The Bunker, London – until 3 June 2017
Following Ed’s and others reviews of how great this show was during its run at The Vaults Festival, I couldn’t resist an opportunity to see its transfer to The Bunker. DO believe the hype, Adam Rowley’s performance is incredible; moving, funny and skilled all in the space of 50 minutes.
The audience can’t ignore the fact this show is performed naked but the nudity becomes a blank canvass as Rowley can move between characters without props or other limitations. This is a high paced show and putting on a wig or hat would only slow Rowley down.
What is about it? I am still not entirely sure. Rowley plays so many characters; porn star, her father, the man watching her on a webcam, his wife, a man in a gay club above them and so on with most only having limited connections. What struck me was that as a nude man there was something rather androgynous about him; I was convinced by the female characters simply by his mannerisms and voice as well as his shapely figure. Adam Rowley’s confidence, not only in his performance but in his refusal to cover up is refreshing. I could relate far too much to his university lecturer character (so many boring talks) and I found his older lesbian, coping with the loss of her wife through song, oddly moving. The horrible relationship of the Doncaster couple felt very Philip Ridley.
Adam Rowley has done something that many shows fail to do; make nudity seem natural and integral to this performance. Could he do it clothed? Absolutely, it would be just as good but maybe not as fun.
