35mm: A Musical Exhibition

Saturday 02 March - By Dominic Corr for Corr Blimey

If an image, a single photograph, can conjure up a thousand words – then a song shouldn’t be too much trouble. But what about sixteen songs?

Finding strength in a non-linear format is challenging but not impossible. Where most musical theatre follows a predictable structure, even if they deviate in tone or delivery, American composer and lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver took the creation of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition into fresh realms of experimental theatre – creating a sixteen-song musical where each number/scene ties into an accompanying image (projected onto the stage for reference) produced by Scott Oliver and their husband, photographer Matthew Murphy.

The music threads into a pop-rock soundtrack, fending off becoming too unhinged and securing some semblance of structure and familiarity for the audience to latch onto. This is the closest theatre can match an anthology series of films or a collection of short stories. But even then – they typically follow an overarching theme or motif. Heck, even showcase choirs traditionally follow an artist, genre or format. So, off the bat, the Bedlam team demonstrate the one thing they’ve always been tenacious and richly deserving of praise for; ambition.

The Bedlam Theatre finds itself drenched in a crimson sense of limbo – a photographer’s darkroom – upscaled to ensnare and contain each emotion and shackled memory the individual photographs conjure. It’s the closest the production comes to a sense of conceptual storytelling, as each new projected image hints at a story of love, loss, familiar horrors, and unspoken regrets. Garbbed in pinstripes and black, Chloe Lannert’s darker costume design stands out against the flush reds, with some additional facial jewellery (and plenty of black eye-wings) to separate each role with small details.

Largely an ensemble show consisting of six performers, the cast is led by Freya Game’s direction with co-direction from Lewis Eggeling and musical direction from Falk Meier with Allison Lavercombe (last spotted as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors). It’s a lot to handle, but the transitions work well (if a touch episodic, a fault with the structure of the production more than the direction) but the team ensure a sense of passion, intensity, and some very well-balanced vocals that work as an ensemble, though more often shine individually or in duets. There is, perhaps, room for the envelope to be pushed (where comfortable) and build more on the character’s interactions and intimacy.

Rising to the unique premise and Scott Oliver’s less than straight-line lyricism and pacing, Emmett Smith, Scarlett Lloyd-Dickinson, Ewan Robertson, Beth Cunningham, Juliet Gentle and Elham Khosravipour all turn in striking performances which cover a wealth of emotions and expressions, with Emily Bealer’s choreography offering some of the more captivating moments with sharp movements which maintain a sense of momentum throughout. Cunningham often has some of the best solos as ‘The Lover’; with songs that give a touch more insight into the storytelling and enable Cunningham to flesh out their performances with anger, comedy, and aggression. While more reserved performances for Khosravipour’s ‘The Saviour’ offer a touch of sophistication and allure; Smith brings a similar clarity and control of the room like Khosravipour, delivering each of ‘The Friend’s solos with a touch of class.

Thus far appearing mainly as an ensemble performer, Lloyd–Dickinson’s time to shine is reserved for later numbers – particularly in a fantastic rendition of The Ballad of Sarah Berry, leading into the finale and featuring a welcome return of some of Bedlam’s more creative staging and additional set design. Gentle’s ‘Photographer’ and Robertson’s ‘Idle Boy’ become de-facto protagonists of sorts – even with the lacking structural narrative – often the lead performers of centralised figures in ensemble pieces. Both bring a strong presence, with Gentle offering up a particularly engaging sense of movement and mysticism about the entire show.

Gremlins which arise through the show are very often outside of the hands of the creatives, who otherwise turn in a canny understanding of Scott Oliver’s unique premise and ideas – bringing in their own to ensure the production receives a Bedlam stamp of creativity. It takes a few songs for the structure to settle and for the occasional sounding issue to be rounded out with pitch and volume – praise to Meier and the off-stage band who provide live music, recognising these initial issues and resolve them within the first numbers.

As individual snapshots, numbers and routines excel in creativity and individuality. As an entire ‘being’, 35MM was always going to be a complex piece to tie together – though Game, Eggeling, and the entire creative team pull off a blinder of spirit and ambition here. An experimental musical exhibition, 35MM: A Musical Exhibition is unlike anything most audiences may have come across, and once again, defying any idea that student theatre is relegated to peers and classmates, Bedlam Theatre offers a unique and diverse range of often unsung productions – delivered with panache, nerve, and comprehension.