Cabaret: Review and Preview - 'The Antidote' and 'The Anecdote' at The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter

The Antidote and The Anecdote

On Sunday 14th and Sunday 21st February, Particular Theatre Companyare producing an evening of comedy, music, plays, sketches and poetry at The Bike Shed Theatre. Starting from 18.00-22.00 and featuring a variety of talent from around Devon and beyond, these evenings will prove the perfect way to wash away the February blues. And, even better, they are completely free.

Those of you who read my preview or review of 'The Distance' - or have attended a performance yourself as it goes into the second of its three week run - may have already picked up on The Particular Theatre Company's Sunday cabaret evenings when the actors involved in the production get an evening off and other local talent come out to play.

The auditorium is transformed with tabled and candlelit seating and the curtains that separate theatre from bar are pulled back to make for a relaxed setting - it's fine to arrive late, leave early, or come in and out as there are plenty of breaks between turns. The company's connections with The Hour Glass Inn ensure the quality of the booze is high and if the temperature is cold the atmosphere is warm and friendly.

Think Weimar Cabaret meets Footlights Revue and that should give you an idea of what to expect. The first night didn't just have Valentine's Day to compete with but also the Wondermentalist Cabaret's Liv Torc and Beryl the Feral doing their 'For Our Sins' show at the Phoenix in Exeter so there were always seats to be had, but with enough in the crowd to generate some kind of buzz.

The quality of the acts was variable - from cruise ship to the Lapin Agile - but none overstayed their welcome. Without a notebook to record the names I can't provide an act-by-act commentary but among the bill were: Sam and Dave, presenting comedy sketches on stage and screen; Craig Norman doing performance poetry; David Lockwood and chum reciting pop lyrics as audition pieces; a monologue delivered partly in the voice and persona of Mike Tyson; and The Duelling Kazoos busking comic skiffle.

The latter deserve special mention as they're donating their time and talent to Phonic FM's second birthday bash and fundraiser on Saturday 20th February from 20.00 at the Phoenix Arts Centre in Exeter with live music also from Dumber Than the Average Bear, Glow Globes and Class Actions plus a full roster of Phonic FM DJs. At a fiver a ticket with every penny of the proceeds going to keeping the station on air, it's the least you can do to attend.

Incidentally, I understand Ben Bradshaw, our local MP and current Secretary of Culture is paying a visit to the Bike Shed tonight. And if he's reading, it's projects like this that give the best return on investment for arts funding. For every one Jonathan Ross you can keep a score or more pop-up theatres going...

Theatre: 'The Distance' by the Particular Theatre Company

In our ongoing series on arts in the recession, we discussed the phenomenon of pub theatre and its potential to deliver productions of merit, to an audience beyond regular theatre goers, on a budget relying on little or no subsidy. I reviewed 'Forsaken' by the Particular Theatre Company who'd recently staged a three week run of a new piece of writing - together with before and after shorts of comedy and poetry - in the basement of The Hour Glass Inn in Exeter, ending with the wish that they'd extend the experiment to future shows.

My wish was their command and they are back with 'The Distance', a new play by Dorset writer Craig Norman, described as a poetic drama in which a married couple struggle to maintain fractured relationships with each other and their parents, in a world where land is precious and you don't know who you can trust. Featuring an accomplished professional cast and crew in an intimate space, the show should share many of the elements that made its predecessor a commercial and artistic success, but this time they've created their own seventy seat space - the Bike Shed Theatre just off Fore Street in Exeter, right in the centre of town. They are licensed for drink and have done a food deal with the nearby Flying Pig, maintaining the elements that make pub theatre a social night out.

Just as importantly, they've kept to their philosophy of exposing their audience to new work by encouraging us to stay on for 10 o'clock slots, one act plays by local writers that change every day or two. It's a win-win of a concept. The theatre ups its revenue by selling a few drinks while the punters wait for the stage to be reset. The audience gets an add-on to the experience if they want it. Playwrights and actors get a chance to try out new work in front of a paying crowd while the producers can gauge their reactions to new talent.

'The Distance' runs from 8th to 27th February and starts at 19.30. Tickets are available online at 10 pounds and if you're reading this on the day of posting and are quick off the mark you can still get them at the early bird price of a fiver. I'll be there for the preview and hope to add a short review below while there's still time for you to get seats for a night later in the run.

On Sundays 14th and 21st of February at 17.00 they are also hosting free evenings of comedy, music and poetry - Antidote/Anecdote - which sound a good way to end a winter weekend.