Blam! at the Peacock Theatre
Marketed as “Die Hard meets The Office”, Blam! is an action packed 75 minutes combining theatre with comedy, dance and a whole load of stunts.
During a typical dull day in the office, three colleagues take it upon themselves to create some entertainment. While their boss is preoccupied, the office workers transform their surroundings into action sequences. Taking on the characteristics of superheroes and villains alike, their office workspace is soon converted into a film set – until their boss catches them.
From their first few moves it is clear that these performers – arriving in London from Denmark via the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – are set to entertain. The strength and discipline of each of the four performers, despite the chaos of the set, creates a surreal experience for a very unsuspecting audience. However, what starts off as a controlled distraction soon reaches the dizzying heights of slapstick pantomime. The Blam! performers begin to push the boundaries of absurdity, and while the drama continues to entertain, all sense of practicality is abandoned.
The originality and resourcefulness of Blam! is second to none. Each action/drama sequence uses only the basic items one might expect to find in an office, and this in itself provides the most convincing element of humour. Unfortunately, towards the end the ingenuity deteriorates a little as the hype intensifies; perhaps this is where the similarity to the Die Hard franchise was drawn.
The overall impact of Blam! will suit youngsters down to the ground – and just in time for half term. However, a predominantly adult audience will find the act rather lacking the drier humour that British comedy is most famous for. The farcical elements of the performance do touch on the cringe-worthy at points, which is a shame because the imagination of director and performer Kristján Ingimarsson is progressive and refreshing.
Blam! is an exciting compilation of acrobatic talent and superhero impersonation. For a bit of wham, bam, thank you Blam! make sure you don’t miss it!
Jennifer Atkinson
Blam! is at the Peacock Theatre until 16th November 2013. For further information or to book visit the theatre company’s website here.
Watch the trailer for Blam! here:
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