FREAK OUT!, Camden People’s Theatre Review
Reviewed by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic.
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
I’m from the North East of England. The North East is famed for many things… the night life, Newcastle United, Ant and Dec and most importantly, its’ award winning coastlines. I am biased, but I think growing up by the seaside is one of the most wonderful things. The smell of sea air, the calmness of waves crashing and of course knowing that the fish and chips will be brilliant. The sheer thought of losing these coastlines is devastating, which is exactly what Freak Out! covers, based on research carried out in East Anglia.
The residents love Portsford. They couldn’t imagine a better place to live, a better place to settle down. The community and sound of crashing waves is incomparable. So when they find out that their properties are at risk of literally falling into the sea within ten years, and the offer of compensation is measly, they all come together as a community and discuss how they will be affected and what they think is the way forward.
Climate change isn’t a fun topic, however, it is a very important one which affects communities as much as anybody or anywhere else. Coin Toss Collective have this all covered; we hear how people have grown up there and can’t imagine leaving, others left for London but found themselves back by the sea, and another is part of a farming family who have been around for generations. All these people are affected by the erosion of the cliffs, and this is a very real issue for them.
The main bulk of the story is told during a party held by Louisa, in an attempt to bring the community together but also where difficult conversations are had and tensions bubble. Cue the dancing to forget the troubles, sharing cake and, bizarrely, a sandcastle building and decorating competition involving the audience. I really enjoyed the variation in the storytelling, from hearing individual stories to conversations where there are conflicting views of the projections used. All in all, a great way to convey the message which is at hand. A particular audience favourite was where Hannah and Eli take turns to dunk their heads into a bucket of water, while the other spoke about what was going on and why they either did or didn’t want to leave Portsford. This became more and more frantic and urgent, somehow combining climate change with sexual connotations. Not your usual combination, but certainly got the laughs in.
As mentioned, projections are used throughout Freak Out!. We see clips from ‘back in the day’ of people enjoying the beach at Portsford, the talk of a big storm and clips of people saying what the seaside means to them. We also see clips of extreme weather, almost so extreme you can’t believe that they’re not from a movie. This helps to really hammer home this very real issue. Blending the live show with real human stories is a great shout.
Coin Toss Collective are a talented bunch, formed at Bristol Old Vic in 2021 and creating theatre ever since. The nice thing about Coin Toss is that they’re a diverse group, and also don’t have a ‘hierarchy’, all mucking in for the various jobs both on and off stage. This was my first Coin Toss show, but won’t be my last!
Overall, I found Freak Out! to be enjoyable, high energy and powerful. Things do get VERY messy, much to the audiences’ delight. Both a love letter and a tribute to our coastlines, a tale of how communities can frature, this is not one to miss. Freak Out! is heading to Edinburgh Fringe this year – don’t miss out! Who knew a show about climate change could be so enjoyable!
Content warnings- strong language and themes of climate anxiety. This is most graphically depicted in specific key moments: a scene when two characters submerge their heads in buckets of water and hold their breath, and when one character gets physically beaten by the cast by using beach items (such as woggles and balls) whilst a projection of extreme weather due to climate change plays in the background.
★ ★ ★ ★
