THE STAGE EDINBURGH
Village Idiots                                                   Quaker Meeting House until Saturday August 29, 2009                                                                
Hot from the Village Idiots, this mask comedy centring around flat-pack furniture is a roller-coaster of visual jokes - with
 not a single word spoken. The action is split between the home of a bored couple (she's outgoing, he's not) and a
 furniture company's returns department (where the bored staff break the tedium in increasingly bizarre ways).
 

A chance bike accident in the street outside, plus a flat-pack delivery with a missing part bring the two worlds together,
and mayhem ensues as the suburban husband embarks on his quest for that elusive part. And could that be love
beckoning from behind a clipboard in a warehouse office?
 
Accompanied by a thumping music soundtrack, the cast make playing in masks look easy and they even find time to
react (wordlessly) with the audience when given the chance. It is riveting to see how all the props and plot fall
together until not a single part of the versatile set is without a use. There are echoes of Trestle's own mask work
(and it is no surprise to find that director Amanda Wilsher has worked with the company) but the selling point here
is a strong plot laced with oodles of contemporary references and laughs.
 Review by    Nick Awde       Published online at   10:30 on Monday 17 August 2009                                                                http://ed.thestage.co.uk/reviews/581                                                                                         

Screw Loose

The Village Idiots.

They're back again for their fifth year - and playing to their usual standard. And, just as in previous years, I found myself wondering, "How do they do it?" When you think how much of normal acting - particularly in these days of television - relies on facial expression, it is just amazing how these masked performers manage to convey such a range of emotion. The answer, of course, lies in their understanding of body language and timing, and the essential simplicity of their presentation. And they haven't lost it.

This year they are helped by their choice of theme. Many members of their audiences will identify with the frustration of trying to assemble flat-packed furniture from instructions that seem to be the work of someone for whom English is obviously not the first language, and who has evidently never tried to actually assemble the furniture themselves? Or, and this can be even worse, even if the instructions are legible, there is probably something (vital) missing. It is this experience that provides the basis of the plot, though the results are by no means predictable.

Admittedly, our sense of irritation at such times would be more likely to be expressed through tears rather than laughter, but the two are very close to each other; and to a whole range of other emotions. With their secret mask-magic, the company manages to convey these to us, pressing just the right buttons at the right times.

The masks themselves ensure that we don't get the characters muddled, and yet manage to express a common wide-eyed innocence which all the characters share, and with which the audience too can empathise. As the actors frequently turn quizzically to the audience, there is a palpable flow of energy between us, possibly caused by the recognition that we too wear masks throughout our lives. However, such deep speculation is prevented from being uncomfortable by the laughter that their antics generate.

The show contains the usual ingredients of mime and slapstick farce, but somehow these Idiots manage to put them together in a way that is ever fresh and original. There are a few new frolics this year, including a dance routine that is just hilarious. This year the company are to share their secrets by running workshops for both young people and adults, at which we can learn the basics of mask making and mask theatre. I am sure this will add to the enjoyment of their many fans, who will delight in being able to participate as well as enjoy the company's performance.

The Village Idiots' shows were a sell-out in 2006, 2007 and 2008, so you will probably need to get your tickets early. You won't be disappointed!

Jim Pym, 10^th August 2009