Bristol Brewery Theatre Review – The Department of Smelling Pistakes

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Last time I visited the Brewery Theatre, part of the Tobacco Factory, it was almost deserted. In an audience of no more than ten people you begin to feel somewhat under pressure to enjoy yourself, which invariably means it's quite hard to do. When my husband and I went to see Publick Transport's The Department of Smelling Pistakes, it could not have been more different. Not only was the tiny studio theatre packed out, but it was almost impossible not to enjoy the absurd genius of it all.

On our way to the theatre we had suddenly realised that it is Valentine's Day this weekend and, having no other plans, hastily decided that this could be our “date” for the occasion. We were not disappointed. The comedy, written by Angus Barr and directed by Phil Booth, was a delightful mix of the bizarre and the brilliant. Who needs tear-jerking romantic DVDs when you can have subtle one-liners, slapstick comedy, walls with ears and good old-fashioned communist humour?

The play was set in the Russian governmental office of Stefan (Angus Barr himself), a bored civil servant with no job description and no prospect of promotion. His routine of sharpening pencils and hoovering the floor is interrupted by the arrival of Ivan (Toby W. Davies), a mysterious inspector whose reason for visiting is unnervingly unclear.

 As both men try desperately to say nothing that might mark them out as being unfaithful to ‘The Party’, they get themselves into a tangle of political correctness, comradeship and suspicion with a spattering of ingenious grammatical inaccuracies thrown in.

Both Barr and Davies are outstanding. Never mind the necessary comic timing and subtleties of body language, anyone who can keep up a pseudo-Russian accent for that long without laughing (though admittedly there were moments where they got perilously close) gets my vote. I was particularly impressed by the fascinating facial expressions Angus Barr managed to produce, at times it was almost like having a third actor on the stage. Not that they needed any help; their ability to play off each other and the wonderful script was all that was necessary.

It is so rare to find something that can combine groan-inducing puns, political humour and one-liners with such skill. If I was to force myself to be critical then I would say that some of the jokes dragged on just a little longer than necessary, but that is being particularly pedantic. In a way, the play really suited the intimate setting it was in, but I really do hope that they are able to perform somewhere other than tiny studios and village halls because this is a play that deserves to be seen.

So, in the end does Stefan find out why Ivan is in his office? Does Ivan find out why Stefan even bothers to come to work at all? And do they manage to get through the day without incurring the wrath of the ruling Party? I won't tell you, because you really need to go and see this for yourself. Absurd, surreal and very, very funny, I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Chloe Banks is a freelance writer living in Bristol.

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