The Department of Smelling Pisstakes
By Publick Transport @ The Brewery, Bristol
Performed by Angus Barr and Toby W. Davies
Written by Angus Barr
Directed by Phil Booth
Lighting by Frazer Riches
Recorded Voice: Rebecca Smart
The bleakest office in history is the stage for this relevant and regimented dark comedy. Ivan Vulomavitch (Angus Barr) is a government official in a totalitarian state of Russia. His job mainly consists of sharpening a pencil whilst waiting for the telephone to ring.
Every morning he is taught irrelevant social etiquette over a ‘Party’ tannoy - ‘Lesson one. How to look busy: Place hands in pockets. Nod your head. Bounce on your toes. Repeat.’ The omnipotent Party control the state and are the people’s government, police and religion.
Stephan Bromavitch (Toby W. Davies) enters to disrupt Ivan’s monotonous existence. Stephen is a government superior from head office conducting a non-existent report. Hilarious moments are squeezed out of both characters desperately trying not to stray from the party line, even as it changes hourly.
Ivan is offered a new post entitled Head of Jubilation, which simply requires him to keep smiling - near a window. Politically authorised deceit lies around every corner with ‘Terms and Conditions’ hidden within the microdots of microdots. They are brainwashed into being able to look busy, educated and happy but still Ivan dares to wonder, what is the point?
The Department of Smelling Pisstakes utilizes a rich and fruitful script that manipulates language with elaborate wordplay, resulting in hilarious misunderstandings.
Both performer’s awareness and control of pace is equal only to their flawless execution of Russian accents. Barr’s witty prose often rewards the audience with obvious but enjoyable humour, lines such as -‘Flatulence will get you nowhere’ or ‘How could they hear us? Do you think we’ve been buggered?’ - demonstrate the Python-esque humour in the false face that is an Orwellian society.
Orwell and Beckett, seasoned with hilarious splashes of Gogol and Python, influence the entire piece. The audience witness rapid repetitive discussions that end where they begin, hairpieces getting sucked up by Henry Hoovers and high-pitched voices create the other end of telephone calls.
However, these references at times subtract rather than contribute to the piece. They open up sub-plots that immediately disintegrate and get forgotten, such as, Ivan being accused of murdering Stephan’s grandma or the appearance of a man’s nose in a sandwich. The links are there but seem somewhat unnecessary without further comment.
The protagonist’s illusion of isolation was shattered by the playful but irrelevant audience interaction. By incorporating the audience our fly on the wall viewpoint as Big Brother was removed.
References to modern technology like YouTube also appeared out of place and were not required for the story to be contemporary or relevant. Everyday life was comparable and scarily familiar to the play’s exaggerated use of protocols and politics of the system.
Like the idea, the design is simplistic. The set appears clinical, like a prison officer’s showroom and the props are used efficiently within strong choreography.
The audience were always entertained by this fresh and exciting piece, setting a high precedent for future shows at The Brewery, which is the Tobacco Factory’s intimate new venue. Phil Booth has constructed an accessible and thoroughly enjoyable piece of theatre out of an excellent script.
With such a strong performance on the opening night, take advantage if you get the chance.
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