Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

The theatre company 1927 makes no secret of their love of the surrealists. From the particular year chosen for their name, to their enjoyable collage of mode and technique, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea effectively channels the spirit of Breton, Dali, and their pals.

But surrealism was driven by a desire to undermine bourgeois notions of art and society. Divorced from that political impulse, the show often appears to offer weirdness and obscurity for the sake of it. In contrast, the various pastiches of historical storytelling styles - Gothic fairytale, for example - are more nostalgic than satirical.

Thankfully, the show also possesses great wit, both verbal and visual. Two actresses play a variety of roles, and are accompanied by a pouty, deranged-looking pianist. They interact with some inventive animation and film footage, which is projected onto a screen.

The performance takes the form of a series of skits, emulating the daftness of the surrealists. The show's playing with language and cunning deployment of puns is its greatest strength, but it finds itself on less firm ground when it aims to be abstract. The laughter desired is just the laughter of bewilderment, and the audience can supply that plentifully.