The Real Deal – The Cockpit Theatre, London

On my first scratch night I see a variety of short works and excerpts in various stages of development. But for my money The Real Deal is the pick of the bunch.

My First Scratch Night

“Scratch nights are events where short pieces in the full variety of theatrical forms are tested in front of an audience, usually for the first time. They might be short plays by writers made specifically for the event […]. They could be work that a playwright and director have been paired together for […]. Or they could be more fluid affairs where companies, artists and performers want to try out material at the earliest possible stage.”

6 Reasons UK Actors Need a Scratch Night

Ooh, I love trying out something new. That’s actually the very reason I came to the Cockpit Theatre most recently (to see Where We Meet). And now I’m back, to attend my very first scratch night. Per the quote above, scratch nights are all about putting work in front of an audience at an early stage. Not normally the done thing to be reviewing yet. And the reason today’s post doesn’t have a score attached. But I came to the Cockpit Theatre’s scratch night Theatre in the Pound (because entry is £1, get it?) at the express invitation of Iva Šimić and Laura Kaliger, who together are the Co-Creators and Performers of The Real Deal. Klara Kaliger is Writer and Director.

And so, on a Monday night, here I was. Ready for what scratch night had to throw at me. The first half went swimmingly.  Some sketch comedy, some excerpts of longer dramatic works.  I liked being part of the conversation after each one, as the audience gave feedback on what went well, maybe didn’t come across, or could be an area for further development. The Theatre in the Pound team facilitate a constructive conversation, complete with play-off music like at the Oscars to make sure the schedule is respected.

The Real Deal

Then after a short interval we went back in for more.  Starting with another excerpt, from Sl*t Confessions by Rebecca Metcalf Cortese.  Then it was time!  The Real Deal was here: a fully-formed short work.  Šimić and Kaliger play versions of the same character: the curated social media version and, well, the real deal.  The latter is trying diligently to work on a project with an imminent deadline.  The former has a constant eye on the outside world.  Could we just post that photo from the other day?  Maybe a little teaser about the project?  Wait, what’s everyone talking about? Shouldn’t we just check quickly?

The Real Deal got a lot of genuine laughs and audience engagement.  It’s in quite a polished place already, including thoughtful set and costume flourishes even in this less formal setting.  Šimić and Kaliger are perfectly suited to play two halves of the same coin in this social media satire.  Šimić’s body language is very earnest: she’s trying to ruthlessly bat away distractions, and fighting her instincts in order to focus.  We’ve all been there.  Kaliger plays her character with the extra flair of the curated life.  A little razzle dazzle.  The version of ourselves we want to be.

I’d like to see more from this duo, and Writer and Director Klara Kaliger.  In a short space of time The Real Deal says a lot about our obsession with social media: the tension in establishing whether the ‘real’ life is the unglamorous one we live, or the one we curate for others. Kaliger’s direction really underscores the humour in the contrast between the two personas, and gives that gnawing sense of addiction as our ‘real life’ character is constantly tempted. I’m pleased to have such strong work on my very first scratch night. Now for the runner’s high of final work Jog On! The 10k Musical before wrapping things up. I wonder what’s on next month?

For further information about Iva Šimić, Laura Kaliger, or Klara Kaliger, click on the links. Theatre in the Pound takes place monthly: next one is 21 April.