Connections with others and memory of past friendships are prompted by an apparent lack of one for a recently deceased neighbour.  A series of marvellously comic and meandering vignettes are woven together in typically unorthodox ways by Out of Balanz to create theatre which is a sheer joy. 

When Ivan Hansen’s elderly neighbour dies in the apartment next to his own he is suddenly thrown into wondering why he wasn’t on more than nodding terms with him.  Told, with characteristic charm and a lightness of touch that is almost childlike, Ivan and Pekka  Räikkonen recreate past connections from when they were young and living in a similar apartment block in Copenhagen.

Quirky reminiscences, often recounted with an emphasis on intricate detail take us back to a time when making friends was simple and life was carefree.  First we learn that Ivan is Danish and that Pekka is Finnish and that if they had been born around 100 years ago then it is likely that the lack of a common language and the sheer distances between their countries meant that they would probably never have met and become friends.  We then see what would have happened if they had been born 1000 years ago with precise, athletic physical theatre leaving us in no doubt that it would have been a blood bath. 

We see Ivan’s childhood apartment and are treated to highly detailed plans of the dwelling told with the aid of Lego and a painstaking deliberate delivery which successfully conjures up the very sights, sounds and sheer exuberance of childhood discovery.

Ivan’s young friends and his older slightly overbearing brother are introduced, with Pekka recreating them with ease.  From snot nosed madcap to daredevil cool kid they are all on the scene, using a variety of props plucked seamlessly from boxes scattered around the stage.  A bubble gum eating contest allows Ivan to triumph over his friend as whimsical and innocent adventures are recreated. 

Director Katrina Bugaj somehow manages to keep the pace and laughs flowing with a perfectly rounded production, topped off by Ivan’s easy going narration that cuts across the fourth wall without interrupting the narrative flow. 

The show heavily features laughs, but the infectious charm and sheer physicality takes it to a different level.  The strenuous nature of some of the sketches are impressive, but even more so when interspersed with acutely observed introspective memories, and once sweets have been handed out to the whole audience we watch what look like real photos of Ivan’s childhood on a slide show.   

A return to his old childhood apartment allows us to realise that although we can’t go back to the past we can still make new connections as easily as we did when children. This is borne out when a new neighbour takes up residence next door.  Connections can be made at any time and audiences should make them with Ivan and Pekka as soon as they possibly can.    ★★★★☆     Bryan Mason     13^th June 2019