One of the major problems with modern plays is that it often renders a work inaccessible to a lay audience. This is, of course, equally valid of other art forms, especially painting: what is seen by the lay person as a bunch of lines on a canvas by the lay person may be highly symbolic to those purporting to be experts.

I was at a student production of a play called ‘the devil applying cosmetics’ this evening. It was by the catapult production company – a group of fourth year drama students here at MMU Cheshire. They were recently asked to take their production to the Edinburgh festival this year, and I can see why. These guys could act! never mind that a lot of the time they were talking garbage, they were talking garbage with such passion that I was transfixed for the whole eighty minutes.

The question of ‘what was it all about’ is a particularly good one: it was about a group of actors, putting on a play, but it was also a critique of gender roles. The language use had two definite time periods – Elizabethan and modern, with the actors sliding effortlessly between dialogue of both periods. The action revolved around a large bed, about which the audience were sat with the bed In the centre and the eating along the four edges. Thus the audience were very close to the action. The cast – about 10 strong, each playing multiple roes, swirled around, on and under this bed, moving at random from scene to scene often independent of each other. At times, the curtains were drawn on the huge four poster, and pictures projected onto them. Costume changes were frequent, in front of the audience. In short, I have no idea what most of it was about.

However, the energy with which all this was delivered was quite invigorating. I am almost certain it was supposed to be comic – either way, I found it funny but managed tot contain my titters. I’m sure this play will do well when it heads up north this autumn. Either that, or you’ll have a lot of confused Scots people.

Oh, I better mention too that I had a seat especially ‘reserved’ for me. A couple of people in it had asked me to come along, and had saved a place especially. Thanks, guys!