THE DIRTY 30 II: ELECTRIC PAY-PER-VIEW ~ [Online Theatre] ~ Review

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Remember when we were sick of talking about the weather? When every encounter we had throughout our day - at our jobs, in shops, on public transport, walking the dog - would be some half hearted exchange about the temperature or current amounts of precipitation? I miss that. I miss talking about something other than this blasted virus, but here we are. What can we do? Just try to adapt and find new solutions to new problems, I guess. We carry on. And that’s exactly what theatre collective Degenerate Fox have done with their latest show Dirty 30 II: Electric Pay-Per-View.

I am delighted to be writing my first review since before lockdown, it's amazing to see that Degenerate Fox have really embraced the spirit of the phrase ‘The Show Must Go On’ and have risen to the challenge of producing some fantastic theatre during these unusual times. Rather than seeing the current restrictions on traditional live theatre performances as an obstacle, they’ve seen it as an opportunity to think about how to do theatre differently. The kind of theatrical innovations being made today could change the face of the performing arts forever and it's pretty exhilarating to be witnessing the beginnings of something completely new.

The Dirty 30 is a showcase of thirty short plays and performances created and performed by a cast of six who do their best to try to perform as many of these thirty pieces as possible in an hour. Before the show audiences are provided with a ‘menu’ of the different plays and at the beginning of the livestream are asked to comment the number of the piece they most want to see, the most popular are then selected to be performed first. Utilising the capabilities that online performances do have which traditional live performances don't, has worked really well here. When have you ever been to the theatre and been able to talk to other audience members, total strangers no less, right throughout the performance? It’s a new kind of audience participation and gives the performers a totally unique line of direct communication with those watching them.

With a timer counting down the hour time limit from the moment the first play starts, and with the chance to ‘play along’ with some of the performances, there’s the air of a gameshow about The Dirty 30 II. There’s a varied buffet of theatre and performance art on offer, some emotionally moving and powerful, others funny and uplifting, with a range of themes from the political to the plain bizarre. This wouldn’t work without the dedication and enthusiasm of every member of the cast, whose energy and excitement are infectious and make you want to keep watching. There’s one core theme which underpins every item on the Dirty 30 II menu and that’s togetherness. There’s a real sense of love, community, and solidarity in this show and each of the offerings tap into something poignant, something current and relatable in a world which seems so unfamiliar right now.

Anyone who has ever taken part in any kind of drama class will be familiar with one thing all drama teachers have said at some point or other - use the space - Degenerate Fox have really taken that onboard here and haven’t let the standards slip just because their space happens to be online, they’ve clearly put careful thought into what the audience will be seeing and how that can be used in a number of ways to different effect. One particularly good example of this is in one of the short plays ‘Black Mirror on a Budget’, which presents a completely black screen with the show timer in one corner and a voiceover asking questions about the person you see, which happens to be yourself mirrored in the reflection of the screen of your device. The voice concludes ‘really makes you think, doesn’t it?’ and is a well executed tongue-in-cheek parody of Charlie Brooker’s hit TV series ‘Black Mirror’. This piece couldn’t have worked in a theatre.

Something we can learn from Degenerate Fox is how effective and entertaining online shows can be. Similar online theatre shows are tentatively being trialled currently and a lot are just not quite working, so what makes The Dirty 30 II work so well in comparison? Well it’s really as simple as the preparation. The company has plans in place to handle any problems which might arise due to the unconventional format of the show, such as technical difficulties. This meant that when I was watching and there was a connection hitch part way through the show there was no big panic, the rest of the cast knew what to do to keep the audience entertained and the situation was dealt with seamlessly. The show itself is rehearsed and the cast as enthusiastic to be performing to a webcam as they would be performing to a packed auditorium. Props and visual aids are close to hand and transitions are slick.

Those producing shows currently and getting them in front of audiences in a number of new, interesting and modern ways are pioneers, and I think that’s something positive and exciting to hold onto in these hard times. This could mean a shift in the accessibility of theatre - online performances, live streams, and recorded shows open the door to audiences without limits, and theatre fans from all over the world will have unprecedented access to fringe and experimental performances. No more will theatre companies be limited in how many people see their work by the size of the theatre they can afford. I watched The Dirty 30 II in my pyjamas with my dog on my lap and a cup of tea on the coffee table as I munched sweets from a tub of Celebrations, and you know what? I didn’t have to feel guilty about the wrappers crinkling! Plus, no queue for the ladies loo! The cast members even offered a hangout session via Zoom after the show, which is almost like having a pint with the company after a pub theatre show, right?

The Dirty 30 II is a smashing success and a masterclass in how to work with what you’ve got to create something wonderful. Cast member Laura Killeen summed up nicely the general feeling of being a part of this new kind of theatre when the countdown ended and she exclaimed “We did something! We did it!”. Theatre makers everywhere are trying to find their way in this new normal and we shared Degenerate Fox’s feelings of triumph in that moment when we all realised that they, at least, have found it.


Upcoming Dates and Tickets https://www.designmynight.com/london/whats-on/theatre/the-dirty-30-ii-electric-pay-per-view

You can support Degenerate Fox through Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/degeneratefoxuk?fbclid=IwAR1kBDopiJ8X39rs6i5Ne5TwS5Sq-PkhRNu2oJLO5DBnbaT0dGqLLjD_Lrc

THE DIRTY 30 II: ELECTRIC PAY-PER-VIEW
Degenerate Fox
@DegenerateFoxUK | @DegenerateFoxUK | www.degeneratefox.co.uk
Created and Performed by: Laura Killeen, Gabrielle Macpherson, Sergio Maggiolo, Benjamin Ridge, Graham Self, and Jack Wakely