Maybe You Like It brings Down to Chance and Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs) to the Pleasance Theatre as a humorous and heartwarming double bill.
On the topic of nostalgia: how well do you remember your time in Year 8? Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs) might give you a reminder, although I hope for your sake that your experience wasn’t too similar.
Sam Wilson, 8C, has broken someone’s arms and legs, and he is sorry, according to the Oxford Dictionary’s definition, anyway. While giving an apology in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, he decides the audience deserves some context, which is delivered over the next 70 minutes through the medium of even more PowerPoint presentations. The audience is taken on a prepubescent whirlwind of Year 8 drama and self-identity as Sam Wilson, 8C, details his struggle to become Head Boy in the face of great, and mostly self-inflicted, adversity.
Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs), a fast-paced, one-man comedy written and performed by James Akka, is witty and full of meta humour, often so relatable I was sure I was laughing at myself. Akka’s performance is confident and convincing, and the show seems incredibly well rehearsed as he delivers the lines while flawlessly harnessing the PowerPoint slides’ comedic timing. The tech and design are simple, but don’t feel lacking for this particular style of performance. The play’s subtle lighting changes should also be commended for subconsciously letting the audience know which point in the story we’re in.
The laughs don’t let up in Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs), reminding you why sometimes less is more, and why a sharp script paired with a single committed performer can feel far more valuable than a full cast and elaborate set. Gleefully self-aware, this play promises an hour of light-hearted fun (or a harrowing tale of a power vacuum and a battle for legitimate power, depending on your age).
The Pleasance Theatre has a friendly atmosphere and energy, and serves as a wonderful venue for these two shows. Booking both together gives a discount, which is excellent value for money and a good way to support fringe theatre. Maybe You Like It seems to have good things ahead of it and, as a side note, excellent poster design too. The double bill plays until 9th May.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
