I have to admit, walking into the studio of the Rag Factory decked out like a bloke’s bedroom did take me back. The difference being there were 12 audience members at the back of the room, staring at me. And there weren’t as many spoons…
The room belongs to Danny, a young professional living in a generic London suburb with a phobia of spoons. Danny has arranged (or been forced into) 24 hours, no consequences with long lost friend and sociopath, Amanda, and a Blue Jay that she rescued from a testing lab.
The 24 hours starts, as all chaos usually starts, with a few drinks. Amanda’s manic personality provides comic relief to Danny’s laid back approach to the situation that seems totally out of his comfort zone. As the minutes tick by, the suggestions of what they can do in 24 hours with no consequences get stranger and stranger, only interrupted by the odd telephone call, which they can’t answer because the outcome of the phone call might impact upon the final consequence.
Overlaying the action in video form is a subplot that reveals details of the past and the relationship Danny and Amanda used to share, along with their involvement with Danny’s friend, Greg and Amanda’s friend, Pixie.
Newton got it right with his third law: every action has a reaction, and this funny, yet surreal play looks at the impact of friendships, relationships and consequence. If you like spoon jokes, you’ll love this.
Clocking Out is a new comedy from Siân Docksey, writer and comedian who has previously made work for BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4 Shorts.
