The National Theatre has a new open air and importantly free venue, which today played host to Ockham’s Razor’s performance of The Mill. The piece is a devised physical theatre show that encompasses circus, theatre and slapstick. As the audience found their deck chairs and nervously clutched thier umbrellas, strange mechanic sounds opened the show. The first thing you notice as an audience is the set, which is built of ropes and pulleys that frame a giant hamster wheel.
The performers come out and we are introduced to a working machine created by movement and repetition. It becomes apparent that the workers of this machine are controlled by an authoritarian boss whose voice comes through a loud speaker.
The intricacies of the set and pully system is set beautifully against the simplicity of the narrative and characters. The drama comes in the break down of the workers and their struggle to find order and direction. It’s an entertaining performance with a tight ensemble and there were moments where it really made me smile.
There is obviously a comment on labour and communism underlying it, however it becomes slightly predictable and doesn’t quite yield enough power for the metaphorical elements to really pack a punch.
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