a wonderful evening that prioritises presence, empathy, and human connection above all else
Talking People at the Bush Theatre is a fairly new innovation: a series of improvised evenings amongst a few actors, and their director, Richard Vincent, who worked side by side with Elina Saleh Franck, the producer, to create this amazing production.
Talking People is a fabulous creation; a genuine antidote to the tsunami of mediocre theatre currently synonymous with our world, in which critical thinking and empathy are on the decline. The set up of is simple. Without spoiling anything, I shall briefly outline it:
Vincent introduces the three actors for that night, and tells the audience to excuse anything outrageous that may be said that night. People are not perfect. Then he sets up a basic relationship. In this case, Andrea Valls and Kiell Smith-Bynoe are in a relationship – and Giorgia Valentino ends up being their teenage daughter – and actually love each other. Through a series of questions, they create fully formed characters and a web of stories and relationships. Playing cards are also used to determine the intimacy or love in a relationship. Then, Richard hands questions over to the audience. At a natural concluding point, we break. After the interval, the actors improvise a scene between the characters we have just collaborated in creating.
The evening works wonderfully; it is entirely engaging and completely consuming. Crucially, it holds your attention without strain. In a world capitalising on our attention spans, this is perhaps the biggest achievement in theatre right now. And the reason it works so fantastically is because everyone is present and everyone is participating. For a short period of time, we all exist in the same sphere of focus and time. This makes for an electrically charged room.
If I had one complaint, and it could only be one, it would be this: sometimes it felt that, for some, the natural inclination was to veer towards trauma. There’s nothing innately wrong with this. But heavier trauma doesn’t equate to a more interesting performance. The piece is interesting because it is so fresh; so spontaneous; and thus, so close to a candid portrayal of life and interpersonal relationships. It doesn’t actually need anything ‘dramatic’ to make it engaging. The evening is brilliant because we witness the very aliveness of people as they connect, play, and affect each other.
A small matter, and one dependent on the actors. Talking People is such an intelligent and, dare I say, important form of art. For actors and audiences alike, it is also an exercise in empathy: a dwindling art, screaming for attention.