Review by Jo Tomalin
For All Events
Wild Thing!
Imagine a show where all the characters were performed by one person. Tom Bailey of Mechanimal, the award-winning theatre company creates and recreates dozens of extinct animals using only his physicality, with wonderful atmospheric sounds by sound artist Xavier Velastin.
Bailey is a performer and an observer of life with a vibrant imagination and a strong interest in how fast the planet is losing species. We should all be aware of this tragedy but sometimes we need reminding. Bailey has created a follow up to the outstanding Vigil about extinct animals presented a few years ago at the Edinburgh Fringe. Wild Thing! not only demonstrates a minute percentage of the thousands of animals (literally from Bailey’s physical acting) that are extinct today but he also provides some of their names by a voiceover announcement, together with the printed name projected onto a huge wall size screen on the stage.
At the top of the show we hear the name “White Footed Sportive Lemur” and Bailey takes on the physicality as much as possible of this creature, then others come fast, “Three Toed Sloth” “Persian Musk Deer” and “Arrogant Shrew”. The pace is fast, and some animals have sounds created by Bailey, too. Seeing him move around and take over the space is fascinating and unusual, so we know we are in for an unexpected time!
In Vigil by Mechanimal Bailey’s portrayals were pure and, seemingly to the audience, exacting. However, in Wild Thing! It is clear that the most challenging or literal sounding animal names are sometimes more obvious in gesture with an interesting layer of Bailey’s own attitude, which is very entertaining. Relating to the audience as either animal or during transitions Bailey says a lot with his physicality. Wearing a striped shirt, sage green shorts and a baseball cap on backwards Bailey throws himself into his physical gestures mimicking animals to the best of his knowledge at the time.
The space is perfect for this show because the large stage area is ground level and Bailey can intermingle as needed without barrier and everyone in the audience on three sides of the rectangular space can see him and the screen easily. We all want to see what he’s up to and we have a great view of it all!
Although we are having fun and enjoying this intriguing interactive show, Bailey introduces his message gently at first then powerfully by sharing information about the state of the lost species and how more are lost. With the addition of some very well chosen props and a story about an important journey, Bailey is certainly impactful in his forty five minute show. This is how to make a difference to people of all ages. Theatre is a powerful tool and this is an excellent example of its use to enlighten as well as to entertain. Do not miss Wild Thing! Highly Recommended! 4 Stars
Originally from England Jo Tomalin is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is a reviewer for Dance & Theatre at www.ForAllEvents.com and works in the performing arts as a freelance movement specialist, director + actor. She is also a Professor of theatre performance in the School of Theatre & Dance at San Francisco State University, teaching Movement and Voice for actors, Storytelling and Acting.
Jo Tomalin studied Classical Ballet for 12 years. She graduated from London University’s Laban Centre teaching credential program in Modern Dance, Art of Movement & Choreography, then she trained in Physical Theatre, Masks, and Devised theatre at the renowned professional acting school “Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq” Paris, France. Jo studied Classical Acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London; and holds an A.T.C.L. in Voice and Acting from Trinity College of Dramatic Art, London, and a PH.D. in Education from Capella University, MN, USA.
