Prime_Time at the Barbican

It began in 1994 as one of the first online bookstores. Little did we know that, 27 years later, Amazon would achieve global domination, mercilessly driving countless brick-and-mortar stores off the high street in the process. From groceries to golf clubs, the Internet retailer has become a conglomerate consumers rely on for lower prices and almost instant delivery. After all, this is an ever increasingly inpatient, fast-paced world where it’s become the norm to have almost anything at the click of a button. 

Amazon enjoyed exceptional growth during the pandemic, with much of the population depending on its infamously underpaid workers to put their health at risk to deliver their wants and needs as they safely sheltered. Most are guilty of “window shopping” in physical shops only to then purchase the product from the web giant. Reading of the poor working conditions its employees face while their boss (the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos) busies himself with space travel might cause a twinge of guilt, yet one still adds another item to the basket. 

Prime_Time pulls no punches as it furiously targets Bezos, calling his disproportionate wealth into question and examining the immense power he wields. This urgent, angry and avant-garde production is delivered by In Bed with My Brother. The trio of theatre-producing friends are known for their high-octane, politically conscious work, as seen in their award-winning Tricky Second Album. They now deliver the goods once more with the premiere of their follow-up at the Barbican’s intimate Pit studio.

The unnamed characters are concerned with one thing only: how they can kill Jeff Bezos. As the production merges movement with bursts of abstract aggravation and some intense monologues, plot is secondary. Instead, the audience is met with in-your-face theatre, which uses various innovative techniques to make its point. The use of Alexa and all the frustrations that come with it, such as receiving random responses to questions or just no answer at all, allow the piece to feel timely, relevant and relatable, as well as humorous. Plentiful laughs are had during the 70 minutes, which also manage to shock with some darker, disturbing moments as a dystopian picture is painted. When the house lights come on and the actors at one point incessantly stare as they approach the audience, it feels reminiscent of Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty. 

Plastic sheeting serves as a barrier between the stage and the audience and is suggestive of packaging, with the actors serving as products (of our time, perhaps?). Katherina Radeva’s impressively effective set sees fruit being dropped, Amazon boxes smashed and even a cherrypicker elevated over the stage. Sorcha Mae Stott-Strzala’s lighting and Brain Ray’s sound design inject even more vigour to this vibrant visual feast. Electronic music by the late SOPHIE pulsates throughout and is often accompanied by movement sequences that not only demonstrate the performers’ physicality but convey a multitude of meanings. Good theatre starts conversations, and a number of questions are raised here, although not many answers are to be found. 

One could argue there is a little too much repetition, with certain well and truly established points being relentlessly reiterated. Some sequences outstay their welcome, which renders the pace somewhat flat on occasion. For the most part, though, viewers are swept along in the unpredictability and slight ambiguity of this abstract play. Memorably entertaining but with a valid message at its heart, Prime_Time has spirited substance beneath its alluring packaging.

Jonathan Marshall

Prime_Time is at the Barbican from 28^th October until 6^th November 2021. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.