• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides

The Bekkrell Effect at the Roundhouse

April 25, 2018 by Esme Mahoney Leave a Comment

Review of: The Bekkrell Effect

Reviewed by: Esme Mahoney
Rating:
3
On April 25, 2018
Last modified:April 25, 2018

Summary:

Strange and unwieldy circus show with some standout moments

More Details

The Bekkrell Effect is a bold and unusual piece of theatre, powered by four incredible physical performers. It does have moments of brilliance, but this piece often feels like a hot apocalyptic mess of moving set and unintelligible gibbering overlaid with a throbbing soundtrack cranked up at too high a volume to really be comfortable. Although, who knows, maybe that’s entirely the point.

Entering the main space at the Roundhouse the stage is strewn with a deconstructed set: lights hang down on rigging almost to floor level, and an assortment of industrial looking poles, wheels, and platforms are scattered haphazardly over the stage. The performers put in mouth guards and don workman’s gloves before getting to work setting up the equipment in the pitch black. There is an atmospheric clanking as pieces are assembled, and muffled speech; however this starts to drag fairly quickly (like all the set changes in this show) until the performers are revealed stacked on top of one another up a pole at the back of the stage. This strange totem is certainly a striking image – other fantastic moments involve a complex aerial sequence performed on a hanging rope, with all four performers clambering up and causing havoc with the counterweight. Another highlight is a human-cannonball reference, when one performer clothes herself in a red puffer jacket, helmet and a blue Mohican to throw herself into the dangling centre of a rope. The performers are all clearly adept clowns, with a wonderful and very funny preparation sequence preceding this daring leap.

Spoken moments end up rather more odd; one of the performers trapped in a messy spider-web of wire, rope and poles spits out her mouth guard – and proceeds to recite Hamlet. It is a totally bizarre yet utterly compelling moment, Shakespeare’s words creating an instantaneous pool of clarity from the bedlam and mess that has gone before. Another intriguing moment involves all four performers standing intently by the dangling end of the rope, asking it sincere questions such as “how do you express your joy?” These moments feel experimental and thought provoking, with some kind of oblique logic working behind them that captures the imagination of the audience, engages us in the rhythm of the strange world created onstage.

The rest, I’m afraid, is more “sound and fury signifying nothing”. A colossal amount of time is spent changing the set into various deconstructions of itself, a decaying that is both incredibly frenetic in energy yet slow to completion. Each change is accompanied by crushingly loud “music” – grinding clanking screeching noise (to be more precise) that had me gritting my teeth and praying for my eardrums. The initial clowning is also completely infuriating: the mouth-guards muffle the speech of the performers, and they resort to growling and screeching in an increasingly unbearable cacophony of mindless gibbering. It is messy and incomprehensible, and the audience quickly become
disengaged when nothing is happening but noise or set disassembly. Several audience members made their exits long before the final moments of the show when, on a sort of space ship made of the thrown together pieces of set, the performers winched themselves up into the air. The cast are all fantastic, but The Bekkrell Effect is a strange and unwieldly vehicle for their talents.

Author: Esme MahoneyActor and Director. Drama Centre London graduate @dramacentreldn. Writer and Reviewer
T: Twitter

Filed Under: Featured, Review Tagged With: Bekkrell Effect, Roundhouse

Join the discussion Cancel reply

INTERVIEW / Daniel Hoffmann-Gill on The Great Almighty Gill

We spoke to Daniel Hoffmann-Gill about his autobiographical performance of The Great Almighty Gill that’s heading to the Edinburgh Fringe [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Kati Raatikainen on Kvartetto

We spoke to choreographer Kati Raatikainen about her upcoming performance of Kvartetto at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Harry Butler on Changing the Sheets

We spoke to writer and performer Harry Butler about his upcoming performance of Changing the Sheets, presented by The Playground [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Jamaal Burkmar on DONUTS

We spoke to choreographer Jaamal Burkmar about Extended Play’s upcoming performance of DONUTS at the Edinburgh Fringe, presented by The [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Heather Milsted tells us about her show Period Dramas

We spoke to actor and writer Heather Milsted about her upcoming show, Period Dramas, that’s heading to the Edinburgh Fringe [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Reality TV Auditions
  • 5 Stage Elements to Consider for a Rousing Theatrical Production
  • Katy Owen: LAMDA Audition (First Round)
  • The Threepenny Opera at the National Theatre
  • Joe Strickland on why they will be keeping things digital
  • A Streetcar Named Desire- A cry of pain- Young Vic
  • Does Small to Mid Scale Theatre Touring Actually Work?
  • Katy Owen: Auditioning for Oxford School of Drama
  • Sarah Bodalbhai on Escape from Planet Trash
  • Writing the Perfect Press Release
  • Esme Mahoney
    Author

  • April 25th, 2018
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2022 · Blue Pie Media

     

    Loading Comments...
     

      Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

      Email sent!