There’s a Bluevolution happening in Salford this week. Don’t know what that is? Well, it’s what this experience is all about – discovering the world of art and entertainment as if it’s a world you’ve never seen before.
Blue Man Group is a troupe of talented entertainers who appear exactly as their name suggests – a group of blue men. Or, perhaps the concept might be better described as aliens, because the tight blue masks cover their ears, making them look like our idea of creatures from outer-space.
If not quite as rare in these parts as aliens, their tours are rare. It is 15 years since Blue Man Group was last in the UK – so get tickets now if you can. An alternative is to see them live in Las Vegas where they have a residency at the Luxor Hotel.
Blue Man Group has been going since the early ‘90s and is now part of the Cirque du Soleil group. It’s hard to imagine how ground-breaking some of its multimedia performance must have been 30 years ago. We are now used to seeing much more of that within theatre spaces. But even so, the way in which the act is delivered still has a genuine element of surprise.
The act is hard to describe because it isn’t one thing. It is highly stylised comedy, music, art, animation, circus, clowning and theatre all mixed in what can be best summed up as an event which is both unique and uplifting.
The show opens with an act the group has become famous for – paint drumming. It is as it sounds – paint is poured on the drums while they are being played and splashes up to add a vibrant visual element to the sound. And when we say splash – you will need to borrow the ponchos handed out if you’re sitting in the front rows.
Another favourite is Gumballs and Marshmallows – a circus art trick where one throws a gobstopper filled with paint from across the stage and the other catches it in his mouth before spitting it out to create a swirling painting from it.
The whole show is a series of small sketches that are stylistically woven together to make for a very slick, smooth audience experience that moves at pace.
For this tour, a new female character, the rockstar (a phenomenal drummer) is added to the line-up. This leads to one of the most interactive and fun parts of the evening, where the audience is led to a party atmosphere with the whole auditorium bouncing as the audience do stadium gig moves and cheer as one. The atmosphere is one of play, from discovering new sounds from unique instruments made from PVC pipes to laughing at strange curiosities of nature.
At one point I’m covered in streamers; to my right a woman is in fits of laughter as we disentangle ourselves and further to the left a young child in the aisle is swirling paper ribbons around herself until she looks like an Egyptian mummy. Everyone is doing their own thing while being captivated by this Blue Man Group who defy definition – it is a rare experience that all ages can enjoy.
Blue Man Group is at The Lowry, Salford from 2-6 October 2024 before continuing on tour.