REVIEW: Hølìdåÿ at Hen & Chickens Theatre / Camden Fringe 9 -11 Aug

‘A mixture of physical comedy and surreal storytelling that will leave even the theatre purists smiling’ ★★★ ½

Mime artists tend not to have the best of reputations in the Arts. The stigma attached to them is much the same as that of clowns. You either don’t mind them or you hate them. There’s not a great deal of love for them. But anyone who goes to see Hølìdåÿ will quickly realise that mime is so much more than wearing a beret and pretending to move large panes of glass. It is, in fact, an underappreciated art form that deserves more attention.

The show begins with a warm introduction from writer, director and performer David Hoskin. He playfully describes what to expect from the show and successfully manages the expectations of all those in attendance. He describes it as “A lot of mime for one hour”. And it is. A lot! But importantly, it never quite reaches the level of ‘too much’ and audiences will definitely leave more satisfied than relieved.

Hølìdåÿ is the story about a man who lives a rather monotonous and predictable life before he is presented with an opportunity he has always dreamed of… a vacation! His journey thereafter is a series of comical engagements with people he encounters (or doesn’t) from his flight companion to a beach parasol salesman to the waiter in a restaurant, all of which are portrayed admirably by Hoskin.

Hoskin portrays more than twenty characters over the hour, all of which are uniquely identifiable. He makes the changes between characters seem effortless which is commendable given the energetic nature of his act which is a cross between Mr Bean and Jim Carrey. There’s clearly been an incredible amount of preparation put into these characters as well as the objects and settings that surround them.

Perhaps more significant than his performance is that Hoskin seems like a genuinely nice guy. This wouldn’t matter so much in a traditional play but when there are irregular moments of audience interaction, and when the artist is verbally asking you to trust in his art, it carries a lot of weight. The audience is on his side from the moment he begins his introduction and that relationship only grows.

While each of his characters have an individual flare to them, the show does suffer some fatigue as it progresses. The linear story loses its way somewhat when our protagonist gets off the plane. While there remains some interest in his situation, it becomes more a series of sketches rather than the adventure you anticipated. That’s not to say the sketches aren’t enjoyable, they just lack the intrigue that you had when the journey began.

The absence of a clear storyline also makes it easy to momentarily lose track of what is happening in a sort of ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ type scenario. There could be moments where you’re trying to work out where you are and what is going on. By virtue of the quality of the mime though, you will soon catch up with proceedings and these are very much minor blips.

Special mention must be given to Sound Designer, Ophir Burton, and Theatre Tech, Mikey Bligh-Smith, who become almost supporting acts in how they help bring the show alive. Burton’s sounds are used in every scene, from the tuning of a radio to the release of animals into a kitchen while Bligh-Smith has to time these sounds (as well as lights) perfectly with Hoskin’s performance. The show would definitely lose a layer of depth without the high standard of these.

Seeing Hølìdåÿ will likely change your opinion about mime forever. It’s still not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but its mixture of physical comedy and surreal storytelling will leave even the theatre purists smiling. With a more pronounced story-arc this could have been something really special but even without one it is a worthwhile experience.

Hølìdåÿ at Hen & Chickens Theatre 9 - 11 Aug

Writer and Director: David Hoskin

Tech: Mikey Bligh-Smith

Sound Design: Ophir Burton

David Hoskin on twitter @DHoskinactor

Reviewed by John Montgomery