The Lowland Clearances

Hobo Theatre at Camden People's Theatre, January 2016

A Younger Theatre Review of The Lowland Clearances

Its easy to be cynical when discussing LARP (Live Action Role-Play). Usually associated withGame of Thrones
obsessed university students or folk reenacting the battle of Waterloo just off the M1, for some reason we poke fun
at those who are simply playing make believe, yet reward actors with golden statues for doing this for a living. The
irony hasnt escaped Hobo Theatre, with their latest show The Lowland Clearances (part of Whose London Is It
Anyway? at Camden Peoples Theatre), exploring the housing crisis through your own Victorian game of pretend.
Asking your audience members to essentially write the show themselves seems a little bit cheap, but this four hour
experience is specifically designed for you to play in your own little world, organised by Hobo member Jamie Harper
and created by the group as a whole. Brilliantly, almost purposefully ridiculous, the afternoon takes place in a
cramped, cold cellar, where houses are chairs with IKEA bags on (that you get to build yourself) and a canal is a set
of toilet paper tubes. Crucial to the purpose of The Lowland Clearances is a decision that you make right at the start
without spoiling what this is, such a simple and throwaway moment will actually play a huge part of how you play
your game. Based on your decision you will find yourselves segregated into different areas of the room, each
neighbourhood with its own set of wealth and social standing. Cramped in a small corner of the room are the most
people, all with houses from cardboard boxes, whilst half the room is saved for only four, with luxury items such as
rugs and blankets. You can imagine the dynamic this creates, and it plays out over the entire game.
The first half of the session involves you creating the world around you, the London streets, the social gathering
spots, the local amenities. Trivial yes, but once your story starts youll be glad you did it. Looking back, Im still
slightly staggered that a group of strangers got together, pretended to build a sanitation plant and argued over the
location of a new school. It got quite dark too, some people sent death threats. Oh, and that London housing crisis
The Lowland Clearances is supposed to be about? Never mentioned once. Its the best that theatre can be
presenting you with a story that allows you to draw your own parallels, not have them force fed to you.
As with any type of format that requires such stringent participation, you will only get out of this what you put in but if
you really go for it, let me assure you youre going to have not only a unique experience but a really entertaining one
as well. The moment the game comes to an end there is a genuine sense of sadness, Im not joking.
This is a genuinely surprising, very effective piece of work. Hobo Theatre are onto something here, and if they keep
pushing then expect to see more from them in the future. The Lowland Clearances has to be one of the more
interesting productions Ive seen, but one thats well worth seeking out. Its going to take a precious afternoon to do
it, and places are limited so do make sure you book ahead. For a LARP virgin, I had a great time.

People Vs Democracy
Hobo Theatre at The Free Word Centre, May 2015

BritishTheatre.com Review of People Vs Democracy

*****

The recent national election, with its long-anticipated, but ultimately incorrect, close outcome, has produced more than the
usual number of dramatic commentaries; but it would be hard to find one more unusual and ultimately, more grown-up and
thought-provoking, than Jamie Harpers People Vs Democracy, still playing in Clerkenwell for another week. Though some
would not regard it as drama at all, for me it offered the most compelling indirect reflection on the current state of our politics
of any of the current crop of plays looking at the state of the country. We are used to political plays that exploit the thrills and
spills of the climb up the greasy pole, so it comes as real and refreshing surprise to confront here not the interplay of political
personalities portrayed by actors but rather the process of political negotiation and policy formation performed by us by the
audience as political agents and voters.
Jamie Harper, who devised and (as a senior civil servant) directs the evening, takes seriously the parallels between plays and
games theory. There is no fixed script, and no actors in roles rigidly defined by the author. Instead, we the audience, are
assigned a job or social status and a set of aspirations in the same way that a character in a drama is given a personality or a
set of familial or social relationships. Then we have to work to attain those goals through negotiation, discussion, wheelerdealing and (in some cases) a degree of wily playing of the system. Everyone starts off with some asset that is needed or
desired by others. Some own energy which they can sell; others have land they wish to develop, while another group seeks to
build houses. There are sellers of food and disposers of waste a small-scale modern society, in other words, of ambitious
producers, consumers and providers of services.
When summarised in this fashion I am conscious that this interactive game sounds like very worthy hard work rather than
entertainment; more an examination to enter the Civil Service rather than an evening at the theatre. This impression would,
however, be incorrect. Instead, all of us participating found it an enriching and mind-stretching experience that was actually in
the best traditions of the theatre. By being thrown together into the melee of individual decision-making in a group context we
recovered the complexity of natural political debate that was so woefully lacking in Question Time and other pre-election
forums of discussion. And in case you wonder how I did, well, your reviewer started the evening as a miner selling energy
units, purchased the education needed to design social housing and ended up running an empire of social housing units,
combining ideological purity and considerable wealth. Perhaps I missed my vocation? All credit to Jamie Harper and his
ebullient, energetic team for a superb evening of thought-provoking fun. Do catch it while it is still running so as to give
yourself a bit more faith in the possibilities of the political process, whatever you may feel about the level of debate in real life.

The Hundred We Are

Hobo Theatre at The Yard, October 2014

Post-Script Journal Review of The Hundred We Are

Jonas Hassen Khemiri's The Hundred We Are is a piece that eludes easy definition. It is surreal, playful and quietly devastating.
It is about the multiplicity of the individual, the unreliable nature of memory, the lies that we tell ourselves in order to keep on
keeping on, and the constant and lingering appeal of the road not taken. The play sees three actresses tell the story of one
woman's life - or rather, many versions of the story of one woman's life. There is 1 (Ida Bonnast) - the cherubic-looking but
tempestuous and conflicted teenage self; 2 (Katherine Manners) - the neurotic and try-hard mother, wife and dental hygienist;
and 3 (Karen Archer) - sardonic, elusive and the most mature incarnation of our nameless protagonist.
The action of the play is book-ended by two collective suicide attempts, and everything in between is a bazaar and rummage
of daydreams and falsehoods and recollections as the women attempt to pin down the special 'gold-framed memories' that
make will make life worth surviving. Time is an elastic concept here. Any attempt to impose a chronology or narrative structure
of any kind is bootless, and the audience quickly surrender to the vibrant maelstrom of the women's thoughts and the unique
lyricism of Khemiri's writing. Ida Bonnast is wonderful as the boundlessly energetic and id-ridden 1. She has a highly
compelling stage presence and finds a perfect balance between petulant defiance and heartbreaking vulnerability. Katherine
Manners gives an accomplished and nuanced performance as the uptight and mercurial 2 and Karen Archer is graceful as the
older and wiser 3. Director Jamie Harper has assembled a tightly-knit trio of actors who have a pleasing chemistry and share a
good understanding of the necessary rhythms and pace of the piece.
Design must be a daunting concept when the brief is essentially an entire interior life which may or may not feature world
travel, a national conference, and a train. Florence McHugh has risen to this challenge by constructing a clean, simple and
modern set from little more than whitewashed blocks and scaffolding, complemented by projected abstract video footage that
is used sparingly and effectively. The industrial quality of this aesthetic sits well in The Yard. It is an exposed and exposing
space for performers and audience alike, and Hobo Theatre use this to their advantage, as one might expect from a company
that makes a virtue of performing in unconventional spaces. Harper has directed his cast to inhabit it comfortably and
completely, and moments of personal appeal from each of the characters are enhanced by direct audience address. This play
was first performed in 2009, and this is a timely revival, living as we are at the height of the popular modern affliction of FOMO
(fear of missing out), worrying that everyone else is surpassing us at the task of living life. It is a tall order to try and capture
the essence of something that everyone is an expert in, but Jonas Hassen Khemiri and Hobo Theatre have made it as easy as 1,
2, 3.

Archipelago
Hobo Theatre at CPT
Commissioned for Camden People's Theatre's 20:20 Vision Festival
September 2014

The Upcoming Review of Archipelago

****
Archipelago is an interactive piece from Hobo Theatre in which the audience are divided among three
imagined islands and asked to live out 40 years managing their countrys resources and political relations.
The work is elevated from the level of the inter-office team-building exercise thanks to some clever mechanics
and performances from the company.
Improvising as the bickering representatives of the nations book-ending the archipelago, and as the news
anchor summarising each phase of play (for which Rob Taylor-Hastings deserves a special mention), Hobo
deliver fun and satire in equal measure.
While designer/director Jamie Harper describes the piece not as theatre per se, rather more as a game with
dramatic elements,Archipelago is a perfect way to close an evening of celebration of a theatre at which the
sense of adventure, and of a welcoming community spirit, is palpable.

Hunger

Hobo Theatre at E5 Bakehouse, May 2014

There Ought To Be Clowns review of Hunger

****
Starting off with a short reading from Solzhenitsyns One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and ending with an
outrageously generous two course meal, it is clear that Hobo Theatre's Hunger is doing things slightly differently.
Although that is clear from the outset as their production is hosted in the flour-dusted, characterful surroundings of the
E5 Bakehouse, a top artisan bakery tucked away in a railway arch by London Fields. So the ingredients for a pretty tasty
evening of theatre have all been put into place and if the proof is in the eating, well this is a great success.
Knut Hamsuns 1890 novel Hunger is regarded a classic of modern literature in its tale of a writers determination to
maintain artistic purity in the pursuit of his career even as it leads him into a life of impoverished starvation. Jamie
Harpers adaptation is really rather ingenious though, condensing the book into 75 minutes or so and doubling up on the
way it doubles. Which is to say two actors take on many roles as the various people the writer meets on his journey, and
then the other two both play the writer, his self becoming increasingly fractured as hunger drives him to desperation.
Its a brilliant way of exploring the complexities of the mind of a soi-disant genius, a near-schizophrenic split between the
artistic impulse to explore the human condition and the act of ignoring the realities of his own condition. Hugo Thurston
and Jamie Harper embody both narrator and character, thought and action in constant interplay in a compelling mixture
of a fascinating man and his trials the fragile joy of a love affair, the stubborn pride that wont let him accept charity,
the desperation that leads him to consider the most extreme of actions.
Harriet Green and Andrei Ionescu as the multi-rolers are also great value for money, Ionescus gently strummed guitar,
playing music arranged by himself, adds another texture to the production which revels in Emma Robinsons rustic,
simple design. The mix of tables swiftly converts into the dining area at the shows end where copious amounts of freshly
baked bread, cheese, steaming bowls of soup and slabs of gorgeous cake are served to satisfy our own hunger,
embracing the communal feel of both dinner and drama in a most satisfying manner.

Heaven in Berlin

Hobo Theatre at Testbed 1, Battersea, October 2013

Whats On Stage review of Heaven in Berlin

****
Berlin: a city of inspiration over the years for writers and rockstars alike, whether it's Christopher Isherwood or David
Bowie. But in the mid-1980s under communism, life on the wrong side of the Wall wasn't all grunge parties and
underground art hang-outs - your neighbours could be government informers. That's the uneasy setting for new
promenade piece Heaven In Berlin. Aging rocker Brian (Ian Bailey) takes up a post as lecturer at the university - and when
he shacks up with colleague Greta (Annabel Capper), her prodigal violinist daughter Judi isn't best pleased. It pushes Judi
to seek out Ida the cleaner who is far more than she seems.
Testbed 1's empty industrial room in Battersea works well as the East German capital - and Ciaran McConville was
brought in to write the script for Hobo Theatre's show after they had improvised characters with the space in mind. It is
effortlessly, cleverly used, with figures silhouetted in spotlights (kudos to lighting designer Fridthjofur Thorsteinsson)
while walls created as we watch with rolls of paper wrapped around metal pillars are later punched and torn for us to
peer through like spies. Brian is based on no specific real life figure but with a psychedelic, twangy reverb soundtrack
influenced by Bowie and Iggy Pop (played by a live guitarist complete with leather jacket and moody looks), we get the
idea. When his angry son Mark (Boris Mitkov) comes to drag him back to reality, can he learn to confront death and see
the oppression around him?
It's the surrounding characters who are most fascinating though - James Meunier's genial but vicious Stasi official subtly
menaces bright-eyed, shrugging Ida (Ida Bonnast) for her relations with wilful Judi (Heather Nimmo). Heaven In Berlin is
unpredictable, well-crafted, harsh and at times dream-like. Director Jamie Harper draws us around the space well and
the 'communist extras' who wash around us, watching the action or moving the set, create a real sense of being
constantly surrounded.

La Turista: Caf Duende

Hobo Theatre at Morito Tapas, November 2012

The Public Reviews on La Turista: Cafe Duende

****
Ni en la vida ni en la guerra se puede triunfar sin fe. The 1937 words of the Spanish Republican Prime Minister Juan
Negrn are draped across the window of Morito Tapas Bar to beckon us into the highly evocative world of La Turista: Caf
Duende. The quote translates roughly as not in life nor war can one succeed without faith and through Jamie Harpers
intricately pieced-together script, we bear witness to the different kinds of faith that saw people through the most
difficult of times.
Hobo Theatres aim is to produce theatre in unconventional locations and the crowded intimacy of one of Exmouth
Markets most highly rated eateries certainly fits that bill. The easy conviviality of the space creates a decidedly
non-theatrical environment, an astute choice which fits the suggestively dark moods of La Turista perfectly. Split into four
acts the show is less concerned with a theatrical narrative than evoking the mysterious spirit of duende, of deep feeling,
of an almost spiritual connection with art.
Harper has achieved this by pulling together a chorus of seven nameless individuals, known only by their trades the
writer, the poet, the photographer and so on and putting into their mouths, the words, thoughts and deeds of the
artistic and creative minds that gathered in Spain at the time. So hints of the prose of Hemingway, the poems of Lorca,
the paintings of Mir swirl around the restaurant, roughly divided thematically but always focused on deep currents of
emotion and matched perfectly by heart-achingly beautiful music and songs, led from Andre Ionescus guitar.
The choice to chase the ephemeral quality of the duende means that those looking for something more substantial on
the theatrical side may come away a little disappointed and it is true, it is the wonderfully intense intimacy of the
performers rather than the stories they are telling that lingers most in the mind. But that shouldnt detract from the
quality of what is achieved here and it certainly all adds up to the kind of remarkable evening of entertainment to which
it is well worth treating oneself.

Invasion!

Tooting Arts Club, February 2011

Time Out Review of Invasion!

Critics Choice
****
Who is Abulkasem? Initially, in this sassy, street-smart production about Muslim identity, he's an archetypal Arab
marauder in Swedish literary giant Carl-Jonas-Love Almqvist's 1835 play, 'Signora Luna'. Before long, two hoodie-wearing
boys from the stalls interrupt a straight performance of this classic, rudely co-opting the dramatic action.
For Arvind and Co, Abulkasem is an act of linguistic banditry, and later a desperate chat-up line in a downtrodden bar.
Arvind's dramatic heist turns out to be the first of many in Swedish writer Jonas Hassen Khemiri's dazzlingly metadramatic play.
For a panel of Swedish academics, Abulkasem is a jihadi terrorsit; for a harassed young student in a bar he is a brilliant
Arab female theatre director; to a marooned Bosnian refugee he's a vague racist threat; and, tying all these disparate
tales together, Abulkasem is a news item, starring the playwright's younger brother.
Director Jamie Harper propels this theatrical Escher print forwards at a furious pace, and cumulatively the shards of
dramatic styles and scenarios make a perfect, deranged sense: Muslims in the West today stare into just such a broken
mirror of irreconcilable mythologies.
The four-strong cast is assured, Mariam Haque and William El-Gardi in particular deliver mercurial comic performances
in their myriad incarnations. And while Khemiri's unending Pirandellian tricks occasionally tire, this constitutes a cracking
debut from Tooting Arts Club - a fringe production of the first order.

Beyond the Pale

Southwark Playhouse, April 2010

The Times Review of Beyond the Pale

****
Wending its way through the cavernous vaults behind Southwark Playhouse, this intricate puzzle of a promenade play
from London Quest pulls off a coup of the form. Its audience is cast as volunteer workers in a wasteland of London
known as South Wark. It sounds familiar, but isnt. Twenty years before, this fictional area was razed to the ground after
riots, whose point escaped both me and the actor recounting the tale, but no matter. Since then, its been a walled
ghetto of want, prostitution and drug abuse, its children locked into a cycle of deprivation. Its a place the arm of the law
cant reach and social services wont go.
A series of jagged, snapshot scenes opens the play in the theatre proper, as the kind-hearted Tom (Ciaran McConville)
persuades his journalist boyfriend to write a feature about the South Wark community centre. An oleaginous MP then
wants in, and approaches a financial backer to develop the centre. But the entrepreneur has a darkening personal
agenda and, tumbling through the looking glass of the spaces back wall, were herded into groups and led through a
series of immersive scenes, peopled by a queasily menacing cast of 15 South Wark inmates.
The performances are uniformly superb, but the central scenario is depressingly tabloid: a young South Wark addict,
Jodhi (Susannah Fiore), is being forced to give up her daughter to a rich, childless Islington couple in return for a stint in
rehab. Each audience group is given sheets of paper that explain key plot developments when the devising, directing duo
of Andrew Pawlby and Jamie Harper run dry of ideas. As an exercise in immersive theatre, then, its far from flawless. But
the level of spontaneous, unrestrained participation that Quests ensemble elicits from its audience is astonishing. More
often than not the casts job is to rein in the volunteers interference in the action, and the most affecting line of the
night, about dealing with grief, was delivered by an audience member. Its the sight of so much genuine, heartfelt,
impassioned involvement, issuing from a ragtag group of strangers, that makes this meandering dramatic journey well
worth taking.

Invisible Storms

Cock Tavern, May 2009

Time Out Review of Invisible Storms

Critics' Choice
****
If the recent furore over MPs expenses has left you with the opinion that corruption in British politics is only in
Westminster, Invisible Storms is a stark reminder that the rot seeps much deeper. Devised and directed by Dan Muirden
and 2006 JMK Award winner Jamie Harper, this ambitious improvised drama is set between the environmental frontline
of Norfolk and the capital city where, just over 100 miles away, decisions on the fate of its people are so carelessly made.
Cat (a brilliant performance from Sarah-Louise Young) knows this only too well. Her father spent the last ten years of his
life fighting to save his farm, first from rising sea levels, then from the environmental agency officials who refused to help
him protect it because he wasnt considered a priority though the minister down the road and the neighbour whose
daughter was seeing a council official were. After his suicide, Cat and brother Richard embark on a mission to exact
revenge on the man they hold responsible.
Despite being billed as a climate change play, Invisible Storms is actually a very timely story of personal culpability and
responsibility within the political sphere. Lighting designer Simon Beyer makes clever use of some desk lamps and
natural light (this old pub function room still has its windows). And although some of the improvised dialogue is
dispensable it was exceptionally well-paced on the night I watched it, with the story unfolding like a pack of cards; the
final twist in the tale slammed on the table like a winning hand at blackjack.