Past Tents – Golden Goose Theatre, Camberwell

Writers: David J Keogh & Seth Jones
Director: Seth Jones

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Clever & Impactful”

3.5 / 5

Alan’s day is going from bad to worse – his wife has left him, he’s crashed his car, and his bed for the night is in a broken tent next to a snoring sleepwalker. Said sleepwalker is Justin – a regular at the rundown campsite, full of positive energy and eager to get to know the newbie on site.

Past Tents is mainly a comedy, heavily using slapstick and panto-esque predictability, similar to if the characters from Bottom went to a campsite run by the Fawlty Towers team. The gags are often quite gross (think sheep poo and bags of urine) which leans into the silly, farcical nature of the humour, carried off well by the three actors who fully throw themselves into the physicality of each scene. At points though, the relentless slapstick does start to get a little tired, with some of the jokes lasting a beat too long, and the similarity of each mishap making it a bit too repetitive.

Although Alan (Seth Jones) initially despises Justin (David J Keogh) and campsite owner Virgil (Mark Keegan), he still interacts with them frequently throughout his time on the campsite, whether it’s to ask for help or simply complain about the lack of facilities. His need for connection is shown further in the latter half of the show, where he unexpectedly starts to open up to Justin, admitting the tough time he’s been having and the struggle to get things back on track. This conversation shifts the tone of the show completely, quickly moving away from the humour and instead into a poignant conversation between the characters about the importance of opening up and reaching out when things are too hard to handle.

The tonal shift is a welcome one, albeit slightly unbelievable that the two characters quickly become confidants, but considering the rest of the absurdities on the campsite, its easy to suspend the disbelief a little longer! The last 10 minutes or so are utilised fantastically, bringing a brilliantly clever element to the show that comes out of nowhere, knocking the audience for six and creating an excellently impactful finale that truly sticks in the mind and strengthens the entire foundation of the production.

It’s clear a lot of thought and time has gone into this, mainly from the intricacy of the storyline, but also into the set and props (David J Keogh). Newspaper headlines reference stories the characters have discussed, such as the disappearance of Shirley Knott, which are enjoyable little Easter eggs that crop up occasionally. This and especially, the ending, cement it as a cleverly executed, thought-provoking show.

Runs until 12^th October 2024