★★★★
Before you even enter the venue, you are asked to write down a word that makes you think of being human. Quite a deep question to have to ponder on a Wednesday afternoon, but it’s but a taste of what’s to come. Experiment Human is a clowning masterclass from sisters Rosa and Maya Hallpike, whose physical movement conjures a creepy tale of existentialism and celebrity abduction.
At first you aren’t sure what to make of the two figures on stage, there is an immediacy with the audience that can often spell death for a performance. But that slight discomfort is the effect Hooky Productions wants, as they build up the tension slowly.
The narrative of Monkion, a non-human creature who abducts Benedict Cumberbatch is an absurd premise, but that is only a small part of the story. The sister’s exploration of what it means to be human felt pointed. As a neurodivergent-led company, there were many moments where the very fundamentals of ‘humanness’ were brought into question.
A particular scene stood out where an audience member was told to show different emotions through her facial expressions, whilst the experimenters read them as something completely different, speaking in a strange morphing accent, ‘happiness’ became ‘hate’ and so on. It felt very much like a diagnostic screening, but with neurotypical behaviour pathologised.
Experiment Human is a challenging, but necessary piece of dark comedy. The laughs can be uncomfortable, but the show will stay with you long after the last piece of Cumberbatch’s paper-thin skin is torn off.
Experiment Human is part of the Brighton Fringe at The Rotunda Theatre till the 21st May at 6pm.
