Office Party

Stilted conversations, rapid consumption of alcohol, and drunken snogs (resulting from said binging). These are all essential elements of that great British institution—the office party—we collectively recognise. For one night of the year the workplace hierarchy is abandoned: top executives celebrate alongside cleaners, rival departments awkwardly mingle, and forbidden romances blossom under the protection of pink mood lighting.

Given the potentially hilarious consequences of such an occasion, already exploited on our screens in Ricky Gervais’ The Office, it was only a matter of time before a Fringe show brought the office party to Edinburgh audiences. The result is a large-scale, three hour event held in that Bristo Square monstrosity, the Appleton Tower, which has been decked out in all the necessary trimmings: red balloons, fully stocked bar, and a disco ball.

This is no ordinary show but an interactive theatrical event, in which the spectators become employees of the fictional firm who participate in the office party. Given a name badge and allocated a department upon arrival, audience members are invited to buy a drink at the bar. “Colleagues” mosey over to chat about last year’s shenanigans, women rush to the loo to touch up their makeup, and office cliques begin to form.

Once successfully divided into departmental groups, the raucous games begin. Cue quizzes, binge-eating, nudity and, well, more nudity as the teams compete to win alcoholic prizes. Though it seems unlikely that random audience members would cast off their clothes as readily as snakes shed skin, it is impossible to know who is—and who isn’t—part of the show’s official cast. There’s always the fear that you too could be cajoled into pulling down your pants for a laugh.

To keep the firm’s employees entertained in between such competitions, a series of high-profile acts, including La Clique’s Ursula Martinez, take to the stage. Though enjoyable and frequently amusing, the performances become increasingly outlandish as the evening wears on, and eventually undermine the realism of the event.

Though it relies too heavily upon the power of nudity to shock, Office Party is an absolute blast. You’ll leave wanting to recreate the crazy capers at the Christmas ‘do’.