Theatre by Third Angel

By Stockton Arc on Feb 26, 09 10:00 AM

I have to admit to being a massive fan of Third Angel's work, and was proud to bring Presumption to ARC a few weeks ago. It is a fantastic show that uses both humour and poignancy to explore the relationship between a thirty-something couple. It is exquisitely presented, every word, every action, every moment feels like it has been carefully considered, held, inspected and placed. And it's relevant, something I really like my theatre to be - it will touch you, whether you are in a relationship or not, as it neatly exposes some of the finer points about how humans interact with each other.

So I headed off to Leeds on Tuesday to see another show by Third Angel, Class of 76. Having seen so many of their shows, I now approach them with a slight feeling of dread - what if it's not as good as I expect? I know it is dangerous to go with such high expectations, as surely at some point it can only lead to disappointment?

Unlike Presumption, Class of 76 is closer to a lecture than a theatre show. Part lecture/part theatre is something Third Angel do really well (Hurrysickness, The Lad Lit Project) so I was relaxed with the format. And it didn't disappoint. How could it? Once again, it was beautiful. So simple, the story of how Alex decided to trace all the people in his primary school class photo, but he turned what could have been purely personal nostalgia into something to be shared with everyone. As he introduced the class, not one by one, but carefully paced through the show, interspersed with snippets about how he found them, what he remembered about them and so on, it felt like we knew all those people ourselves. And what's more, we really cared about them.

And that's what I love about Third Angel's work. It makes you feel something about yourself, and about the people around you. It's full of love and care, of humanity, it's picks up everyday things that are relevant to everyone and shows them to you in a way that makes you think about them, and sometimes, think about them differently.
If you can't see the show, but want a taste of their work, do visit their website: www.thirdangel.co.uk