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Him
Birmingham Rep Door
***** THIS is Tim Barlow’s biographical story about
looking back on the experiences of life from the perspective of an
80-year-old. Although biographical,
the play is embodied by the writing of Sheila Hill. Both artists have
collaborated to show us the nuances of life. Hill is incredibly
appreciative of Barlow’s vast experience which makes for an expressive
account of life at 80. With the addition of Hugo Glendinning’s
videography and Glen Miller’s In the
Mood,
Him shows us the sweet world of Barlow
and ultimately, the meaning of life to one person. Barlow releases a magic which instantly
captivates the audience. From the moment he starts to speak, the
audience are engaged by his story. His beautiful approach to talking and
storytelling is second nature, and it feels as if you are making a
friend. He gives the impression that he could talk for hours, and you
wouldn’t mind listening to a story with a plain and simple message; to
look back at life. In most solo performance shows, we can look into
the essence of the character with a great range of depth. In this show,
there is a new dynamic. Barlow is an actor in his own right and even
gives the audience tips on what he regards as the ‘crux’ of acting, yet
he is completely stripped bare of any character traits on stage. He is completely himself. Hill’s has written a
story about someone who also happens to be the actor. When the actor is
also the protagonist of the story, the audience see an exploration of
theatre that becomes uniquely interactive. The screen at the centre of the stage displays
videos throughout the piece and we merge from live performance to
interactive viewing. The addition of live bassist Sebastiano Dessanay is
another fantastic layer to create a happy-go-lucky essence that takes
Barlow’s world from real life onto the stage.
It is a world where his impeccable presence has
us utterly fixated in a state of wonder. It gives an intimacy and a new
feeling of learning from another’s experience. Barlow trusts the
audience wholeheartedly and is very happy to share with us his unique
and fruitful past, even with experiences of hardship.
He tells us about events during childhood that
leads into the trails of young love. Hill weaves good experiences with
the griefs of life so that we suddenly experience moments of pain and
sadness, just as we do in real life, as we do not know when they will
occur. Barlow’s delivery is always perfect.
He has a rare story to tell. Life as a young man
was mostly spent in the army and he enthrals us with fascinating and
particular stories. Barlow also explains that he lost his sense of
hearing during training with guns. It is with a new disability that
shaped Barlow’s post-army career, with life as an actor. Barlow explains
in one particular experience at the RSC, that he learned not only his
own lines, but also the rest of the cast’s, because of being unable to
hear cue lines. The play comes to an uplifting end when Barlow tells us
about the restoration of his hearing, through a medical procedure. His
hope for the future and appreciation of the past is illuminating. Him
is a beautiful and unique piece. In essence, Barlow wants to create is a
reflection of human nature. Barlow and Hill allow us to look into our
own past to see the fine things in life so that we can look forward to
the future with hope. Barlow is the bridge between the past and the
future and gives us a story in the present to be hopeful and happy. To
08-10-16 Elizabeth Halpin 06-10-16
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