- We saw this is a a family, and I can see why it has been a hit; we all thoroughly enjoyed it. It is up there as one of the most enjoyable performances I have ever seen. It is also historically informative!
'We choose to go to the moon... not because it is easy, but because it is hard.' As if to flout J. F. Kennedy's declaration, the Oxford Playhouse's production of One Small Step at the Burton Taylor neatly packages the lunar experience into an effortless trip to the theatre, and for a very manageable £8.
We are shuttled from Houston to the USSR and into the cosmos, as Robin Hemmings and Oliver Hollis perform audaciously amongst a miscellaneous jumble of period junk to dramatise the history of the space race from 1957 to 1969. The dynamic duo resourcefully employ polystyrene coffee cups, Christmas tree lights and cardboard boxes to kick-start our imaginations. Hemmings makes the renowned 'small step' after descending a stack of filing cabinet drawers, whilst Hollis showcases Sputnik's lift off by artfully placing a beach ball on a stool and, quite simply, well, lifting it off.
Some of the gags, however, are far from out of this world. We are subject to somewhat flippant astronautical toilet humour as Hollis crudely trickles the contents of an Evian bottle into a bucket to mimic the indelicate dripping sound made by an astronaut caught short in outer space. Crass japes such as these are not particularly well complemented by slightly lacklustre attempts to represent zero gravity, and the somewhat trite use of pantomime-style audience participation to launch Apollo 11.
Nonetheless, it's versatility and gusto that make the performance for this enthusiastic double act. Hillbillies and Russian rocket scientists are amongst the host of personalities that Hemmings and Hollis fervently impersonate amid the odds and ends that litter the set. A keen effort to vocalise the numerous blasts, blares and bangs of aerospace is also admirable. An entertaining and educational piece that celebrates the epic ambition behind the space race. Not a star performance but they certainly shoot for the moon.
