Histon v Fisher
Another performance in the ongoing series of live productions staged by the Nationwide Conference South group. Set in an outdoor theatre on the outskirts of Cambridge, this largely unscripted play explores the power relations between a disparate group of individuals in the context of a football match.
Each production in the series follows a rigid format comprising two 45 minute acts with a 15 minute intermission, and the naturalistic setting and improvised (yet curiously limited) dialogue invites analogy with the Dogme school of film-making.
The different groups of actors - teams, managers and coaching staff, referee and assistants, and opposing supporters each have their specific role to play in a situational conflict scenario which may or may not reach resolution at the end of the second act (also known as 'the final whistle').
Throughout the performance the relationship between the actors is continuously examined on many levels ranging from organisational confrontation to the individual battles between opposing players, and the subtler interactions between manager and player ("GET RID OF IT!") and referee - player ("Name?" "But I played the ball!!").
All the while, events provoke the spectators to interact with the players, and indeed the extent of audience participation is a unique feature of these modern-day morality plays.
It's a truly passionate spectacle, embodying the full spectrum of human emotion. By the close, you'll be exhausted. Unmissable.