The Oh F**k Moment was always going to be a brave idea, not just because of its title, but because it involves audience participation, and as we Brits are rather backward about coming forward, let alone spilling the beans, it seems an occupation more suited to our cousins over the pond.

Not so apparently, The Oh F**k Moment being embraced enthusiastically wherever Hannah Jane Walker and Chris Thorpe lay their hats, which tomorrow is the Dorfman Centre, in St Peter’s College, Oxford, earning them a Fringe First Award at Edinburgh in the process.

The show started off as performance poetry with a series of short stories about the common experience of inextricably messing up, and then evolved into acknowledging, listening and sharing the audience’s anecdotes as well, a natural progression if you like.

“We thought it would be much more fun to hear about the audience’s experiences and it took off from there,” Chris explains. Which means instead of the traditional stage facing a seated audience scenario, The Oh F**k Moment takes place around a large table, limiting places to 25.

So does everyone know what they’ve signed up for when they arrive? “No, there have been times when people haven’t clocked it’s not a normal theatre show,” Hannah laughs, “and that there’s a bit more to it than that. But it’s our duty to make that work by creating an atmosphere which encourages people to interact with each other, so everyone is asked to offer a moment in their lives they are prepared to talk about and tell us.

“What also makes our show unique is we don’t aim to humiliate anyone or take the mickey, everything stays in the room – it’s a group of people who will never see each other together again, so you can’t replicate it.”

And what do people talk about? “Work/pets/ children – just simple mistakes without any malice or intention, no real issues, a mistake that snowballed and how that person felt about it. We intersperse it with our poetry to give it structure and a framework,” Hannah explains.

All well and good, but what is the intention of all this ‘sharing’? “It’s about how we handle mistakes and about trying to move forwards in our own way. It’s about normal people,” she adds, which doesn’t sound much like comedy to me.

“It’s not a comedy show as such but it does have funny parts because you can’t make a show about The Oh F**K Moment without genuine laughter, and neither can you perform it without genuinely emotional responses. So it is a bit of a rollercoaster in where it takes you.”

The audience must be terrified then. “People do arrive looking a bit apprehensive and nervous,” Hannah giggles, “but they soon relax after a few minutes because we do our best to put people at ease.

A real mixed audience then? “Yes, we even get the occasional stag do, which is brilliant because they never have any idea what they’re in for and think it’s a live comedy show because we’ve done the Fringe,” Chris interjects.

“So this bunch of lads arrive ready to celebrate and they have to sit down and are expected to share their personal experiences. These have been some of the best nights,” Chris admits.

Currently developing their next show about technology and its effect on our culture, Chris and Hannah continue to be topical and reactive. In the meantime though you can catch this daring duo touring the country at festivals this summer, huddled around a table, laughing, crying and sharing, but always invoking a response.

 

The Oh F*** Moment
 

  • Part of Playhouse Plays Out
  • The Dorfman Centre, St Peter’s College

  • Tomorrow, 6pm and 8pm

  • Call 01865 305305 or visit oxfordplayhouse.com