Stage: Elasticity and emotion

Filibuster
by Kook Ensemble
with Tom Gaskin
dir Sean Kempton
set & costume Adrian Linford • sound design Pete Buffery
Jackson's Lane, London • on tour 14.Sep-8.Nov.24 ★★★★

Inspired by the classical silent movies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, this one-man show combines mime, juggling, slapstick and circus performance to tell the gentle story of a lonely man longing for love. Performed with physical elasticity and engaging emotion by Tom Gaskin, this is an amusing and warm one-hour piece punctuated with moments of expert balance and juggling work. There may be a bit too much dead space in the show to hold the attention of young children, but grown-ups will find plenty to connect with.

It opens as Gaskin's character moves to an isolated cottage pulling a pile of luggage and an armchair, cleans up a bit and makes himself at home. After a very cool sequence in which he balances and juggles with a hat, umbrella and cigar, he produces a mannequin torso dressed as his butler, who keeps him company and provides some witty interaction, largely because the butler proves to be rather possessive. This extends as Gaskin pulls up an audience member to perform the butler in a series of scenes, starting with a breadstick sword fight. Later there's a clever and seriously impressive block juggling sequence and a lively birthday party that leads to balancing an entire row of chairs.

Through all of this, the plot evokes emotion in this man's yearning for companionship. Sight gags abound as the set itself comes to life, opening hatchways that reveal wonderfully inventive props, images and even mini sets. And as the show continues, props pile up on stage in an enjoyable mess. There's very little actual dialog, but Gaskin mumbles words accompanied background music to make it very clear what he's thinking and saying. And there's also some very clever audio wordplay. His audience work is remarkably easy, flirting with a woman, using someone as a letterbox through which he posts various messages and orchestrating the crowd in a call and response moment. 

The show is a very astute mix of cute silliness and awkward humanity, as Gaskin playfully tries to look smooth even in his clumsiest moments. The narrative feels a bit random, and Gaskin spends rather a lot of time waiting for the next thing to happen, which allows everything to dribble to a halt. Then the music wakes things up, and we're off again, culminating in an elaborate bit of balancing and juggling that once again combines a collection of unexpected objects. So even if the show feels like it could be a bit tighter, it's so thoroughly endearing that we'd happily watch it again, simply to see how Gaskin responds to the chaos this time.

For info, KOOK ENSEMBLE >

Photos by Roy Riley and Jackson's Lane • 18.Oct.24