wander the auditorium to interact with the audience – handing out sweets and trying to find their clothes. It’s charmingly bizarre but completely wonderful. Have you spent your whole life resisting the urge to have a pillow fight in a theatre? By the end of Släpstick, you will have ticked that off your list.
Släpstick is a complete triumph – scrupulously sharp, all-inclusive and utterly absorbing.
-Kristy Stott
Släpstick runs at HOME Manchester until Saturday 22 December 2018.