Theatre / Reviews
Mayfest 2015 review: The Backseat of My Car
I got into the passenger side of the car and shut the door. In front of me was a panoramic view of Bristol from Redcliffe Parade car park. To my right was a man who last year I had seen play a horrifyingly believable version of serial killer Ted Bundy in the Bristol Old Vic basement.
So when Greg Wohead turned to me from the driver’s side of the car and told me to put a brown shoulder-length wig on, my heart was beating quite fast.
This year’s Mayfest has seen performances in woods, hotel rooms and houses. This is the second show to be performed in a car park after Of Riders and Running Horses last week.
But whereas that saw a few dozen audience members surrounding five performers, this piece is one-on-one.
The two people in the front of the car are two friends sharing a lift after band practise.
But will they become more than just friends? When Wohead leaned in and beckoned me to do the same, leaning in, further and further until I could feel his breath on my lips, I very much thought they would.
“And then you turn away,” came the instruction from Wohead, just before our bearded faces could conjoin.
With a piece this intimate, it was impossible to be a passive audience member. I was transported back into being a teenager, teasing out the boundaries between friendship and love.
Wohead’s calm and collected demeanour made this encounter truly believable and my heart not beat any less fast.
The Backseat of My Car (And Other Places) is also being performed on Sunday May 24. For more information, visit www.mayfestbristol.co.uk/mayfest2015/the-back-seat-of-my-car-and-other-safe-places/
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