@ Assembly Hall, Edinburgh, until Sat 29 Aug 2015 @ 20:00
If you are looking for a family friendly show that surpasses all linguistic and cultural barriers with its universal percussive language and party attitude, then be-dom: The Beat Bang! is the right choice for you. be-dom are six extremely amiable, broadly smiling lads from Portugal who use various eco-friendly tools to create rhythm.
With a playful, but socially-conscious attitude, they can turn everything into percussion instruments: barrels, cans, clapping, finger-snapping, dancing, whoops, whisling, even their own bodies – the sextet‘s imagination knows no limits. Add unabated energy, some clever pop-cultural references and a pinch of improvisation and you get an almost inexhaustible source of inspiration for various scenarios with a comic twist that the band members develop in front of your eyes.
However, the main ingredient of the show is its audience. From the first number, until the very end of the performance, the viewers are encouraged to get actively involved in the percussion party that unveils before their eyes (and ears), to a degree when they turn into its main participants and conductors. By the end of the show, no one is left passive or indifferent – the sextet‘s energetic vibe is highly contageous!
In terms of the structure of the performance though, it could benefit greatly from a slighty more holistic approach. While the numbers they play one after another are smart, creative and funny, they seem incoherent and the pauses between them – someway hollow.
Despite that, the show is definitely worth attending and guarantees one hour of interactive entertainment for the whole family.