COMEDY BLAM A U G U S T
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CRASH BLAM! Physical comedy meets some serious circus skills in a visual extravaganza about escaping office life WORDS CLAIRE SMITH
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HEY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY numerous films - including Apocalypse in Iceland. So when Kristján Now, Iron Man, Superman and The Hulk. Although ultra violent, the action is Ingimarsson set out to create a theatre show he wanted to make cartoonish - which somehow makes it joyful. Ingimarsson says: “It becomes funny something no one had seen before. because you have these four boring office The result is Blam! - a high octane mix of slapstick, physical theatre, circus skills, guys who really want to live life. They are puppetry and free running - which has so serious about it and they go really been described as “Die Hard over the top.” meets The Office.” When putting together ‘Working in “What is a blam? A Blam! the show, actor-director an office is not is a game which becomes Ingimarsson, an Icelander some sort of break out - or based in Denmark, put natural. There is revolution.” together an international nothing natural The show, which has cast with an extraordinary about sitting in won numerous awards in range of skills. Iceland and in Denmark, Joen Hajerslev, who a cubicle shows four bored office plays the stressed out boss all day’ workers break out of their who flips into thinking he daily routine and begin to act is a super villain, is a like action heroes. classically-trained Danish Office equipment becomes body armour, actor and a devotee of extreme sports and filing cabinets become vehicles and the martial arts. Didier Oberle, is a parkour office drinking fountain develops a life of specialist who has helped teach the cast its own. to run up walls, while Lars Gregersen Movie buffs and comic book fans is another Dane with a background in will enjoy spotting visual references to slapstick and physical theatre.
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One of the things audiences in Iceland, Denmark and Norway have loved is the way the show celebrates boys being boys - or rather men being boys. As well as showing off some extraordinary physical skills, Blam! also gives the four cast members the opportunity to be ridiculously macho and outrageously silly. “The audience reaction has been incredible. Seeing people laughing like that is really something.” Underneath the cartoon violence is a serious question about why we spend so much of our lives staring at a computer screen. “Working in an office is not natural. There is nothing natural about sitting in a cubicle all day long. I want to leave people with that thought.” Kristján Ingimarsson hopes Edinburgh will love the show and give it the boost it needs to become truly international: “I really hope we break through here. I want to do this show for as many people as possible.”
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WHEN & WHERE
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Blam! Pleasance Courtyard, 31 July — 26 August (not 7, 13, 20) 5.55pm. From £13.50, Tel: 0131 556 6550
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EDINBURGH FESTIVALS 2013
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04/07/2013 15:29