Muscle @ Zoo Roxy

The promo material for Muscle promised an “emotional rollercoaster of theatre”, a riveting insight into the lives of men. Men being such fascinating creatures, the concept seemed intriguing, with potential for some interesting observations and revelations, and – if nothing else – a good opportunity to display some muscle.

Suspense was built as a whirlwind of projections coloured the screens which masked the five-strong cast, before the audience was introduced to an array of diverse characters. A charming tale of a young boy’s experimentation with the opposite sex brought chuckles all round, and there were a few seeds of ideas that could have blossomed into something fantastic – the taxi driver could have made for an enlightening character study, had it been developed further. However, for me, Muscle felt a bit disjointed and primitive - as if it wasn’t quite ready to be seen.

The movement lacked creativity, and too much time was dedicated to a sequence about the tribulations of a family, which might have been better as a play in its own right; in this context, it felt a bit one-dimensional. On occasion, it was difficult to understand what the actors were saying – not the best way to capture attention.

There were, of course, nice moments throughout, and half of the audience seemed to find it highly amusing.  Muscle was a bright idea that was disappointingly executed.