On 6 July 1988, 120 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, the Piper Alpha oil platform was engulfed in a series of explosions which killed 167 people. Nearly 35 years on, Aberdeen-based artist and poet, John Bolland, retells and reflects on the disaster in Pibroch.
Based around the central question “What would you do if you found yourself on a burning platform?”, the parallels between the literal platform of Piper Alpha and the surface of our planet are explored through this multimedia production. Criticism of those in power, be it the health and safety organisations that could have helped prevent the disaster, or present-day governments is stark and necessary.
The audience enters the auditorium to an asymmetric stack of lighting rigs, surrounding a central screen with the definition of the improvised pibroch musical form, whereby an initial theme is repeated with increasing ornamentation and complexity. This is demonstrated by Fraser Fifield, who goes on to play a variety of instruments in the pibroch style around Bonnard’s poetry to punctuate and bookend segments. Creative use of the pipes to act as a blowing wind and other techniques add to the soundscape of the show.
Over the course of the show, a variety of thoughtfully selected images accompanies the poems and music played to recount the events and impacts of the Piper Alpha disaster.
The emotive intensity of the piece is apparent with the odd stumble in delivery, but that can be excused given the urgency of the climate crisis. It is well worth staying after the performance for the post-show Q&A to learn more about Bolland’s former career in the oil and gas sector, and the other inspirations behind the piece. Most of the audience at this particular performance stayed behind and spoke of how moving the show was.
Some highlights (albeit sombre ones) include vignettes on the topping of learning to swim ahead of the coming flood and a list of the deceased represented by their hometowns, which could also foreshadow a memorial to the coastal towns which will be the first to succumb to rising ocean levels.
As more shows about the climate crisis are produced and performed, it is important to create work that doesn’t downplay the severity of our potential future but also serves as a call to action. In Bonnard’s own words, he seeks to use “compassion” as the primary emotion to engage his audience, and it is good to see this attempt to diversify from the doom and gloom that may alienate those watching.
By focusing on the global-level crises through the lens of a single event, and the ripple effect on communities across Scotland and beyond, Holland has created a helpful piece of theatre to facilitate conversations about how we prevent further disaster. While not for the faint-hearted or those prone to acute climate anxiety, this is necessary viewing for all.
Advertisements The Biblical book Song of Songs stands out; unashamedly erotic, for women as well as men, it has long been a subject of controversy, and it is this book that writer, director and lead performer Ofra Daniel takes as the subject of her musical. First performed in Daniel’s home of San Francisco in 2017, this run at the Park Theatre marks the musical’s first visit to London. It is difficult not to be thrilled by the world presented in A Song of Songs. The soundscape is one of klezmer music and infectious rhythms, composed by Daniel and Lior Ben-Hur with collaborators Ali … More SONG OF SONGS – REVIEW – PARK THEATRE
Advertisements Who’s afraid of Stephen Sondheim? I certainly would have been, having seen this show. Playwright Anthony Shaffer’s original title, an homage to the Broadway composer and puzzle obsessive, was changed to Sleuth before the play’s 1970 premiere, whereupon it won the Tony for best play, and has since been adapted for screen by both Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Harold Pinter. It is certainly an auspicious beginning, and it is a delight to see that fifty years on, this clever play can still stay a step ahead of its audience. The play opens with Andrew (Todd Boyce), a writer of detective fiction, … More SLEUTH – REVIEW – RICHMOND THEATRE
Advertisements Jesus Christ Superstar reimagines the biblical story of Jesus’ last days through a contemporary lens, portraying him as a rockstar figure navigating betrayal, redemption, and finally crucifixion. At the New Wimbledon Theatre, this iconic musical comes to life with electrifying energy and innovative staging. Fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the dynamic duo of England’s musical theatre scene, will recognise the typical elements of their work; and they are as electrifying as ever. The rock score is performed by a mainly hidden live band, filling the theatre with a pulsating sound. The observant audience member can spot the … More JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
Advertisements Spirited Away premiered in Tokyo in February 2022 and is now having its European premiere at the London Coliseum. Hitting theatreland following the success of the RSC’s adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro, which is transferring to the West End next year. Based on the 2001 anime film, Spirited Away centres around Chihiro a young girl, who inadvertently winds up in a world ruled by witches and spirits – with her parents turned into pigs. What follows is her quest to save her parents and return to the real world. The highlight of this production is the creative elements; the set, designed by Jon Bausor is vast, imaginative, and transportive, … More SPIRITED AWAY – REVIEW – LONDON COLISEUM
Advertisements The Accountants is a multimedia stage spectacle, melding dance and modern communication. It premieres at Aviva Studios and is the UK debut performance for the Terrence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company and Xiexin Dance Theatre. Liam (Josh Hart) is trying to find himself while travelling Asia, keeping in contact with his favourite ‘auntie’ Kash (Shobna Gulati). Using Kash’s wisdom to guide him around India and China, Liam tries to understand his own identity as an Asian person while watching the accountants in his head dance. After I picked my ticket up from the box office, I was collared by a … More THE ACCOUNTANTS – REVIEW – AVIVA STUDIOS