Heads Up, Battersea Arts Centre – Review

Pros: Exhilaratingly addictive.

Cons: Make sure you pay close attention.
Heads Up, Battersea Arts Centre – Review

Summary

Rating

80

Excellent

60 minutes of genius writing that is not to be missed.

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you knew the end of the world was coming? The most daunting questions arise and you are left with goose bumps running down your spine. Kieran Hurley’s Heads Up transports you to a few different scenarios, moments before the doom strikes and nothing is left.

In a one-man, 60-minute show, multi-award winning Hurley delivers a performance that makes you question your entire existence. If you knew that the world was ending soon, could you confidently say that you have lived a fulfilling life? Yes, it made me wonder too.

As you enter the intimate auditorium at Battersea Arts Centre, a sense of curiosity is aroused by a desk, centre stage with a single spotlight lighting it. A smoke-filled room lures you in and impatience kicks in.

Hurley’s first appearance is exciting, and the second he utters his first words you are immediately taken to an eerily different world, a world that is on the cusp of ending. We are introduced to a couple of different characters and their lives at the moment they find out that the world is ending. In an almost breathless journey, you are sucked into an obsessively exciting adventure.

Throughout the entire performance, be prepared to question if all the choices you have ever made in your life are ones that you do not regret. The audience is drawn in, joining Hurley on the wild rollercoaster ride that this raw and honest storytelling experience constitutes. With the help of clever musical accompaniment and lighting, which will make you literally jump out of your seat (I knocked over an empty glass), trust me when I say that the performance will be unforgettable.

I tend to recommend different shows for specific audiences; however, I am positive that everyone should dedicate an evening to this 2016 Fringe First Award winner. It will most certainly keep you on the edge of your seat, excite you and surprise you. Who knows, you might be inspired to do something daring afterwards. It inspired me to be bold, brave and fearless. I hope it does the same for you too.

Written and Performed by: Kieran Hurley
Directors: Julia Taudevin and Alex Swift
Producer: Show and Tell
Music by: Michael John McCarthy
Box Office: 020 7223 2223
Booking Link: https://www.bac.org.uk/content/42643/whats_on/whats_on/shows/heads_up
Booking Until: 1 April 2017