Theatre Review: The Ballad of Martha Brown (Swindon Arts Centre 19th May 2014)

I didn’t plan to visit the theatre this Monday night, but after seeing the recent performance of ‘The Ballad of Martha Brown’ I’m certainly glad that I managed to find myself there, sitting with a small, almost conspiratorial group of lucky Swindonians. This show was great, so why did it seem like it was some kind of secret that was only to be shared with the initiated few? Well call me a whistleblower if you like, but I have to talk about it. I have to tell the world that this is a great show, and as it tours the country over the next few months, you need to go out of your way to hunt it down for yourself. Why? Because it’s good, bloody good, and a lot more fun than staying indoors in front of the lying box watching panicked politicians and political pundits cry, ‘Racist Racist Racist’ in an effort to stop the sleeping masses from voting for UKIP this coming Thursday.

A few details about the play: Martha Brown was a real life person, a woman who murdered her abusive husband by burying a hatchet in his head (seven times) in 1856. She was the last person to be publicly executed in Dorset, and this play tells the tale of her extremely interesting life story. It’s told by Martha Brown herself, with a Greek Chorus style foursome of singing, mocking ghouls assisting Martha by acting out the roles played by the different people in her life.

As you enter the theatre you are personally escorted to your seats by the ghouls who cheerfully ask, ‘Are you here for the hanging?’ before playfully engaging in atmosphere setting banter and playfulness that sets the scene for what is to follow. During the evening the ghouls blur the boundary between stage and auditorium by interacting with the audience. This is a lot of fun, keeping you off balance at all times and ensuring you feel engaged with the show that is unfolding. It’s a far more enjoyable experience than the passive assembly line feeling you often get at your local cineplex.

The story that unfolds during the evening is engrossing, entertaining and also very amusing. It’s wonderfully performed by a high-energy cast who bound from audience to stage with wonderfully infectious enthusiasm, and a playfully over the top Halloween style macabre sense of humour. The performance features musical numbers, props and other wonderfully inventive little touches that delight throughout the evening. They are tightly produced, well timed and add an element of top-notch professionalism to the performance.

I’d recommend the show as a good night out spent with a highly competent cast of professional entertainers. It’s far more fun than watching that stupid box flickering away in the corner of your living room, so what are you waiting for? This wonderful production by Angel Exit Theatre is dancing its merry little way around the country right now. If you are worried about the cost, then don’t. The tickets are priced in the same range as a stupid action flick at the dehumanising and impersonal local Cineplex, so don’t worry about that. You’ll have a lot more fun here than your local cinema and you’ll get to learn all about the history of public executions in the UK as well. Remember, when you enter the theatre you are not an audience member, you are part of a baying mob at a public execution of a woman who buried a hatchet in her husbands head. That’s got to be more fun than Eastenders or Transformers 6 hasn’t it? Check it out, you won’t regret it.
Clink on the link here for further info- http://www.angelexit.co.uk/marthabrown.html