Eerie Silence by Berlin was an exploration of the young company’s perspectives on gendered pressures.

Voice overs narrated their experiences and pet hates whilst the performers illustrated each story with visual and physical cabaret style skits.

The audience interaction throughout was sensitive and involved us in the discussions around gender onstage.

These skits were most successful when the actions were bold.

Stand out scenes include a woman covering her face with hummus and her hair with tomato ketchup in the place of make-up and a quirky questioning of the number of sexual partners it is appropriate to have before you become a ‘slut’.

Recorded voice overs were over used, creating an alienation from the real bodies and tasks. Live voice work would connect the audience with the humanity being performed on stage.

Overall the piece was entertaining, with some superb moments, however more structuring is needed to create a cohesive and powerful audience experience.

The limits of each individual performer and the riskiness of the tasks need to be pushed to the extreme in order to create an impactful piece of theatre, rather than a presentation of ideas.

Berlin are a brave young company brimming with potential.

THREE STARS