cftc.txt

http://www.nightnews.net/fringe2008.htm#cftc

Call for the Condemned - WatchThis
venue :: Rocket @ Demarco Roxy Art House
see links :: http://students.bugs.bham.ac.uk/watchthis/
category :: Theatre
Reviewed date :: 24 08 08

Review: 'WatchThis' is the 'Drama Society for New Theatre, 
Improvisation and 48-hour Plays,' at the University of Birmingham.
In 'Call for the Condemned,' the group came up with a more than 
creditable comedy production, itself based on a very funny, student
-originated piece of satirical writing. The darkly atmospheric 
Depeche Mode song 'Personal Jesus' is playing as the audience take
their seats. We have to pass a rather gothic looking, 'lost soul' 
and cast member languorously decorating the portals of Roxy 2 to
get to them as well. Probably for added pantheistic effect, Mr 
Richard Demarco and his entourage were also complementing the 
company with their presence in the audience, sitting just behind
me. The show comes with a warning on the 'Cast Notes' that its a
dark comedy meant to entertain and not offend, with lots of 
references to sex, violence, swearing, drugs and Hell. Blasphemy
apart, the show does a good job on all of these points and the 
cast are quite charismatic in their personifications of the Seven
deadly sins, Satan and even a couple of undercover angels working
for the ahem, 'good guys!' Envisaging the whole working from a 
call centre at, 'Hell Inc' and talking mortals into temptation 
over the phone lines is quite brilliant and the early part of the
show is terribly amusing as each demonic character demonstrates 
their skills. The comedy is fast paced and the gags delightful; 
the idea of a stockbrokers boiler room operation turned to 
generating sin obviously resonates with some worthy social comment
on our age. The office politics and managerial style of 'Hell Inc'
is genuinely funny, encompassing satire, parody and a pretty good
reflection of life on Earth as we know it. Interweaved with an 
unlikely plot of an undercover Angel sent to subvert the call 
centre who goes too far and the assassination of the boss 'Stan'
the show gallops to its final conclusion. This turns out not to 
be the 'apocalypse' but the 'status quo,' which is not without a
certain resonance either. The show is not without an underlying 
seriousness about the nature of 'darkness,' especially the truly
horrid moment when undercover angel Dante is coerced into 
despatching the pretty tortured soul of Roxy 2 and thereby damns
himself. The structure and pace of the play is perhaps a little 
lopsided in favour of the earlier parts, however the comedy and 
gags throughout make it all forgivable and worth seeing. There 
are a number of literary and other references obviously inspiring
the production which are as much fun to spot. Overall, the writers,
fabulous cast and production crew of WatchThis have put a 
veritable feast of dark fun into this compellingly witty and 
clever show, so if you are over 16, go and see it!
5 silver bats

by John C Vassallo