Read The F**ing Manual in Greenside, Riddle’s Court at Venue 16 was a disappointing experience, even with its brief 40-minute runtime. The show, intended to evoke chaos and intensity, instead left the audience bewildered and impatient, starting with a 15-minute delay that was poorly communicated. The anticipation in the queue quickly turned to annoyance, setting the tone for what would be a confusing and lacklustre performance.
The show began with the actors interacting with the audience in the passageway before the actual stage, negotiating how they would get the boxed flat-pack wardrobe down the stairs. While this immersive approach initially held some promise, it quickly became tiresome. The actors’ attempts to involve the audience by asking for help with the wardrobe lacked imagination, reducing the experience to mundane tasks like holding objects or watching over items. This theme of audience participation quickly grew stale, feeling more like a gimmick than a meaningful part of the narrative.
The introduction of war commentary via sporadic news flashes added another layer of confusion. I felt more information needed to be shared to understand and set the scene. I wanted to be more invested in the story, but I feel the voiceovers only left the audience more in the dark, offering vague information that felt far-fetched in relation to what was happening on stage. These moments felt entirely disconnected from the central plot, creating an awkward clash between the mundane task of furniture assembly and the supposed backdrop of conflict and adversity. The transitions into trance-like states by the characters during these segments only added to the disjointed feel of the performance.
The actors, while clearly committed to their roles, struggled with a script that felt overly prescriptive and difficult to follow. Their intense portrayal lacked nuance, creating a distance between the characters and the audience. Rather than feeling emotionally invested in their journey, I found myself indifferent and, at times, irritated by the melodrama.
The show’s intent to engage the audience emotionally and actively fell flat. Instead of fostering connection, it drove at least six audience members to quietly exit before the play concluded—a telling sign of its misfiring. Overall, Read The F**ing Manual was a frustrating and disappointing experience, leaving many of us wishing we had a manual to understand what the show was trying to achieve.
