Upon arriving at Theatre Delicatessen for my first foray into interactive theatre, and for what is to be one of the final performances at its current location on The Moor, I am informed that I will need to relinquish my possessions and place them on a small table, alongside the rest of the possessions belonging to what will soon become known as The Standards.
Seemingly chosen arbitrarily, the arriving audience are promptly divided into Standards and Elites – The Many vs. The Chosen Few. The Elites are lavished with niceties and Thumbs of Judgement, while The Standards are offered a begrudging ‘hello’ by means of welcome. Divided we sit.
Our storytellers for the evening – one male and one female – begin to spin their yarn, into which the themes of class, privilege and social mobility are expertly woven. The third voice we hear is from a Big Brother-esque presence who regularly chimes in to inform the protagonists when conflict has arisen and to remind everyone that, ‘We don’t want things to get out of hand’. Needless to say, things get spectacularly out of hand.
I find it’s all too easy to end up recounting the entire performance in a review, so I shall just say this – Standard:Elite succeeds at being fantastically entertaining whilst being perfectly apposite. At a time when what divides us is focussed on far more than what unites us, the opportunity for discourse on complex and difficult issues should be welcomed with open arms. Bravo Hidden Track.
And as a final note, while Theatre Delicatessen will soon bid a fond farewell to their home on The Moor, it has been revealed that they’ll be taking up residence in a new location not too far away so keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the ground for what’s in store in the next Deli chapter.
For news on upcoming shows from Hidden Track, visit their website here.
Review by Felicity Jackson.
