Britain; the land of sarcasm, reservation and politeness. Short Scenes About Britain is exactly what it says on the tin - a few short scenes about life in Britain by Grand Dame Theatre Company; a new theatre company.
Anyone who knows Bandit, Mugger and Thief (formerly Taurus) will know that it is an incredibly small space. However, the cast did well and used the space to their advantage. It was almost like they were playing a game of musical chairs between the scenes.
The movement between scenes was slick. However, I do not think a Friday night was a good night to play at this venue. 
There is a busy bar upstairs with loud music - so loud that it interrupted the intimacy of some of the scenes.
There were some scenes that took place at the back of the room, actually parallel with my seat. This meant that I could only see the side of heads for those scenes. Even if they moved back by one metre I would have had a better view.
I quite enjoyed the small elements of physical theatre in the show, and feel there is potential for this to be explored further.
Some of the scenes although comical, carried a strong message; the constant surveillance of society by the Government and unethical social workers. Of course no show about Britain would be complete without exploring the country’s latest obsession; pedophilia. However, the context in which this was addressed was refreshing.
The best scene was saved for last and something that every Brit can relate to - seeing someone you know in a waiting room. This was largely comical and the awkward to watch (for the right reasons).
Scenes About Britain is a fundraiser for Grand Dame Theatre Company’s fringe performance in summer.
Reviewer: Francis McKevitt
Reviewed: 15th April 2016
