Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th May 2010 @ Bristol Old Vic, Bristol
Showing as part of Mayfest 2010, Bristol’s festival of contemporary theatre

Tonight is a double bill of work-in-progress pieces by two of Bristol’s most exciting fledgling theatre companies, Orbita and Tinned Fingers. First up is Orbita with their dark sea-shanty tale; Dogger, Fisher, Faero - 40 minutes of broody poems and poignant songs about sailors and the sea, wonderfully weaved together to create a beautifully morbid atmosphere.

The action follows the three shipmates, Fearo a sailor, Dogger the first-mate and Fisher the ship’s captain, a drunken, confused old man who’s as thick in jumper as he is in beard. Although the character plays up to a few clichés, his gloomy, hopeless, boss-eyed gaze gives him a captivating edge and it also helps that he’s got a sense of humour drier than the sandy beaches he so desperately yearns for: “The men are a superstitious lot sir, they say there’s something in the air… That’ll be the wind, Dogger.” It’s a wonderfully abstract and atmospheric show about men who are doomed to have the sea as their only coffins.

Second up it’s Tinned Fingers who brought their charming and oddly poignant show about natural selection, Our Father’s Ears, to last year’s Mayfest. This time round they’ve set their sights on lonely hearts columns in a sideways look at the dating industry.

The Last Romance Club (Ever) opens with a short and very funny montage of our actors recording dating agency-style video-tapes for themselves, tragically and hysterically talking through their favourite colours and best features. Shortly afterwards we are invited to choose and follow one of the four we have just seen on screen for a short, motivational talk about lessons in love. The premise of a dating agency is a slightly clunky format, with the audience unclear as to whether we are following chosen “team leaders” or prospective partners but regardless, it’s jolly good fun. Following each of the four performers results in a different experience and my choice turned out to be a very lusty and passionate look at the dating game, teaching me that when looking for love I only need to worry about how I dress and how I smell, whilst thoroughly checking my horoscope of course. The Last Romance Club (Ever) is a very witty and charming premise for a show and I would love to see where Tinned Fingers take this work-in-progress in the future.

www.mayfestbristol.co.uk

Matt Whittle