Creators: Bird & Tax Collector
Reviewer: Lela Tredwell
Late-night talk radio typically provides a place on the air waves where softly-spoken conversations, lonely confessions, and mundane musings act as an antidote to the dark hours. In their new improvised show, Bird and Tax Collector aim to provide one such refuge for the insomniacs, the night owls and the shift workers. Despite it being mid-afternoon, devices at the start of the show help us grasp the concept, including an ‘On Air’ sign, and the sound of tuning in a radio through a multitude of other channels. We are introduced to DJ Tax Collector (Tom Tollenaere) who plays the keyboard, while DJ Bird (Jayda Fogel) plays host, talking to the audience and singing songs.
The majority of this show is crowd work with Bird (Fogel) coming out into the audience to discuss her thoughts and ask questions. In a small narrow room this poses a problem logistically as the audience have to decide whether to turn around or stay staring at the space left on the now stagnant stage. It’s also more cabaret than talk radio. Bird employs some unusual conversation techniques, like referring to someone’s face as incredibly pale, asking someone else why they’re single, and mistaking a fifteen year old daughter and father combo for a couple. Are these jokes? The audience does not seem sure. It feels awkward as Bird tries to explain her way out of her blunders, but as she does so, she manages to unearth some golden nuggets. One person has attended silent speed dating. Another has got over a breakup by taking up climbing. And someone else says they’ve used their bland face to dodge paying for train fares.
Radio Critic, Miranda Sawyer wrote, “What’s often special about late-night programmes is that it’s the presenter who is doing the listening, the listener, calling in, who speaks.” DJ Bird (Fogel) seems to be at least partially listening as she takes some of the comments made to inspire her songs. However, the most interesting details from her ‘callers’ are sadly lost. Despite Tax Collector (Tollenaere) skilfully playing different tunes, the songs all sound quite similar. The most distinctive, the blues, is cut short because Bird seems to run out of things to gripe about regarding landlords. Improvised singing isn’t easy but when you’re doing solo after solo without another singer to collaborate with, it’s a hard act to sustain even for very experienced musical improvisers.
The show on this date, starts late and finishes early. As a result, nearly half of the billed time is lost. This is coupled with there being some discrepancy over ticket price: the website says £10, but the man on the door says £5 is recommended, and DJ Bird refers to it being ‘Pay What You Want’. All three seem to be true simultaneously. They say talk is cheap but not when it comes at this price, whatever that may be.
This is a show that needs further development to be able to shine with spontaneity. The performance works best when the audience are able to hear their suggestions in the songs and this could be capitalised on much further. Improv can be a risky business but one of the keys to creating a good concept show is commitment. It requires digging down into the chosen genre and really embodying what is required to create an essence of the original format. This is not a softly-spoken radio show. However, there are some lonely confessions and a lot more mundane musings. Like late-night talk radio, it won’t be for everyone. If it was more like late-night talk radio though, in its delivery and set up, it would have a better chance of finding its audience and keeping them from changing frequency.
Reviewed on 27th May
