Strassman: Duality

Viewed by many as a little more than cheap trickery, a cultural lowest common denominator, the positioning of a ventriloquism act in the theatre listings was always going to cause a stir. But the relationship between man and puppet makes for superb theatre.

Ostensibly a "conversation" between Strassman and his puppet, the play opens with a virtuosic set piece on the ambiguities of who—the puppet or the man—is thinking, saying, and doing. It's a conversation which, with its fast, circular and frequently infuriating exchanges about identity and autonomy, could easily descend into cod-philosophical debate. Indeed, Strassman seems to drive the script as close to collapse as he can. But it's at these moments where he bends the traditions of ventriloquism to theatrical ends – a well-worn smutty line from the puppet, or a stuck mechanism. Rather than hiding from ventriloquism's end-of-the-pier past, what Strassman seems to be claiming is that its techniques are little different to those which prevent 'real' theatre from sliding into dull philosophical ruminations. 

But the setup does more than ask questions about the conventions of theatre. The second voice—sometimes supportive, sometimes contradictory, sometimes cruelly manipulative—serves as a fascinating catalyst for everything from political debate, to explorations of racism. Hilariously, the puppet asks its creator why he isn't black. Under the circumstances, it's a strangely valid question. Certainly, one can't help but feel that Strassman sometimes tries to do to much, but with such a pacey script and—let's be honest—the impressive spectacle of his unique craft, he pulls it off with aplomb.