An elderly couple, Barb and Jim wake up on the day of their 50th wedding anniversary. It’s going to be a big day full and love and celebration, however, 50 years is a long time and there are things that would get under anyone's skin after that amount of time. Therefore, it could be excused that, what begins as a day to mark the day Barb and Jim decided to start a life together turns into one where they want to end each other's lives…literally. Featuring bowel movements, prescription drugs, trips to ALDI, trips in general, knife fights and bloody Mary’s with a secret ingredient (think the domestic fluffy kind), this is a delightful farce and in some ways an expose of an honest marriage.
Presented by the Australian company Salvador Dinosaur who are a partnership between the Anniversary’s performers Daniel Tobias (Jim) and Clare Bartholomew (Barb) and director and co-creator Peter Haughton, they have been on the theatre circuit long enough to know how to play the game and this is a physical clowning show as good as they come. The work itself has been in development since 2019 and despite a few COVID interruptions, this unique and hilarious show is being shared with audiences around the world. If you are a fan of clowning/ physical comedy, or better still, if you have never experienced a show like this before, then this is one is for you.
As the show opens, the audience is lured into a false sense of security. We meet the seemingly nice couple and there are a few basic slapstick gags like getting a foot caught on a chair and falling into a table so that the couple end up with cream all over their faces. However, it does not take long for the performers to find their feet (or more to the point lose them) and everything descends into one hell of a ride. As an Australian myself, I can attest that there are some moments that will land more for a home audience. For example, a fight between Jim and (an Australian) magpie who are renowned for their swooping and generally being terrifying, evolves so that Jim has to walk home with a helmet covered in cable ties sticking out of it. Any Aussie will relate to this image as truth. For less in-the-know audiences, I guess it is just ridiculous, which is equally as successful in hindsight.
The set design uses the convention of multiple entrances and exit points on either side of the stage and furthermore, challenges perspective by shrinking as it descends up stage. All of this is a gift to the performers who use its endless possibilities for play and gives this domestic setting of a living room a warped Alice in Wonderland feel.
The sound design cleverly and seamlessly entwines with the action and adds another layer to the comedy in a way that is nuanced and paced perfectly. Likewise, the lighting plays the game by being able to shift the mood instantly from, for example, a wholesome duet the couple sing to one another, to a scene out of something by Steven king. A special mention must also go to cameos from fury puppet friends, who unfortunately do not all fair too well by the end of the manic party.
This is intelligent theatre. Every joke is set up and executed in a satisfying display of two performers who have been living and breathing this sort of comedy for a long time. Nothing is superfluous there is a connection to everything you see and every bit of action.
Review by Stephanie Osztreicher
Rating: ★★★★★
Seat: NA | Price of Ticket: £14
