Performance
© Ridiculusmus 2008
Supported by:
Past shows
(see also Reviews section)
Ideas Men
Two years ago, garnered with awards and heralded in some quarters as THE NEXT BIG THING (or one of them) we felt the constricting pressure of HAVING TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING. This anxiety formed the germ of Ideas Men. It was also fuelled by the tears of our student placement (a post-breakdown ex-computer man from Holland) who admitted that he had ‘no ideas’. The inspiration was there and the challenge grew. What have we done to ourselves? We are pushed around and prodded and packaged. Everyone, it seems, wants the idea, the concept, the format. They want it simple, they want it explained and they want it now. How do you do it? What’s it all about?
In our age of post-industrial multinational concept companies creativity has become the new manufacturing industry. Ideas are made to order by office workers, recycled and packaged in ever more glossy new covers. Books on creativity fill the commuter newsagent stalls, magazine articles ask where ideas come from as if it’s some sort of unattainable ability on the verge of extinction.
The play is about two ‘ideas men’ who are under pressure to come up with a new idea – the next big thing – dare to plunge into the unknown zone, dare to find a new idea, not a repackaged glossy one, and dare to fail. They use doodles, roleplay, motivational speakers, soap operas, corporate jokes, leggo, food, sex, games of chase on their desk chairs, drink, pen sniffing, affirmations, imaginary outdoor walks, sentimental slush, anything …. to come up with something. They doublecross each other, double bluff, blame each other, blame themselves, blame their partners, console themselves with prawn baps and cream buns and finally collapse in an exhausted heap by mid morning. There may be nothing underneath.
We may be unearthing a meta-theatrical monstrosity, a framing of our own tappings into creativity in an increasingly incestuous arts world of self-confessed magpies and plagiarists, we steal and plunder ourselves. We don’t know what will happen. We only know that it will be mentally dangerous.
Premiered at The Barbican Pit September 30 2003.
Ideas Men won (with the Barbican) a Peter Brook Open Space award 2003.
In his announcement speech Dominic Cavendish (Daily Telegraph critic) said: “Ridiculusmus’s Ideas Men, which, using very simple props, a desk and swivel-chairs, transported the viewer to a demented office environment seething with creative panic.”
Ridiculusmus
A broken comedy show about double acts and competitive entertainment – we are possessed by Brendan and Pat. Brendan kills himself with an iron but it might be Dave inside him. Pat gets made famous by a fairy.
Say Nothing
An attack on apathy in the warzone an ominously petty soap opera amidst the chaos that is Northern Ireland at peace performed on a suitcase full of grass.
Read the interview in the South London Press.
Performance history: Premiered at the Galway festival in 1999. Played Belfast festival (1999), Montreal Irish festival (2000), Greenwich and Docklands festival (2000), Edinburgh fringe festival – Traverse theatre (2000), UKNY New York (2001), UK tour (2001) Melbourne comedy festival – nominated for the Barry award (2002), Salisbury festival (2002)
Yes, Yes, Yes
Anglo Indian nutters attempt to explain the meaning of life. Dedicated to Y.M.N. Murthi, President of the international humour society, Bangalore.
Interview in The Age.
Photograph of Dave as Harry Murthy as The Living human plate
Performance history: Premiered at Continental Shifts at St.Bride’s, Edinburgh fringe festival 1999 – won Total theatre award for Best British Production, the Herald Angel award and nominated for Granada media Comedy writing award. BAC, London (2000) – won Time Out Live award for best off west end production. Philadelphia fringe festival (2000) UK tour (2000), Assembly rooms, Edinburgh (2000), Holland tour (2001), Melbourne Comedy festival (2002)
2001: Paranoid Household
Life after communication in a shared house. We are experimenting with a radio version of this.
2001: Raw Sushi
Cabaret with Frank Chickens and Murphy no Geisha
2001: Lung
About oxygen and the collapse of Jon’s lung
2001: Dive
David diving into the Thames
2001: Things to do
Jon reading his unpublished novel about unpublished novels
2000: Speiccherrung (Saved as in computer )
Site specific performance at the Socialist era book warehouse for forbidden books in Leipzig. Part of Euroscene festival directed by Rene Reinhardt
2000: Dada music
Noise, rant and beautiful accapellas
1999: As bad as it gets
4 hander expansion of Yes Yes Yes for Schaubuhne im Lindenfels, Leipzig
1998: Dada
Recreations and new sketches from the original dadaists Ball, Zara, Schwitters etc.
1997: Omnium
a Gigeral for Gavin the muck
1996-2001: The Exhibitionists
About art gallery attendants and boredom
1997: Yes, Mr.Hatter
Next phase of the below
1996: All About H Hatter
Adaptation of the novel by G.V.Desani
1995: The Overcoat and the Nose
Adaptation of the two Gogol stories intertwined
1994-1995: At Swim Two Birds
Adaptation of Flann O’Brien novel
1994: The Musical bicycle ride
Street act
1993: Finn MacCool
Storytelling and porridge
1992-1997: The Third Policeman
Adaptation of the Flann O’Brien novel promenade style.
1992-1994: Three men in a boat
Adaptation of the novel with 20s and 30s banjulele songs
1991-92: Pre-ridic days
Mel Pat and Harm – (Dave, Jon and Angus on banjulele) who were booed onto the stage and slow hand clapped off at an early gig in Worthing, also ran The Tomato club (above Le petit prince restaurant in Kentish Town) where the audience were given tomatoes to throw at acts compered by M,P&H that considered themselves bad enough to appear. Publicity tag was “Don’t come” a ploy to put off people coming as there was very little space. It worked.
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