The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs
Waterloo East Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 7th February 2013 (Press Night)
"A hilarious and harrowing tale of pride, beauty, lust and industrial design in which we encounter how the former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, and his obsessions continue to shape our lives. We follow the trail all the way to China to investigate the factories where millions toil to make ours iPhones, iPads and iPods."
I was actually quite interested to see The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs at the Waterloo East Theatre, but unfortunately I was left very disappointed by this sluggish one man show. The production is clearly trying to make a very powerful point but became so boring that I stopped caring.
The script has a few witty lines but I found myself laughing out of despair. At the end of each scene the lights went down for a couple of seconds and then came up again and each time I was baffled that Edward Fromson ('The Performer') did not move. He performed each scene sitting behind a desk, occasionally swivelling to the side. This made me feel like I was in a lecture, not watching a piece of theatre - perhaps this is the desired affect but I can't think why.
Edward Fromson did give a good performance to begin with. However, he seemed to have a script or some notes on the desk in front of him and as the show went on he did more reading than acting - I could not believe my eyes!
Damien Stanton's design was basic and fairly pointless. One stand out scene was when 'The Performer' makes fun out of the purpose of PowerPoint and the font Comic Sans. It was actually quite cleverly written and was very funny but the show's format is so basic, bringing a whole new meaning to the word dull.
Mike Daisey's play is strange, the idea behind it is strong and if written well could be a very powerful, thought provoking piece of theatre. Unfortunately The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs is a big let down.
Please visit www.waterlooeast.co.uk for more information and to book tickets.
Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
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