Michael Cox reviews a production that ‘manages to enrapture the audience in a collective sense of wonder and delight.’
Who the hell are the Blue Man Group?
The current tour, Blue Man Group—Bluevolution World Tour—is an eccentric production that defies a coherent explanation. Those who pay attention to American pop culture may have seen these blue-faced performers in film and TV since the 1990s, but what exactly is ‘it’ in terms of an experience? It can fall into practically every category a touring show can: comedy, exhibition, music, clowning and performance art, for starters. It also has a whiff of the ‘be-ins’ from the 1960s with a counterculture aura.
What it really is, at its heart, is an explosion of creativity. Three individuals are on stage and perform multiple feats that are entertaining and impressive. These ‘blue men’ are covered in a blue substance and move in an alien, childlike way.
And the 90-minute show is an utter blast from its impressive start to the crowd-rousing finale. Assisted by ‘The Rockstar’, a drummer who more than keeps up with the blue men’s own beats, and a technical team who help with video and clean-up, the performance amazes, delights and entertains.
It would be disingenuous to go through each act—what happens on stage should not be expected but discovered. There isn’t a dull moment, and each performative beat seems more ambitious than the previous.
The term ‘original’ gets knocked around with too much frequency, yet it is rare when one encounters something that truly is unique. Blue Man Group is one such experience. In these taxing times filled with hardship and chaos, how brilliant it is to attend a performance that astounds—and manages to enrapture the audience in a collective sense of wonder and delight.
Blue Man Group should be seen, and it should be experienced live. Do not miss it.
Blue Man Group—Bluevolution World Tour is at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh until October 13, 2024.
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