Wondermart is interactive theatre, an audio MP3 tour to take alone while walking through a conventional supermarket. An MP3 player is collected at the box office at any time during the five-hour period. Both supermarkets are less than 10 minute's walk away.

A woman's voice (Silvia Mercuriali) gives instructions as to what to do in the shop, wandering about with a trolley, as if doing the weekly shopping with headphones on. No purchase necessary, though it is tempting to pick up a few necessaries. A common theme is to look beyond the products on the shelves and experience them as real food or items - or what is behind them, rather than just brands. While looking for the milk section, a background track gives instructions on how to milk a cow. In the frozen food section, there's the sound of someone walking through the snow and encouragement to touch the back of the fridge to experience how cold it is.

There is little interaction with humans apart from an early instruction to follow a fellow shopper and see what they are buying - it feels uncomfortably close to stalking. Of course it's difficult for a recorded voice to guide observing other people - they'll be different every time. There is interesting background information about how products are placed in a supermarket and why. It makes the tour quite educational, though it's sprinkled conservatively among the 30 minutes. Wondermart is a fresh look at supermarkets, and a useful deconstruction of a routine activity - it deserves a slightly longer period than half an hour.

Cast Credits: Voice - Silvia Mercuriali

Company Credits: Writer - Silvia Mercuriali & Matt Rudkin. Director - Silvia Mercuriali & Matt Rudkin. Original Music - Tommaso Perego. Lighting Designer - (not applicable). Sound Designer - Silvia Mercuriali. Technical Operator - (not applicable). Producer - ArtsAgenda. Company - Rotozaza. Website - www.rotozaza.co.uk. Notes (source www.rotozaza.co.uk at 19 Sept 09): 'From an initial idea developed with Ant Hampton, with support from the Foundry Theatre, NYC; Subsequent R&D supported by Arts Council England. Commissioned by BAC'

END

(c) Colman Higgins 2009

reviewed September 2009 / Tesco, Jervis Street, Dublin, Ireland

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com