There are moments when Theatre should be on prescription for easing the soul and laughing with friends.
Photo © The Natural Theatre Company
The sheer joy, energy and fun of this bawdy romp is uplifting, entertaining and downright bonkers, in fact everything that has been missing from the world in the past year or so.
The Natural Theatre Company, a gallant and fabulous trio of Alison Campbell, Amy Vickers and Florence Espeut – Nickless, lead us through an educational look at the more sordid and less glamourous view of Bath through the ages.
Some of the characters are instantly recognisable and others not so; the stories behind the duels, haunting and general debauchery are delivered with audience participation, multi role playing and general chaos.
The Naturals are known for their street theatre but here, at The Rondo, they pick up where COVID cruelly shut them down last year.
The completion of the journey is palpable and under the direction of Andy Burden there are a few COVID jokes which only add to irreverence.
It is a gallop at just over an hour long but the sense of support and goodwill from the socially distanced audience buoys the show along.
The sheer skill and talent of the trio could well be overlooked as the improvisational style and razor-sharp comedy appears so easy in their hands.
This is a fine and welcome distraction from the world at large and impossible to recommend enough. The only issues may be getting your hands on a ticket.
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Reviewer: Petra Schofield
Dirty Bath is presented by the Natural Theatre Company.
It is showing at the Rondo Theatre in Bath until Saturday 12th June 2021.
