King Chaos reviews.

Reviews from Steve Jordan's King Chaos - Tristan Bates Theatre, August 2015.

★★★★ - 'Bad Bat have established themselves as seriously hot talent in sci-fi comedy and will surely continue to capitalise on that well-earned reputation. In space, no one can hear you scream. In the Tristan Bates, everyone can you hear you laughing. Because you are.' - Views from the Gods.

★★★★ - '... the arguments made for 'pragmatism versus idealism when in power' make a lasting impression, especially as Tyler and Gary are essentially Trinculo and Stefano (from The Tempest) who find they unwittingly actually have the power to change things' - Female Arts

'King Chaos sets a cracking pace right from the start and never lets up. All (the cast) are excellent and clearly having fun – their enjoyment is infectious. Writer, producer and director, Steve Jordan has created a wonderfully silly and comic sci-fi universe that, with all its nods and winks to other works, stands very much on its own two feet.' - Camden Fringe Voyeur

'The small cast of four very contrasting characters are an absolute delight to watch. The entire hour of the play is joke after joke so there is very little pause between laughs... would make a great television show (Blackadder meets Dr Who) with its fun-filled adventures...' - A Younger Theatre

'King Chaos is, without a doubt, the nerdiest piece of theatre I have seen in a long time. And it was hilarious... possibly the best feature of this show is that, under its light-hearted, comical surface, it is a subtle but perceptive commentary on political manipulation and the dangers of extreme power. It is intelligent and uplifting, touching on intense themes whilst maintaining its playful nature.' - London Theatre 1

'The idea of absolute power corrupting absolutely, no matter what side you think you’re on, is neatly conveyed, the political points made clear but never upstaging the fun and spirit of the show... wonderful, clever comedy...' - Remote Goat

'The lovable characters and witty, at times deep, remarks on issues are the charm of the play... King Chaos absolutely succeeds in making the audience imagine the different settings of an imperial spaceship. Bad Bat Productions is playing to their strengths by not forcedly putting on a cheap sci-fi stage but focusing on doing justice to the script instead.' - West End Wilma

Global Mega Incorporated reviews.

'That, as they say, is that. For now. Our new comedy sketch show Global Mega Incorporated was a fantastic success and a huge amount of fun. Thank you so much to everyone who came to our show last week at the Etcetera Theatre - a sell out run!

Congratulations to our hard working cast - Cliff Chapman(Jeremiah), Emma Stirling (Percy), Adam Joselyn (Edwin), Ellen Gallagher (Hyacinth) and Steve Jordan (Thomas). The show was directed and written by Steve Jordan, with sketch contributions by cast members Ellen Gallagher and Adam Joselyn, plus Graeme Hurry, writer and editor of KZINE. Thank you to our technician and operator Tom Bexon, and to all the staff at the Etcetera Theatre - still the best place in London to debut new comedy.

Reviews from our three night debut at the Etcetera Theatre, April 2015.

★★★★ - 'Jordan's writing is carefully thought out, with the characters growing on you the more you spend time with them, so he does indeed manage to tick the truly funny box... The cast and creatives behind Global Mega Inc are perhaps better known on the fringe circuit for humorous sci-fi plays rather than sketch comedy, but this does seem like a natural sidestep, and one which they make with confidence and high-energy. You can tell they're all having a lot of a fun together in this show, and it seeps out into the performance. Whether you've been the wage slave at the bottom of the corporate pyramid or the evil manager at the top, Global Mega Inc is a relatable parody of big business which promises a good time.' - Shona Barker, Views from the Gods.

★★★★ '... absurdist humour that would have done the Monty Python team proud... not only was it funny, it was thought-provoking, while still putting across different points of view... on the strength of their latest material, Bad Bat have acquired a new found confidence and ‘maturity’ (if that’s the right word to use for comedy!) in their work as they broaden their material and write not only gags, but have something to say about today’s world.' - Michael David, Female Arts.

Bad Bat will now look ahead to this year's Camden Fringe festival in August when we'll be debuting a brand new comedy play by Steve Jordan at the Tristan Bates Theatre. More details soon!' - taken from badbat.co.uk

The Probleming Reviews

★★★★ '...the quality of Jordan's writing has always been in his characterisation, ensuring each is given just as a particularly well-crafted arc as the plot. Here, the trio are unravelled in just three, well-considered and tightly-crafted scenes that do justice to the whole piece... Just round the corner, you could plonk your cash down for (Jeremy Dyson's) Ghost Stories. Yet if the audience on my evening is anything to go by, you could save a good £30 a ticket. The laughs come thick and fast, in all different varieties. Whether you love the cheesey, slightly nerdy references Jordan seems to revel in or the swears intelligently placed like landmines across the place, this has 'em all... Jordan cares for his characters, well-evidenced throughout, and juggling a trio well. Scripts are, frankly, impeccable... it's this continued attention to detail that makes Jordan's writing such a great investment at any level.' - Views From the Gods.

'Steve Jordan's best play yet. A diverting blend of comedy and horror, with a nice line in really foul-mouthed profanity.' - Andrew Cartmel, novelist and screenwriter.

'The chemistry between Gallagher and Stirling is rather like French and Saunders in the days of old or if you prefer a sitcom example, like Baldrick and Blackadder... Joselyn is note perfect as the socially-awkward Dave, whose cheerful demeanour is offset by his strange behaviour. The best thing about The Probleming though is the characterisation of all three parts. None feel underdeveloped and all have their moments to shine. Some of the biggest surprises come from unexpected moments of pathos that creep up on you between the laughs.' - Female Arts

'Atmospheric... Adam Joselyn as Dave is spot on with a combination of social awkwardness and ambiguity and comes with a childlike enthusiasm about his passion. Emma Stirling as Cynthia is sarcastic and cynical and her superiority complex shows through. And the cheerful and naive Nicole, played by Ellen Gallagher is positively infectious.' - The Public Reviews

Reviews for PILGRIM SHADOW

Reviews from PILGRIM SHADOW's week long run at the Tristan Bates Theatre, opening the Camden Fringe Festival 2013 at the theatre.

★★★★ - '... braver and bolder than the first... a distillation of what made the first very good indeed... Jordan carries on this seething, bubbling resentment and pathetic longing masterfully... (the cast) once again carry the comedy and characterisation off flawlessly... It's a classic contrast and one that the pair, all bluster and wide eyes respectively, work beautifully. As ever, if on TV ... their pairing I suspect would be seen as one of the greats.' - Views from the Gods. Full review here.

★★★★ - 'A hilarious, unusual Sci-Fi excursion. With Pilgrim Shadow, ManMoth Production brings some exciting and hilarious science fiction to the theatre... set in a space ship sometime in the distant future brilliantly presents this genre on stage... the snappy interactions between Chapman and Joselyn bring a great atmosphere to the play... a parody of a futuristic sci-fi blockbuster crammed into a 60 minute stage play and somehow this is achieved with rather a lot of brilliance!' - Remote Goat. Full review here.

'Cliff Chapman as Tyler and Adam Joselyn as Gary really embrace their roles – Tyler is all exaggerated patience and tragicomic dignity like Harold Steptoe... Gary bounces up and down with excitement like an ADHD rabbit... Here’s hoping there are more episodes coming our way ... these mini-sitcoms could be as good as anything on BBC3!' - Camden Fringe Voyeur.

'Science fiction comedies on the stage are a rarity, but Steve Jordan has written two of them - madcap B-movie low budget two-handers - and his new show Pilgrim Shadow is slicker and funnier than the last one.' - Andrew Cartmel, novelist and former Doctor Who script editor.

'Had an excellent time... The acting was again top notch making the unlikely characters fully believable. The story worked well in convincing the audience they were watching a legendary rust bucket spaceship... It is a mark of a good play when it is only when it finishes you realise your chair has been pretty uncomfortable!' - Graeme Hurry, editor of KZINE and formerly Kimota.

'Pilgrim Shadow ... is ace. Fanboy humour and Bennett pathos as two outlaws try to get mitts on space booty.' - Dan Green, author of the bestselling Basher Science series.

'Like Black Books meets Bottom… laugh-out-loud funny... some strikingly clever moments.' - Annexe Magazine.

'Steve Jordan's new play combines elements of two of the best sitcoms of the last century – Blackadder and Red Dwarf... funny and has a good storyline... laughs throughout ... good fun, entertaining, has some suspense, and will make it impossible for anyone who sees it to describe Brokeback Mountain in a game of charades in any way other than how they do it here. ' - One Stop Arts.

'... brings together warp speed and witty one-liners in ways that are, well, out of this world... a little bit silly and a little bit ridiculous, but it is supposed to be. The far fetched plot and futuristic feel are elements that risk over-complication or a confusing plot, but this isn’t the case for Pilgrim Shadow which brings itself constantly back down to earth with a few laughs and a lot of fun along the way.' - A Younger Theatre.

'Director and playwright Steve Jordan explores... age-old hurdles with a fresh levity, using the distant future to humorously commandeer clever quips of a current and contemporary calibre... The acting was to a high standard with a high degree of character development... The child within you will enjoy this as much as the adult.' - Performance Reviewed.