Ellen Thorpe, ArtERY live: Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Name of company	Northern Stage in association with Soho Theatre
Name of show	Oh The Humanity
Genre	Theatre
Venue	Northern Stage at St Stephen's
Date	25.8.12

Review Oh The Humanity is an interesting series of sketches or playlets.  Each one is strange, where the audience is either being addressed as though part of the ‘act’ or watching almost in a voyeuristic way.  They include: a sports coach, confessing how bad the year was but what hope and ambition there is for next year.  Full of vacuous phrases, he goes on and on and makes excuses.  Hilarious.  This is followed by a man and woman who seem to be joining a dating agency, and don’t relate to each other and aren’t connected only that both appear to be talking to their pc camera and are desperate to have a loving relationship.  Followed by a PR woman addressing a room of relatives waiting for information of those killed in a plane crash.  Sounds awful but managed to be both funny and moving.  And a couple of photographers staging a group photo.   Each one drew you in and made you laugh and squirm too.   Very interesting work, great set and staging.

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	No suitable, it would be expensive and difficult to stage.
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	No, not appropriate work.
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	No