non zero one return to The Barbican with a new audio-heavy theatre piece set in the changing rooms.
A fun study of the art of forming connections, The Time Out by theatre company non zero one takes us to the poolside changing rooms ahead of a water polo game, apparently about to kick off in the bowls of The Barbican. The twelve-strong audience are also the players and the performers instructed by a disembodied voice and a bolshy Scottish coach (Iván González) to form the bonds and gain an intimate knowledge of each other needed to win this game that, it turns out, none of us know how to play.
But as the comedy that arises from confessing secrets and performing intimate tasks with a bunch of strangers only grows, it becomes apparent that non zero one are missing a trick by not embracing how funny an experience The Time Out could be. With a video montage of cinema's best sports clichés bringing humour to the forefront for a moment, everyone giggling at our own awkwardness and Iván of comedy duo Max & Iván leading us through the plays, they have the tools to really rib the setting they've chosen and approach their theatrical hypothesis in a more subtle way without getting rid of their great set.
Instead, we are over-directed and never really given the chance to use what we learn about each other or explore the set pieces around us. Also noticeable is how keen the theatre makers are to take part in the show they've created which works in some ways but not in others. As the disembodied voice we hear through the headphones in our unflattering water polo caps (that unify us in our embarrassment) highlights our contributions to the show, she also controls our focus, which creates the mood and reminds us of our task. But it would work better if she were to step back more often and give us a chance to use what we learn about each other.
Without this distance, The Time Out can often feel like we're putting on a show for non zero one as they get to see our reactions to their instructions which will change with every audience. Hurried out of the changing rooms running towards what I hope will be a poolside, I know this show isn't easily forgettable, but when it comes to discussing it afterwards, I find that for all its intelligence and creative ideas, it has limited itself.
The Time Out runs at The Barbican until 4th November
More on Spoonfed
Eat Your Heart Out 2012: Have your clap cake and eat it.
Red Velvet at Tricycle Theatre
Review: Hedda Gabler at The Old Vic
Image by John Hunter
Add an event
Bigger, better, tons more music: East End Film Festival Q&A
The East End Film Festival has established itself as one of the biggest and brightest film festivals...