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One Hundred Percent review (Barons Court Theatre)

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★★★½

This week at Barons Court Theatre in West London, Precarious Theatre presented ‘One Hundred Percent’: a new piece of writing centring on aspiring actors and the life experiences and people that inspire them to pursue their dreams. I had the opportunity to review the company’s final performance in London last night and could very much see the potential in this darkly funny piece about ambition.

One Hundred Percent poster at Barons Court Theatre, London

About the play

Benjamin Sumrie, Marco Biasioli and Liam Grogan’s comedy centres on what happens when a former student (Benjamin Sumrie) confronts the examiner (David Allen) that gave them 100% in their performance assessment many years later. Now pursuing a career in the field and failing to succeed at auditions, the actor blames the examiner for leading them down this path and giving them false hope. Over the course of 55 minutes, the audience is a fly on the wall as the pair discuss the actor’s failures since the exam. The actor is unable to come to terms with the fact that Drama education and real-life auditions are totally different experiences, much to the frustration of the examiner. The circumstances of this meeting are unclear at the start of the performance, but once the deeper conversations get underway, the awkward interactions between the characters become both amusing and engaging.

Cast performances and acting style

It is the over the top performances that really make the play come to life, specifically Benjamin Sumrie’s portrayal of the irrational actor. Initially starting as small talk over a cup of tea, the audience learns that all is not what it seems, largely spurred on by the former student’s secretive reactions and dramatic recollection of events. Whilst the exaggerated body language is welcome and fits within this piece, I struggled with the amount of tension and raised voices in the latter scenes. It risks the material being overwhelming in a space as intimate as Barons Court. A slightly more layered approach to the dialogue would make this a more varied watch.

One Hundred Percent programme outside Barons Court Theatre, London

A darkly comical reflection on pursuing a career in the arts

There is lots to enjoy within this two-hander, which sees the actor and examiner face their overlapping pasts, very separate presents and potential futures. It will be interesting to see how the play develops over upcoming festival performances. ‘One Hundred Percent’ has now finished its run at Barons Court, but the show is heading to The Kings Arms in Manchester this July.

Thanks for reading my blog today.

Love Kat xxxx

*My ticket for ‘One Hundred Percent’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.

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