So if you have me on any form of social media, you will know that I am a huge fan of Parabolic Theatre and all their works and I take great pride in shouting about them at every opportunity and trying to get everyone to go and see their shows. This is no exception.
However I must say, although I am a big fan of their work, I do go into every single one of their shows with an open mind and never really sure what to expect. They have never asked me to post or write anything about them or their shows, so any form of praise I give – including this blogpost – is completely my own opinion and genuinely what I think. I never feel obliged to write about Parabolic Theatre, I want to – so I am doing this blogpost because I want to share about the next magical show that Parabolic theatre have produced.
*As with all my shows and posts, I aim to keep this post as spoiler free as possible, as I am near certain there is a future for this show*.
‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ is the newest instalment in the Parabolic universe and although it is set in 1979, the content could not be more relevant. It is the winter of discontent and the audience members make up the labour government who are essentially just trying to keep the peace with strikes down, civil unrest down, and there is of course the no vote of confidence looming over everyone’s heads…
The show kicks off nice and calmly, and then George Deacon from the lorry workers union comes in for a negotiation to try and get them off strike…and that is when everything kicks off and rapidly snowballs.
Let’s set the scene. You walk into a large room. Big 70’s hits are playing (ABBA was my personal fave), Margaret Thatcher is on the TV (Doctor Who makes an appearance later on!), and and every audience member is given a little labour party card, identifying what their job title is. These can range from working for the Ministry of Defence to the Treasury, the Home Office, the Foreign Office and many more. These do not really impact the show itself but they do help audience members get into the mood for the show and getting the ball rolling.
Now in my previous immersive theatre post where I outlined the different kind of shows, I said how there are varying degrees in which the audience can dictate the show. From the offset – the audience dictates this show. They decide what to negotiate, how, any decisions or pathways to take are entirely and wholeheartedly decided by the audience members. With at least 4 phones in the room (that I can think of), and a fax machine, and the country getting more and more chaotic as the no vote of confidence draws closer, the list of things for people to do is never ending. There is always something for someone to do, but the show is managed expertly that it never feels overwhelming or out of control so that audiences never feel like they are out of their depth.
If you are one of those people who, like me, barely understand politics: do not panic. Tom Black, the genius behind this show, is one of, if not the smartest person I have ever met. Yet the show has been made in a way that for novices like me, it is very easy to follow and understand what is going on, and if you are more politically minded – there is plenty of content and activities so that you don’t feel you’re having to take a backseat. Hec, you can even have a radio interview and BBC interview at one point!
Similarly, if you’re new to immersive theatre, there’s plenty of ways to stand back and watch the action unfold but still feel involved in the show, and if you think immersive theatre is the best thing since sliced bread (me)…then it is very easy to get stuck in and do a little bit of everything.
The room is split into three sections. First of all – the political side – keeping an eye on various people – both labour and conservative – and monitoring who is voting and for what party. Second of all – the civil unrest/press side – keeping an eye on what is happening on the streets with riots and such, negotiating with those on strike and at the beginning, deciding what will be said to journalists. Finally – the economic side. This is the side that intimidated me because I am not mathematically minded, but if even I can do this and find it enjoyable, anyone can. This deals with the stock market, and decisions regarding what you want to nationalise, tax and generally make changes to money wise..and if inflation is changed too drastically – the bar prices are inevitably reflected by that!
So there truly is something for everyone, and I have taken friends who are not immersive theatre fans normally, and I have even convinced friends who aren’t politically minded to go, and they’ve had an amazing time. From what I have been made aware, there are four endings. I have seen three in total, each entirely different, and the way the evening pans out is entirely up to the audience.
Naturally, as the time of the no vote of confidence comes closer, it seems more things go wrong and the audience have to really think and pull some strings to keep things together. Plus an added bonus is if you are a Parabolic Theatre fan, there are some subtle easter eggs from other shows and characters dotted around to keep an eye out for…
The cast work tirelessly in this show, there are two cast members who can have multiple roles – that also depends on who the audience chooses – and the cast go above and beyond making sure the feelings of urgency and chaos are never lost, whilst never taking it too far, and without spoiling it: the cast members you don’t see a lot of, or don’t see at all are doing A LOT of work behind the scenes which is just phenomenal.
So, that is ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’. The show has had an outstanding reception – 10 reviewers gave them the well deserved 5 stars – and the show is rapidly selling out, so if you want to go, do it quick or miss out and wait for it to come back one day…you can buy tickets here.
If you’re someone who proudly declares what you would do if you were running the country – now is the chance to go and prove yourself. Go and give Boris Johnson a run for his money…after all, running the country and keeping everyone happy and keeping things running smoothly can’t be that hard – can it?
Find out more about Parabolic Theatre here.
Buy tickets to ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ here. (‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ is also available on TodayTix).
Buy tickets to ‘Bridge Command’ – another show by Parabolic Theatre currently running here.
*All personal photos were taken by me and with permission. All of the ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ logo and imaging belongs to Parabolic Theatre and I have no rights over them. The image was used for this blogs use only.*
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