Audience participation in theatre is nothing new, but how about a show where the audience is specifically given banana peels to toss at the actors on stage?
Jack Grossman and Zoe Wohlfeld, both alumni of the famous French clown school École Philippe Gaulier, are the creators of A Night of Drama, which aims to do just that.
Resurrecting an Elizabethan tradition of performing in intimate spaces like inns and taverns, this strange but a-peeling new show is as raw as its banana skins.
The moustachioed Jack directs the production in real time, guiding the actors (a rotating cast of fellow clowns) through improvised Dickensian scenes.
If the audience doesn’t like what they’re seeing or don’t find it funny, they’re encouraged to toss the fruit scraps at the actor in question (just not in the face).
Meanwhile, if the crowd enjoys the improvisation talents, loud cheering and laughter are encouraged, as the cast regularly corpse at their own antics in this bizarre little show. Another particular highlight is the Banana Boys, two lads dressed as bananas who collect the peels from the stage and redistribute them to the audience for more tossing before returning to the front for a surreal bow. A Night of Drama is certainly original and isn’t trying to be polished, but there’s fun aplenty to be had here.
To book future performances, click here.
