Why see just one play when you can see eight? The Big Bite-Size Show, a long-running Edinburgh Fringe phenomenon, famous both for showcasing new works and for giving its audiences free strawberries, has brought its award-winning concept to London’s The Pleasance, so you can do just that – watch eight short plays in a single evening.
There are two separate ‘menus’ of 10-15 minute plays on offer during the show’s London run and for press night the audience was treated to Menu 1's pieces on a multitude of subjects, from tightrope walking to missile crises to kidnapping.
The undoubtable highlight is Lucy Kaufman’s Vintage, late in the first act. The tale of two 1940s-enthusiasts (played to perfection by Hana Vincent and Scott Virgo) trying to repair their failing marriage takes a number of unexpected and hilarious twists over the short runtime, making this a fresh and utterly brilliant piece.
Also worthy of note is Scott Mcateer’s Transactions which opens with a man (Andy Bell) visiting a prostitute (Lisa Fairfield), but all is not as it seems. The witty back and forth between the pair is a pleasure to behold, and Fairfield, in particular, is given some killer lines, while the ending is unexpectedly poignant.
In terms of emotionally-affecting pieces, Tom Coash’s Thin Air is also a standout. The monologue of a tightrope walker waiting to step out onto the wire is lyrically written and Emma Bean’s delivery alongside the vivid prose transports the audience to the circus without the need for props or backdrops (where sound is added to this piece, in fact, it draws you out of the piece rather than supplementing it).
Finally, The Interpreter, Jonathan Kaufman’s laugh-out-loud study of international relations, is the perfect act one closer. As Stephen Povey’s anxious interpreter attempts to keep things civil between the American (Will Neame) and Luketian (Andy Bell) ambassadors, the situation goes spectacularly downhill. The twist at the end is particularly hilarious.
In a menu of this size, it is unfortunately also the case that some dishes will not quite sate the appetite. Some pieces, especially William Knowelden’s Home, feel a little underdeveloped. But the beauty of this format is that you are quickly moved on the next piece (or the pity, when you have just witnessed something truly brilliant).
The cast are required, sometimes literally, to wear a number of different hats as they take on roles in several plays across the night. They do this with skill and dexterity, with Hana Vincent and Andy Bell being particular standouts.
The staging is relatively sparse, with a few boxes, two chairs and a handful of props all that is needed, leaving the acting and the scripts, and in some pieces the costumes to set the scene. And for the most part this is all that is needed, as the eight plays transport the audience throughout settings and scenarios. Sound design sometimes supports the action, as in Vintage, but sometimes pulls the audience away, as in Thin Air.
A delectable tasting menu of theatrical delights, The Big Bite-Size Show is a thoroughly worthwhile evening out. Come for the strawberries, stay for the opportunity to experience eight plays in a single evening!
The Big Bite-Size Show runs at The Pleasance until 15th March.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
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