Review: HR at the Bomb Factory, The Hen and Chickens Theatre

After a run at the most recent Camden Fringe, Tom Draper’s HR at the Bomb Factory continues to tell its story of empathy and accountability, now at The Hen & Chickens Theatre. Following a clown who infiltrates a bomb factory in the midst of an inquiry as its CEO, a potential recruit, and a legal consultant, this show confronts its audience with the impact the weapons industry has beyond national borders.

This production is advertised as “The Office meets Dr Strangelove”, and that is exactly what it feels like. The comedy relies both on elements of situational absurdity – making fun of the general office setting and the recruitment process by placing an actual clown in them – as well as constant fourth wall breaking by Draper’s Clown, which adds an interesting metatheatrical element. The hour-long show is packed with jokes, allowing for few minutes of seriousness towards the end, and most of them land fairly well.

Imbedded on the different scenes are graphic depictions of the reality of war – the destruction caused by the bombs that this factory creates. Draper is asking the audience to remember what is really at stake: what this office filled with buffoons is actively and consciously involved in. The audience is urged to place as much blame on the people who make the bombs as they place on the people launching them. It is strong, filled with empathy, and almost desperate to make sure the message lands. However, there is not a lot of exploration into the reasons behind this terrible phenomenon besides greed, and the show offers only a surface level understanding of it. Furthermore, its intention to deliver such a powerful message is unfortunately dampened by the constant jokes that do not allow the audience to have a moment to process the seriousness of the topic at hand. There is only one occasion in which this seriousness is allowed to take centre stage, and it is followed by more jokes that dilute the gravitas of the moment.

The staging and prop work is fairly clever in its use of limited space. There is only a desk, which moves to symbolise a change in setting, and two chairs, including the comedically important swivel chair, on stage at all times. The actual stage doors become part of the staging as the office doors. These elements effectively create the office environment, occasionally aided by bits of audio.

Five actors strike the right comedic tone and timing required to make this script work. Jaden Campbell, Peter Overal, Lucas Yates, and Lauren DeBruin nail their parts as the exaggerated versions of the different people one could see in an office, from the overly nice HR lady to the bumbling graduate looking for a job. Yates is particularly hilarious during the inquiry scene. Draper’s Clown, though, is the star from beginning to end. He sets the tone with the different personalities he portrays and brings the message home at the very end with a pathos-filled recounting of the horrifying reality of war for the innocent.

HR at the Bomb Factory offers a simple view on the crooked ethics of the weapons industry, yet perhaps opens up little opportunity for any deeper reasoning, for a proper conversation starter, and is at moments drowned by the comedy that the show does so well. However, this production really does deliver on the promised comedy and does so with a bang,

Directed by: Josh Kent and Niall Loftus
Written by: Tom Draper
Prop/Set Design by: Harriet Draper
Tech Operation by: Niall Loftus
Audio Design by: Josh Kent

HR at the Bomb Factory has completed its current run at The Hen and Chickens Theatre.