“Twin Peaks meets cannibalistic absurdism.”
What if the baggage you carry with you is the only thing keeping you alive?
This question, and many, many others, are percolated in “Burnt Toast”, a squelchy, uncomfortable exhibition of absurdist-horror theatre. Created by multidisciplinary Norwegian company Susie Wang, this feast of the eyes was brought to the Battersea Arts Centre’s Grand Hall stage for only two sold out nights.
Upon entering the Grand Hall we are welcomed by the scene of a vibrant hotel lobby, ripped from the bowls of roadside spot in the Deep South. Red velvet carpet coats the stage, while plush, fleshy bean bags are scattered across the foyer.
Betty, played by Julie Solberg, stands at the reception desk, tapping away loudly. Two elevators, one that goes up and one that goes down, bookend the back wall of the stage – this is where Danny, played by Kim Atle Hansen, enters from, his hand handcuffed to a briefcase. Once he checks in, he meets Violet, played by Mona Solhaug, a new mother who coddles her baby daughter in the lobby. An unnerving spark ignites between them, catapulting them through this journey of a performance.
“Burnt Toast” is not for the faint of heart. Bloody, violent and sacrilegious moments highlight the performance, bursting out from the uncanny reality we are presented with. Twisted cannibalism rears its ugly head, disturbing the audience to the point where they might ask – how much more can we take? But this is absurdism after all, and the twisted world we are captured in is one of off-kilter comedic beats – chuckles of disbelief did abound. Scenography work by Bo Krister Wallstrøm is impeccable, creating a hotel lobby that harkens back to the likes of the Red Room in “Twin Peaks” and the decor of “The Shining”.
Much can be taken from the thematic content of this performance and that is its strongest element. But just as you think you grasp what they are trying to say, they throw something new your way. The power of dependence and generational trauma flit through as symbolic links to the events in the performance, but more can be read into this tight but inventive production.
Susie Wang prove the power of bloody absurdism with the unnerving but impacting performance of “Burnt Toast” – a show that you won’t soon forget.