 | | Completely rubbish? |
The Reduced Shakespeare Company 'Completely Hollywood' production at the York Theatre Royal takes a stab at Hollywood as it has done previously with Shakespeare and the Bible. The company proclaims it provides theatre with the tag line 'for the quick of mind, and short of time'. This concept isÌýinvigorating with Shakespeare. But how many one liners can bear up once the slight guffaw or grimace upon hearing 'Ghandi with the wind' flutters away? One liners infiltrate with unvarying predictability. The show has a shallow lack of varied inspiration. But is this not the whole point you may ask?Ìý The show seemingly attempts to deconstruct and satire the pomposity and self obsession of Hollywood from the inside. It is aiming to entertain. These characters are shallow – Hollywood is shallow. | " This is less 'pass the hat' theatre than plain old hat, slightly worn and probably second hand." | |
The cast of three men comprise 'the writer, the director and the actor'. Brought together by their mutual wish to ascend the yellow brick road to golden success they hatch the plan to amalgamate all the great movies into one great movie so everybody can recognize greatness all at once. With me so far? The trio proclaim to seek profound inspiration through the mantra that their film will be 'epic, commercial, but with a message'. They end up signing lucrative advertising contracts for Coke and Nike and deflating a litany of movies and stars along the way. But we all know the 'Tom Cruise Box' is probably brought out for the star on every shoot! This is less 'pass the hat' theatre than plain old hat, slightly worn and probably second hand. Less of a stab in the heart than a wet kipper round the face then?
The show excited my initial anticipation by launching into a skit style of manic movement. Running in and out of two doors, painted on the back placard of the path to Hollywood, the actors make best improvisation use of simple props from wigs to crisp packets. But the hope for a sustained vaudeville style of show was dashed as the plot sticks with the unexciting scenario of three guys out to make a shallow movie, falling for all the pitfalls that epitomize a shallow Hollywood. This concept is not very hard to grasp. Five year olds were very much amused by stereotypes from popular culture that littered the stage: A moon dancing Michael Jackson, a wig referencing Samuel L.Jackson from Pulp Fiction. The show is so focused on its culture referencing and the wink wink, nudge nudge of 'buzz words' anticipation there seems to be little else to it. Like Shrek 2 it goes overboard in appealing to the masses and appearing to be ever so clever. The parodies and send ups of Hollywood are as as far away from subtle as possible. The cast point out that they are not here to make a 'Merchant and Ivory Film'.ÌýBut maybe I wish they were, as there is an entire lack of subtle satire that would perhaps have sustained the show and made for just as much apparent entertainment. Entertainment does not have to mean popcorn light and paper thin. The show drowns and is hanged by its own rope; it becomes a colossal cliché of piled up double entendre causing the half yawn, half grimace I mentioned earlier. Rasheeda Nalumoso | 
