The Strangelings’ show is a yeasty street theatre piece that follows a group of Marxist bakers in their attempts to lead a revolution in our culinary and social habits, proudly proclaiming the liberation slogan of ‘I’m a Baker!’ Although not even a dozen-strong they seem like more as they wrestle with flour, yeast, water, sugar,

salt and oil, the ingredients needed to free us from the tyranny of the white sliced loaf, symbol of capitalist oppression.

The show is built around two large ‘props’. First a large white van, from which pours staging, props and a revolutionary soundtrack. Onto the staging launch our bakers: flipping, juggling and balancing their way through the narrative. The second is a long zip-wire, on which a torpedo bread-roll hangs, along which our bakers will attempt to storm the mansion.

One brawny baker affixes a TV aerial to link to other bakers around the country and the signal is projected onto a stage atop the van. Then in a denouement of evocative pathos a brave baker is struck down. At this moment, the crowd falls silent and from the distance emerge a brass band solemnly playing Dvorak’s Largo (the ‘Hovis theme’); an uneasy mix of laughter and sadness ripples through the audience. From this point on the game is up and with our dead baker buried in a loaf tin, the others disappear into the crowd leaving us to go forth and bake our daily bread. Packed full of wheaty-goodness – best served with tea and jam. Delicious.

TOTAL THEATRE MAGAZIN

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