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Visually captivating, funny and poignant – 1927 brings imagination to life in this wild, exuberant and striking production.Summary
Rating
Excellent
This winter, the Southbank Centre presents Please Right Back, created by the multi-award winning theatre company 1927 in co-production with Burgtheater Vienna. The show premiered in 2022 in Austria under the title Mehr Als Alles Auf De (More Than Anything I the World) and was adapted to English for its UK debut in 2024.
The story follows the young Kim and Davey whose father, Mr E, is on an exciting mission. Mr E writes to the children, recounting extraordinary tales that enchant their spirits and nourish their imagination. When whispers start to circulate about Mr E’s true whereabouts, fantasy clashes with the real world and the facade of his escapades begins to crack, leaving Kim and Davey to reconcile themselves with the new, messy reality invading their lives.
As the audience enters, bustling to find their seats, we’re presented with two individuals, dressed in matching patterned attire, standing either side of the auditorium. Their dream-like state is only momentarily interrupted when they silently walk around the audience, selectively gifting some with a memento of the show, after which they return to their original stance. It’s eerie and yet, somehow, very endearing. Behind them the stage is bare, solely illuminated by a mesmerising image of an eye with rays emanating outwards, which is projected on to the backdrop. Even before the show begins, the room is infused with a sense of anticipation for what spectacle awaits. And what a spectacle it is! Fast paced, zany, melancholic and whimsical: an epic, psychedelic journey saturated with oodles of creativity. In essence this can be described as cinematic, animated theatre; one that recaptures the feel of old silent films and shadow puppetry combined. Using this medium, 1927 intelligently tackle challenging themes like bullying and isolation and make them accessible and uplifting through this unique method of storytelling.
It’s no surprise that 1927 have won multiple awards as their work is visually enthralling and layered with detail. But the visuals alone are not the only arresting aspect. It’s the troupe of four very talented performers who really bring the production together. They each sing and dance (with a few lively back flips from Chardae Phillips who also plays Kim), in addition to portraying multiple characters – all while precisely interacting in perfect synchronicity with the projections. It’s like being immersed into a graphic novel come to life.
The one dubious aspect of the show is the characterisation of the West Indian grandmother who is enthusiastically played by Stefan Davis as a nosey neighbour with a sharp tongue. Her portrayal draws many a laugh from the audience yet, unfortunately, this one dimensional character often teeters between an amusing plot device and a lazy stereotype; offering little character development and few redeeming traits (other than for quick laughs). Fortunately, grandma’s presence is few and far between and so doesn’t provide enough distraction to holistically negate the production as a whole.
Please Right Back explores the complexities families encounter when faced with an absent parent and how imagination can be a powerful tool to navigate adversity. Blending visual immersion with theatre -and a healthy dose of hi-jinks and playfulness, this play is an absorbing, exciting and thought provoking experience for both adults and kids alike.
A 1927 and Burgtheater Vienna co-production, created by 1927.
Writer: Suzanne Andrade
Directors: Suzanne Andrade and Esme Appleton
Animation & Video: Paul Barritt
Stage Design: Paul Barritt and 1927
Music & Sound: Laurence Owen
Costume: Sarah Munro
Dramaturgy: Andreas Karlaganis, Ben Francombe and Shelley Hastings
Producer: Jo Crowley
Production Photos: Andrew Perry
Please Right Back plays at the Southbank Centre until Sunday 5th January. Further information and booking are available here.
