Stage: Gunfight at high noon

The West
director Bertie Watkins
writers Bertie Watkins, Ben Chamberlain, Charlotte Potter and company
with Owen Jenkins, Grace Dunne, Sam Skoog, Chris Keegan, Liam Fleming, Alex Walton
Colab Tavern, London • 13.Jul-1.Oct.22

An immersive theatrical experience, The West pulls the audience right into the action in a sprawling story that has several strands and concludes with an enormous explosion of action and a couple of big plot twists. Each person attending the event takes his or her own journey through the story, so the narrative is different for everyone. And while the venue feels a bit cramped and musty, the crew has clever tricks up their sleeves that make it feel like a complete world removed from the reality of South London.

Entering a courtyard, we're greeted by the jovial Sheriff Hank (Jenkins) and his wife Adelaide (Dunne), who is looking for votes as she seeks re-election as the mayor of Olverton. They also introduce their black sheep of a son Francis (Skoog), who has returned home from a life of crime and is now the town's preacher. There has just been a terrible sandstorm, and only a few buildings are left standing: the saloon, the church, the town hall and the sheriff's office. These settings are recreated inside the Colab Tavern.

Skoog

Quickly, events start to spiral around us, as word arrives that Francis is suspected of involvement in a train robbery, and he is escorted to a cramped basement jail cell with a group of his possible cohorts, including me. The cell turns out to be an escape room, and using clues and props we find a tunnel into an abandoned mine, which is the headquarters of a group of bandits who are planning an assault on the town. Now part of this gang, we are given a series of secret missions that eventually lead to a full-on gun battle in the town.

Scenes are cleverly written to allow for a lot of improvisation from both the cast and the audience members, especially in a freewheeling courtroom trial. It's a lot of fun to feel like we're conspiring with the actors to cause mayhem, without knowing how the other groups will react (they have their own crazy storylines). And when they hand all of us pistols and set us loose, the convergent shootout is riotously good fun, complete with sound and light effects, and lots of smoke.

Dunne

The whole thing feels a bit messy, which actually adds to the setting, and there are elements that feel over-complicated as well as under-cooked. But the cast is so good that there's never a dull moment We spend the whole time engaging with the actors, running around the venue (with an interval to allow for some fresh air) and coming up with ever more ridiculous directions to send the story and keep everyone laughing right to the rather outrageous ending.

Jenkins

For information, visit COLAB >

photos by Alex Walton • 11.Aug.22