Pig Island (yes, that’s the name of the theatre company) has produced a curious work in which a sketch comedy format is applied to a series of theatrical vignettes.
I got a strong sense that this show was devised through a series of improvised theatre ‘games’ such is the eclectic, eccentric, zany feel of many of the scenarios – a loner doctor with his cold, Russian, mail order wife, the babysitter dealing with the ‘real’ imaginary friend of a boy with autism, and the man who didn’t really mean to kill his brothers while living in an island paradise. It does sound macabre, seeing this list in print, however most of these scenes are played to extremes, for laughs, in an absurdist style. In fact, most of the laughs are achieved by pushing storylines will beyond the line of common sense.
If you enjoy theatre with a touch of the absurd, an overdose of creativity, and a whimsical feel, then The Glass Boat is for you. This show really is like a ride in a glass-bottomed boat, from which we can stare down at ourselves and observe and enjoy our quirks.