Superbolt Theatre Company - Centralia

Superbolt Theatre - Centralia

The George Tavern - 12^th October

The George Tavern in the heart of London’s East End has long been a hub of artistic activity and for the past week has played host to Superbolt Theatre Company and their debut production Centralia. This wonderfully silly and wildly engaging production is a theatrical feast and an exciting debut from this fledgling company; if you find yourself with £10 in your pocket this weekend I urge you take a trip down Commercial Road to these unassuming surroundings as something special is certainly afoot.

Based of true events Centralia tells the story of a town devastated by a coal fire that has burned deep underground since the sixties forcing the population to be relocated. Told from the perspective of its last four remaining inhabitants the performance itself plays out like a town hall cabaret show, with snippets of song, dance, story telling and personal recollections, as these larger than life characters endeavour to tell their audience about their disappearing town. The shabby space, mismatched chairs, and winding staircase of the George Tavern are a perfect backdrop for this interaction. Instead of feeling like a performance you are instantly thrown into the world of these endearing characters  and accept their rules; creating an intimate but relaxed actor-spectator relationship, yet one that is hugely challenging performatively.

The theatre within theatre approach although lends itself to comedy doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with sincerity; over played characters will become exaggerated and worse still unbelievable yet too subtle and the comedy and sentiment is missed. This is where the strength of this performance lies as the relationship between the protagonists Norman, Alistair, Patrick and Jennifer is completely genuine. Their awkward smiles to each other between scenes, their lasting eye contact and their gushing exchanges, depicts a unity between them and enables the humour to organically flow.

And flow it does! From the Cher number in which the men become backing dancers for a menacing looking baton twirler (I wont divulge any more details!) to the rhythm clubs rendition of their favourite rhythm. These were moments of lunacy that had the audience in fits of giggles, yet although silly the characters never became ridiculous. Thus when juxtaposed with moments of sadness such as when Jennifer talks about losing her Mother and how inexpensively the fire could have been extinguished, you are genuinely moved. It is in these moments that their isolation and vulnerability is exposed and greater issues such as what is a community and what defines us as people are questioned. Confronting an audience that are probably more aware of their social network than their own community.

Centralia is by no means a perfect production but Superbolt Theatre Company have most certainly found a unique physical style of story telling. The simplicity of the home-made aesthetic throughout this production equated to some beautiful imagery but the poetry of their movement and their relentless commitment to their characters is what will set them apart from their fellow performers. This international ensemble are certainly a force to reckon with and a company to hunt down in whichever hidden space they next chose to make their home.