String V SPITTA
Two supremely talented performers bring a gloriously chaotic comedy to Malta — even if the writing doesn't always land its punches.
The Soho Theatre is a super-efficient fringe theatre mecca, churning out multiple shows a day in the heart of London.
In many ways The Theatre Next Door is the exact opposite. Its marketing is haphazard - it is very difficult to find out what is on especially as the email doesn't work. On the night we attended, the one hour performance started 15 minutes late for reasons that were never shared with us. And whilst it claims to be next door, in fact it is really in the middle of the countryside, in a location that causes Bolt drivers to get confused.
Given all this, how was a slick Soho Theatre fringe romp going to work there?
Well it did....up to a point.
String V SPITTA aims to be a sharp, high-energy comedy that turns a simple children's party setup into a gloriously chaotic rivalry between two very different performers.
The first thing to say is the two performers Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Ed MacArthur are incredibly talented. The rhythm is brisk, the jokes come thick and fast, and the performers keep the momentum alive with rap battles, puppetry, magic, and plenty of musical invention.
What makes it especially effective is the contrast between the polished "Silly String" persona and the anarchic energy of Spitta, which gives the show a built-in comic engine.
It works well because this premise is funny, but the writing is a little thin. There is satire around class, privilege, and show business underneath the silliness, but like the comic duo themselves, it never quite lands its punches. Darker themes of exploitation and social tension are hinted at but not explored. This might be compulsory in contemporary London to get UK Arts Council funding, but feels a little superfluous here.
Nonetheless, the performance style is immersive and lively, with the cast working hard to pull the audience into the world of the show rather than simply performing at them. In this world it is Anastasia's birthday, the daughter of a Russian oligarch, protected by her own body guard (poor punter "Dimitri" in the front row was a marvellous accomplice to the clowns' antics).
It succeeds in creating a world of its own. A children's party that has been hijacked by very talented adults. Kudos to producer Jo Caruana for spotting this and bringing it to Malta. More please.