It’s all in the name. Told By An Idiot is a theatre company that makes a delicacy out of idiocy, and puts on a frantic, furious show that feels unique in its disregard for any semblance of neatness. Heads Will Roll, directed by Paul Hunter, starts off messy, and only gets messier as things progress. That is a large part of its charm, and, unfortunately, its major drawback.
Heads Will Roll brings together a South American jungle exploration conducted by a Spanish conquistador, a modern-day classroom, El Dorado the myth, and “El Dorado” the short-lived BBC soap opera. Experimental and tangential, the show’s thematic problem is almost covered by its charming delivery, but its whiplash style means that narrative cohesion becomes beyond reach. This may be intentional, as the programme reports that Hunter was “interested in exploring what happens when we reach for something unattainable,” but the close of the show suggests otherwise.
A captivating and surprisingly restrained ending, punctuated by one last big laugh that catches the audience off guard, is dampened by the fact that it comes probably 15 minutes too late and has too much to pull together. Tying the show up in an orderly fashion would conflict with the preceding content, but a little coherence could go a long way.
Thankfully the show is very funny. One particular sequence involving a quasi-religious ceremony, confectionary and salad produce makes you roar with laughter, as does any other in the show featuring fruit and vegetables. As a general rule, props (and particularly the most mundane) are used imaginatively and to hilarious effect.
Alicia Martel, Andrea Pelaez, Mercè Ribot and Patricia Rodriguez make up the four-man company of actors entertaining us. And the level of enthusiasm, commitment and irreverence in each of the performances is equal, something that is crucially important for a show of this kind. Inhibition would not only be conspicuous, it would be detrimental.
Particular praise must go to Rodriguez, whose every movement, every tick, every wink, is infused with madcap energy distinctly unmarred by embarrassment. Audience interaction will always induce discomfort in some theatregoers, but Rodriguez seems to hold an intrinsic understanding of how to do it best, and is rewarded by the biggest laughs of the night.
The clocks have gone back, the clouds have rolled in, and warmth is in great demand at the moment – this production has it in buckets. (Buckets it will probably chuck at you.) A good laugh that could do with a good edit, Heads Will Roll is on at the Rep all week, before touring the country. ★★★☆☆ Will Amott 3rd November 2016
