BLAH BLAH BLAH NAH...BLAM!

I took Tom to see Blam! at the Peacock Theatre in London. I initially thought it was Blah, which it could have been because it's set in an office, a back office which could be any insurance, bank, call centre, anywhere where the employees are bored silly counting down their days to six pm, to Thursdays which is almost Fridays, to weekends, to holidays, to longer holidays, to pay days, to when they are going to have courage and finances to tell their boss where they would like him to go if only they had the opportunity which they never create.  I wonder how many of those I have met over the years who said they would leave banking at some stage are still working in banking?  Or any of those I met while temping are still in the same office counting down days.    The money is addictive and they're the only ones really guaranteed of being paid at the moment, but I did look on at the stage and think, there but for the grace of God.

Any way, it's a brilliant play.  Four guys bored stiff in their office, start to play games and pretend alternately to be Rambo, Ironman, Hulk, First Blood, Clint Eastwood in his Spaghetti Western and his Dirty Harry guise, and Wolverine (brilliant use of pencils), using the full force of everything gunlike that comes to hand in an office, blowing the brains out of each other, and there's a really touching love scene with a water carrier.   It's genuinely moving.   Then there's this scene where they play cards with post it notes - very very clever.  Some of it is nasty (there's a bit with a toilet and a stapler - but I'm sure far worse happens in a real office).    I know critics will compare it to THE OFFICE, but it's like a silent movie version focusing on the fantasies I know men get up to. Boys being boys and all that.   The audience was 60/40 male female and men and boys will love it, men more than boys I think because they'll identify with it.  Only thing that was missing was the a) wanking b) sex fantasies,  that goes on in offices, or perhaps men don't do that when they're in the office.....nah.   Go see Blah!  it is brilliant.