Theatre / Reviews
Review: Philosophy of the World, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic – ‘Wild, anarchic, hilarious and wholly mind-blowing’
Any straightforward, linear, highbrow interpretation of the story of small-town American rock band The Shaggs – the 60s sister act forever dubbed ‘the best worst band in the world’ and feted by the likes of Kurt Cobain and Frank Zappa, would be bizarre enough.
This reluctant, tin-eared young trio were forced to perform by their father, Austin Wiggin, in front of a scathing audience every week for years, as he clung to a mistaken belief that they would be superstars.
To a hail of boos, catcalls and hurled Cola cans, Dot, Betty and Helen were ritually humiliated as they attempted to perform some of the weirdest un-music ever recorded – a punishment that only finished when their father died of a heart attack.
However, in the hands of Nora, Dora and Kat, founder of In Bed With My Brother, the Shaggs story goes from one of obscure outsider artists to a wild, anarchic, hilarious and wholly mind-blowing riff on the power of the patriarchy, stolen childhoods, outrageous bullying and what constitutes art – and, more importantly, who has possession of that art.
Over an hour and in three acts, the sorry story of The Shaggs spirals into an insane concoction of coercive control, terrible wigs, astonishing violence and fierce nudity as our performers, plus ‘real actor’ Nigel Barrett as the despicable dad, don’t so much break the fourth wall as burn it down completely – a reflection of the true story of what happened to the family home after their father died and the local fire department bought it to set ablaze while practising their skills.
And yet, Philosophy Of The World is also a celebration of outsider art utterly shunned by the insider culture-vulture Establishment – except when it suits them, of course. To this end, The Shaggs’ story is mirrored alongside that of Valerie Solaras, the radical feminist who had approached Andy Warhol about a script she’d written, subsequently shooting him in the belief that he’d stolen her work (it turned out she was right).
In that sense, In Bed With My Brother are reclaiming The Shaggs story for themselves, pulling it out of the hands of beard-stroking intellectuals and placing back into a far less safe, far more radical, dangerous, experimental and shocking arena. The deep irony is that Tom Cruise actually owns the rights to The Shaggs’ story – a point made right at the beginning by the trio, who beg the audience not to tell him about Philosophy Of The World.
Woops. Oh shit. Sorry about that…
Philosophy of the World is at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic on May 13-16 at 8pm with an additional 3pm matinee show on Saturday. Visit bristololdvic.org.uk for tickets.
All photos: Alex Brenner
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