BWW Reviews: BLACK WATCH at the Paramount is a Visceral Experience Not To Be Missed

More often than not when you go to see a play you do just that, see it. You attend, enjoy, let it wash over you, but still manage to stay safely detached from any unsettling things that happen during the narrative. But sometimes a play comes along that goes beyond a simple storytelling and takes its audience by the hand and propels them into the story almost allowing them to become a part of it. Sounds pretty cool right? Now imagine that story is the most vicious elements of war. And that will give you an indication of what the current show at the Paramount, "Black Watch" has to offer, a gut wrenchingly intense experience that goes beyond simple theater and leaves its audience shaken in more ways than one.

Presented by The National Theatre of Scotland the story is culled from author Gregory Burke's interviews with actual soldiers of the legendary Scottish regiment Black Watch after returning from fighting in Iraq. But the show goes far beyond any simple indictment of war or political maneuvering as it's presented practically in the laps of the audience. The Paramount has been completely reconfigured so the now 400 seat audience is on stage with the actors and experiences the atrocities of war along with them. With blinding lighting and projection effects and a seat shaking sound design the high energy, in your face action of the play happens mere feet or even inches from the crowd. And when combined with intense movement and music elements this action becomes all the more realistic and affecting.

Brilliantly directed by John Tiffany, the ten men of the cast have got to be some of the hardest working performers I've seen. Throwing their emotions and bodies into the fray of this show I'm surprised they're able to survive each performance (although I know I saw some blood on one of the performers and I don't think it was stage blood). Cameron Barnes, Benjamin Davies, Scott Fletcher, Andrew Fraser, Robert Jack, Stuart Martin, Stephen McCole, Daniel Portman, Richard Rankin and Gavin Jon Wright take their characters and performances to a place of such honest and brutal intensity that you cannot help but become engrossed in the story. From the top of the show with Martin's quiet and thoughtful introduction through to Davies soul shaking and frightening breakdown and beyond the show never once let's go of the choke hold it has on you.

Now if you think I'm making this show out to be quite dangerous, I am. No not physically dangerous (otherwise how would anyone tell others how good it is) but it is possibly one of the most intense theatrical experiences I've had. And it's not for the weak of heart. There are explosions, strobes, loud music, crass and profane language (more f bombs than you can shake a stick at) and one final horrific tableau that I think will haunt me for quite some time. But if you can handle it, and you should really steel yourself and make the attempt, you can come away from this with an experience of a lifetime. I'm actually a little disappointed in Seattle that the show was as sparsely attended as it was. I guess all I can really say is, Seattle get off your fannies and get your tickets to this one now! You seriously should not let this one pass you by.

"Black Watch" performs at the Paramount Theatre through May 5^th. For tickets or information visit the Seattle Theatre Group online at www.stgpresents.org.

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