But even as this approach may seem unnecessarily proscriptive, rather than limiting the potential of the piece, it explodes the world of possibility. Iara Solano Arana and Sammy Metcalfe interpret and perform the spoken word in such ways that what may at first seem nonsensical or abstract, gains purpose and edge. Personality breaks through posturing, reality breaks through performance, and the fourth wall – if it ever existed – is thoroughly dismantled.
This is one of the more intriguing aspects of Karaoke – the interrogation of the role of the audience and the act of watching theatre, suspending disbelief, entering into this artificial relationship with the actors before us. These are ideas which provoke much thoughtfulness and this is a show about which I have thought much since leaving this lovely venue, though it is easy to see how its unique approach could prove alienating if it just ain’t your cup of tea.