said_the_seismograph_about_the_tremor

Review: Said the Seismograph About the Tremor @ Push Festival, HOME

  • Elmi Ali presents this new piece of work in its early stages
  • Northern Quota reporter Jess Stoddard reviews this brand new commision

A brand new piece of work in its early stages, Elmi Ali presents 1970s post-revolutionary Somalia rubbing up against present day Mancunian diasporic sensibilities in this scratch performance.

If a workshop piece, where the actors read off a script and its all a bit unrehearsed, is what you are after, then this is perfect. Produced in just five days, the work they produce is clever and has potential. 

Rather than a real storyline, you have a person telling a story, someone snap chatting and another reading out a Wikipedia article about camels. TUnfortunately, this gives the play a disjointed feel.

If the actors had not been reading from a script on paper and a phone, then this piece could have been lifted off the page and brought to life. Sadly, this was not the case, with the constant looking at the script distancing the audience from the piece.

‘Randomly put together’ is a phrase that explains this piece. For a work in progress, there is definite room for development. 

Said the Seismograph About the Tremor is presented at HOME as part of the PUSH festival.