‘What do you see when you look at me?” chant The PappyShow’s ragtag, 13-strong cast of varying races, ages, genders and abilities. Taking the question at face value, performer Bea Holland explains that the eye itself sees nothing; it’s the brain that does the seeing. It’s a neat opening move, and the freewheeling scenes and scenarios that follow dive with some gusto into that very gap: between seeing and looking, perceiving and conceiving; between us and them, and you and me.
The cast introduce themselves with affectionate cliches that are rudimentary stereotypes nonetheless: a singsong Italian accent (Debora Minà), kung fu kicks (Jules Chan), bhangra dancing (Simran Hunjun). Later, when we’re softened up, a fashion parade exaggerates and furthermore mismatches the stereotypes: a black woman in a wheelchair rolls up in Breton sailor drag, complete with boating hat, striped jersey and baguette; an east Asian man sports a Rastacap and dreadlock wig; a white woman with a crutch walks on in a black face mask.
Later still, they apologise for the blatant cultural appropriation – but characteristically, this becomes less a position statement than an opportunity to riff on the gaps between the making, meaning and believing of apologies: they poke fun at each other’s duplicitous expressions of regret (“I’m sorry I portrayed violence to give the show more drama”), and niftily quote from one of the latest offerings from our prime minister.
The evening is full of scenes that cut one way, and undercut another. The cast’s pastel tops form a lovely rainbow when they line up in order of height, but ranked by age or hair-length it’s a mess. Their synchronised-swimming choreography is laughably amateur alongside the machined, identikit precision of the top team on a video projection – but there’s no doubt who looks more human.
Therein lies its charm. The devised format and workshoppy feel do make for a patchy evening, and the cultural diversity theme could have made for a stilted one; but the ambience is very convivial – we’re all in this together, somehow – and no one, on stage or in the audience, is reduced from a person to a position. We are all more than we seem.
• At Shoreditch Town Hall, London, until 6 February.
