Spectacle is a one-hander about a night with the world-famous rock star, which features interesting character creation and moments of humour, but struggles to deliver overall. Rating
OK!
Spectacle is one of the shows included in this year’s Voila! Theatre Festival programme, which brings together performers from all over the world. The festival aims to platform works from international emerging artists that defy convention and genrefication, and Spectacle, created by Finnish comedian Minttu-Maaria Makkonen, fits this brief well. Exploring the themes of stardom and gender expression, the eponymous Spectacle regales the audience with story and song…if only he could remember the lyrics.
The piece takes the form of a character comedy, mixed with elements of drag and clowning, that explores the absurdity of stardom. Whilst the premise and themes are clear, some elements seem to be missing. There is very little context given for the character – who is he, how did he get here, and why can’t he remember his own lyrics? A somewhat humorous mix between Jack Black and Ville Valo, Spectacle is playful but isn’t developed much beyond a persona. The show is also described as exploring “masculine charisma in a female body”, yet this is never really addressed.
The clowning aspect is the driving force of this piece, particularly its use of audience participation. The audience is very much put to work, and a lot of the content relies heavily on their willingness to engage, which is a bold approach, both a strength and a hindrance. Participants are pulled in right from the beginning, which sets the tone but doesn’t allow for any rapport to be built. The audience doesn’t know the character yet, so there isn’t much incentive to play. This leads to several performer-participant moments that feel forced, rather than reciprocal. It eases towards the latter half of the show, but some time spent building familiarity in the beginning would probably benefit the piece overall.
The visual design is minimal but effective: Ines Masanti’s set consists of just a stool, a mic stand, and a guitar. These items are put to good use by Makkonen, and feature as part of the physical comedy. As well as a hairbrush being used as a mic (an experience most audience members will have had at some point…), moments such as the mic stand being transformed into a shower head work particularly well. The visual design of the character is understated, made up of a string vest, some tight shorts, a jacket, and some white face paint. Reminiscent of 80s rock stars, the look works overall but could benefit from being pushed to a more fantastical limit.
Makkonen’s performance as Spectacle is the highlight: she carries the character for just under an hour with laudable energy and charisma. She leans into the silliness, in turn creating a character that is lovable and charming in their own zany way. This allows her to not only create an entertaining character, but also critique the absurdity of the myths that fans create around entertainers. Even when the jokes don’t always land, Makkonen as a performer is appealing and engaging.
Spectacle does have its charms. As a character comedy, it is enjoyable and does a good job of creating a figure that is affable and entertaining, capable of garnering genuine laughs from the audience. With some slight reworking, the show has potential to develop into a well-rounded comedy with options for further comebacks.
Created by Minttu-Maaria Makkonen
Produced by HIT Helsinki
Dramaturgy by Anna Korolainen and Minttu-Maaria Makkonen
Sound Design by Tuomas Viiliänen
Visual Design by Ines Masanti
Spectacle has completed its run at the Etcetera Theatre as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival.
