Created by Pony Cam Theatre Collective
Review by Florence Carr-Jones
Summerhall - Main Hall: Tickets
This show is pure, unadulterated, chaotic fun.
As you walk in, you see the cast warming up on four treadmills, each labelled with a cardboard sign reading "SURVIVAL," "ADMIN," "PERFORMANCE," and "LEISURE." They start by explaining that they are a collective who created this show together. But it quickly becomes clear that the audience is not just a spectator but an essential part of the show, as their interaction is not just encouraged but crucial to the entire experience.
The show is a thrilling race against time, with the cast trying to complete all the tasks assigned to each treadmill while also surpassing their personal best distances. If they don't succeed the catch is you can get a ticket refund.
You might think the temptation of a refund would make the audience want to work against the cast, but their investment in the show is unlike anything else. One woman administers a lateral flow test to a cast member running on the "LEISURE" treadmill, while another man runs up and down the auditorium searching for his friend's phone to assist a cast member on the "ADMIN" treadmill in submitting a Creative Scotland grant application. Meanwhile, another cast member is performing a devised piece that ranges from tap dancing in a tutu to reciting Hamlet, and yet another is cooking a three-course meal for two audience members. The chaos is overwhelming—I can barely keep up as the audience jumps in, the cast runs, cooks, types, and performs.
At the end of each round, the cast shout out their distances, and Sheena Easton's "Morning Train" plays as they hydrate—it feels like the ending sequence of a soap opera, only sweatier.
The entire show is an extraordinary and hilarious feat. Once all the tasks are done, the cast performs an acrobatic routine on the treadmills, showcasing incredible aerobic stamina—I'm amazed they're still standing at this point.
It's very fringe. It's enjoyable. Oh, and there's free Berocca for everyone throughout!
Review by Florence Carr-Jones (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Florence recently graduated with a degree in History from the University of Edinburgh, where her passion for theatre often took precedence over her academic studies. During her time at university, she was actively involved in many theatre societies, but her deep passion was with Theatre Paradok, the experimental theatre society, where she served as president this past year. She is the director and writer of her own company, Fools and Thieves, and will begin a Master's in Drama Directing at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School this September. Florence is particularly fascinated by interdisciplinary approaches to theatre and how the medium can evolve in the contemporary world.
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