VIDEO: Weight watchers invited to 'Just Lose It' at the theatre

Friday 24 November 2017

It's the Bin-the-Belly Weight Loss Corporation's annual party tomorrow, and you're invited... sort of.

It's the brainchild of Jersey-born Henry Lambert and his theatre troupe Bric à Brac.

Express went to find out more about the international performing group, and how their new piece will get every audience member involved with a special role.

So what is 'Bric-à-brac'? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is a “miscellaneous collection of small articles commonly of ornamental or sentimental value.” But for a group of 11 creative minds who met at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, it is what describes best the mix of personalities and background between them.

Video: A hint of what to expect from 'Just Lose It'...

Set up in 2015, Bric à Brac Theatre is, “…a group of very different people who somehow got together to create something,” according to Cristina. The troupe, formed of artists from the UK, the US, Norway and even Jersey (Henry Lambert), first got together during their second year at the theatre school. They enjoyed working together so much that they became friends and decided to work on their own show “to have something to do once we had finished school," Alex explains.

While 'Ash' was based on the true story of the company’s director’s father and his relationship with smoking, the ensemble took a completely different direction with their second show. 'Just Lose It!' is an immersive show about the weight loss industry where the public is invited to take part in the fictional ‘Bin-the-Belly weight loss corporation’ annual party.

Cristina explained: “Each spectator is given a part and they are treated as that character during the whole performance. It gives them the opportunity to actively change the play. We as actors don’t know how it will end, there is lots of different endings!” Lisa adds: “There is a lot of drama, it’s kind of a heightened reality. It is all a bit extreme which is what the industry is about. You will have a good time and you will leave reflecting around a lot of questions. Underneath it all, there is a message.”

Pictured: “Each spectator is given a part and they are treated as that character during the whole performance" in the play. (Sebastiano Kinder)

Thanks to ArtHouse Jersey, the company will spent a whole week in Jersey to further develop and research their creation, ahead of what will be the first performance “of the first draft of the finished show,” as Cristina explained. More importantly, this will mark the first time Henry Lambert gets to perform with his company on home ground.

He said: “As a venture that started in Paris with a group of theatre-makers from all over the world, it's a really special moment for me to be able to welcome the company to the place I call home. Culturally Jersey has so much to offer and it's an amazing opportunity to be able to contribute in some way to this flourishing scene. On a more personal level, it is wonderful to be able to bring home my work to the island and return to my roots a little bit. I can't wait to share the island with the rest of the company, none of whom have ever been here before!"

The performance will take place at 20:15 tomorrow.

Catch international theatre company @_BricaBrac_ @JerOperaHouse this Sat 25 Nov, 20:15 as they perform their show #JustLoseIt - an immersive experience about the crazy world of weight loss. For tickets visit: https://t.co/b9nVAThOy8 pic.twitter.com/Eab8Ij1ba1

— Visit Jersey (@VisitJerseyCI) November 20, 2017

Bric à Brac is formed by Hamish Adams-Cairns, Lisa Maria Berg, Roxanne Browne, Alice Devlin, Alex Hinson, Cristina Henne Holmbek, Harry Kearton, Henry Lambert and Claire Parry under the direction of Anna Marshall and designed by Natalie Jackson.