Protein 'Banquet' reviews Strange in reviews recent Protein reviews more Katie Phillips reviews

We are then brought into present day where we are introduced to Cult legend, Richard Strange. The aptly named strange leads us through a remarkable soiree of magnificently bad manners, social politics and the beast within everybody. As the orchestrator/narrator (later seen as accordion player, midwife and rabbi), he directs us through the action of an it girl, a nympho, a victim and an addict in a hysterical and barmy exploration of friends, lovers, species, social conventions and the natural end of all things. We observe the superficialities, flirtations and degradations of these eccentric, delightfully zany and beautifully dressed characters, and are drawn in to their torrent of social awareness. This is the Gosforth's fete of dance theatre, and a hysterical version at that - I've never laughed so much in a dance performance.

The surrealism of the performance lies in how normal the fantastic and bizarre events of the banquet are portrayed. The guests of the banquet sway extraneously from portrayals as parasites, wild, carnivorous beasts and ravenous dogs to spoilt brats at a kid's party to well mannered socialites. We are given a running commentary by Strange, in the style of David Bellamy of the human zoology of social conventions; the courting, the sexual liaisons, the indiscretions and the flouting of social rules. We see madness, mayhem and a utilitarian acceptance of people acting as dogs, lapping their soup from their bowls, barking, and other oral delights, involving each other, I might add. These animal escapades are subtly wedged amongst stories of Daddies colonial Parties and snippets of polite society banter as they flirt, fling and scream their way around the stage.

Perhaps there were a few glitches that could have run more smoothly it seems that the company may be left unintentionally bruised by lots of un-pre-empted dropping and falling, of people as well as fruit and champagne flutes. However, the bashes and tumbles seemed only to add to the physicality of the piece.

The party ends with a gunshot (as all good parties do) and the banquet table is transformed into a coffin and then grave. From the sublime to the miraculous, a cocooned figure emerges from the grave and is transformed into a diamante studded leotard clad glamour puss who escapes to the roof, and departs, leaving nothing but a handful of glitter. The normal cycle is then resumed as we hear another knock on the strange door of Strange's house.