On the way into the theatre, there’s a slight traffic jam as people hang up their coats and bags. I’m gently moved on, and decide to keep my things. Once installed, this is suddenly a relief. My coat – yes, the one from the M&S Outlet in Stevenage – and my bag – yes, the Karrimor rucksack with a Christmas present, sponge bag, mobile, money. They’re here, right here, cluttering my legroom, with me.
The muffled memory is of the Audience controversy in Edinburgh. I’d heard that Ontroerend Goed rifle through the audience’s things. The clothes rails are rolled backstage as we are eased into our role as audience. Later, random coats are paraded in a fashion show, with satirical commentary about our trends. Bags, supposedly belonging to audience members, are emptied and we look at lip gloss, condoms etc.
The kernel of the show is no longer a secret, which creates an artistic dilemma. The key moment in which a young woman is bullied, told to spread her legs, falls flat. Four people stand up to protest too quickly. One woman is very assertive, another sings and swears. The performer retains a soft, manipulative tone, making only a stray comment about ‘London’, but the rawness of the first few performances seems lost.
Audience remains a filmic journey. The camera lingers on the rows of people, skilfully focusing on hands, hair, with the cameraman a small shadow juxtaposed against the projection. Our clapping practice is brilliantly spliced into a different scene later. Footage of popular protest creates both emotion and disquiet.
Political, sexual and media exploitation is a recurring theme. It’s blatant at times, but questioning. We are left to draw parallels between the social conventions of audience participation, political messages and the aggressive lyrics of rap songs. Even if a critical mass seems to know about the show, there’s still room for intended and unintended irony. The young women who get up and dance (wiggle provocatively) – are they really having a good time? Is it OK if they say so?
Audience is a valid, coherent piece of theatre. It has vivid moments but also what now feels like puff – dead air between scenes that suffer from overexposure. Once the trick is in the public domain, it won’t be a surprise. So despite some electricity, it becomes a tall order, something of a damp squib.