Review: THE PLAY WITH THE REALLY LONG SLIGHTLY POETIC SOUNDING TITLE..., VAULT Festival

The sea levels are rising, it's snowing in March, glaciers are melting, kelp forests are dying, and only fringe theatre can save the world. Yellow Hat Productions stage a big meta-theatrical experiment that pokes fun at performative activism and pretentious storytelling in The Play With The Really Long Slightly Poetic Sounding Title That's Actually A Bit Too Long But That's OK Because It's About Something Important or, She Howls Kelp. What a title.

Written by Theo Toksvig-Stewart, it's an irresistible satirical comedy that rips apart trends and dramatic styles with an effortless script. He is joined on the scene by Madeleine Gray, who's equally side-splitting as the otter to his lighthouse in the play within the play. David Ledger succeeds in directing a very specific type of humour that's generally quite difficult to pull off as smoothly as this.

It's a show about everything and nothing, with comic patterns that are so deliciously millennial and referential that a lack of contextual knowledge from the audience destroys its outcome. When the pieces fit together, however, cheeks will be sore from laughing for an hour straight. Toksvig-Stewart and Gray are unafraid to overdo all of it, resulting in effectively caustic observations on the entertainment industry and how its advocacy is ultimately a self-serving sham.

"People want bleak!" screams Toksvig-Stewart at one point - and he's not wrong. Gritty realism wins awards and sells out buildings in the West End. No fad is safe in his mordant text, Cheryl's stint in 2:22 gets a quick mention too. It's a comedic delight. Witty and spunky, they might not solve the climate crisis, but shamelessly call out themselves and the hypocrisy of the business with boundless sarcasm.

The fictional reviewer in it gives them a savage two-star rating after being courted and flattered fruitlessly. We received no adulation on the night, but we're giving them the full five stars. Even if the gold lamé short shorts in their big finish are a certifiable theatrical sin.

The Play With The Really Long Slightly Poetic Sounding Title That's Actually A Bit Too Long But That's OK Because It's About Something Important or, She Howls Kelp runs at VAULT Festival until 12 March.

VAULT Festival has been left without a venue for next year. You can contribute to the #SaveVAULT campaign here.

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