The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil....

OK so I am the first person to admit I have 'geek like' tendencies. In fact, my favorite purchase this month was my Marvel shorts (yes Primark).

So when I found out a graphic novel had been adapted to the screen by Bristol Old Vic I was first in line to go and check it out for BBC Bristol.

Performed by the Bristol Old Vic Young Company, it was funny and showed maturity beyond the collective's years. Clever observations of adults in the workplace - they zoned in on the mundane, confusing world of office
work.

Anyone that has worked at an office knows that really, no-one knows what the hell is going on. You walk in, push some papers, sit in a few meetings, and leave wondering what you actually did to earn the money that's going to pay your rent.

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil turns this world on its head after main character Dave grows a huge unmanageable beard. Scruffiness is blasphemy in this clean, proper, paper pushing world.

Adapted from this graphic novel by The Young Company, it was very impressive to see the meaty characters that were discovered through cast's humorous improvisations.

So many themes interwove in this story, the most prominent to me being how society views Death; as something to be feared instead of accepted.

Then the lengths people will go to in order to remove something that doesn't quite 'fit in'; ostracizing instead of accepting.


Here is a small audio package that was put together by myself after the play.



A huge thank you to Stephanie Kempson (Director) and Kathleen Fitzpatrick Milton (Assistant Director/Assistant Music Director) for talking to me after the production as well as the cast: Julia Head, Joshua Robinson, Esther Lawrence and Elliot Winter.

Here's an unedited rendition of 'Here' which was the theme for the piece sung beautifully by the actors.



Looking forward to my next visit where I'll be watching Abulations...