Sara Sha'ath reviews The Blue Man Group:
Who on earth are The Blue Man Group?
Well… imagine if you took thr
ee smurfs, robbed them of their chirpy white caps and endearing little dungarees, dressed them in black and locked them away for an eternity with only strobe lights, pvc pipes, regurgitation, broadband internet access and their innate, impeccable sense of rhythm to keep them amused. When the eternity has passed you seek them out, only to find that they have evolved into a small race of glistening blue humans. Mute and attentive, like fully-grown-man bunnies, they show you the instruments they have fashioned, the music they have created, the tricks they have learnt and the insights and conclusions they’ve drawn about modern society during their seclusion.
What should I expect?
It’s best not to expect anything at all. There is no way that you can prepare yourself for seeing this show, in fact if you go so far as to research it before you go (as I misguidedly did) you run the risk of bursting the bubble before it’s even been blown – not that this piece has any ‘Mouse Trap’-esque twists but the truth is that its novelty is its charm.
What’s it about?
Well, here’s the tricky bit – it’s about art, about elitism, about alienation in the modern age and, in a way, it’s a sort of expose of the strange and more instinctive aspects of human behaviour, like dancing, courting and covetousness. But don’t worry; you don’t need to know any of that to enjoy watching the spectacle. At times you sense the ghost of a unifying “message” among the madness, but blink and you could miss it. For the most part, the show seems to be about multi-sensory stimulation and good old-fashioned entertainment - executed with a dazzling array of complex props, effects and a slick grease-painted expertise.
Will I like it?
This is show is so universal you’d think it was Disney and so varied that only the most practiced of apathetic teenagers could fail to find anything to impress. That said, there is a strong element of audience interaction from the word go; so if you are the type of person who cringes at karaoke you might not be so keen. Without giving too much away about the performance, I think you should also steer clear if you are a churlish intellectual-type, a green-peace campaigner or an epileptic.
So what’s the verdict?
The Blue Man Group definitely get brownie points for thinking out of the box. While there aren’t really any acrobatics (save an opening act that takes catch-the-peanut to new and awe-inspiring heights), the stunts are adeptly executed, bizarre ideas rather than your traditional box-splits and jazz-hands. It’s a messy noisy anarchy – massively engaging, incredibly surreal and well worth a visit.
What our customers thought:
“Even better than I expected – it’s intelligent art” (Jesus, London)
“I’ve never been to the theatre before and this was really original” (Sibylle, London)
“Like nothing I’ve ever seen before – very original” (Brian, Hounslow)
“You’ve got to try it” (Susan, Hounslow)
Book The Blue Man Group – now 50% off
Blue Man group assaults all your senses! As it encourages audience participation, it is never boring! Certainly the greatest experience i have ever had in theatre shows. will be back this Thursday towing some friends along. The better seats you get the better your experience - in the centre.
Posted by: maggie hii | 15/05/2006 at 11:53 PM