one4review | On 12, Aug 2023

Alphabet of Awesome Science sees Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge (get it?) offer a tongue-twisting race from A to Z, a mix of interesting words and science experiments. The stage, covered in letters, suggests an academic adventure. But as the music number about our awesome geeks begins, the song is possibly too wordy for some children in the audience and they are speaking at a rapid pace. A theme that sadly is throughout. The children are told to stay seated and not get involved, shame.

Watching the duo feels like being back in school with your favourite teachers getting over-excited about their specific subjects. The show is undeniably well-rehearsed, a whirlwind of activities like a fire tornado in a spinning bin and shooting rice crispies into the audience are great fun. Sadly the frantic pace at which they burn through information can leave the audience struggling to keep up. They often speak so quickly, I’m not sure anyone is taking anything in. It’s as though your favourite teachers decided to talk at you for an hour and were not sure why you didn’t learn anything.

But this isn’t just a whirlwind of words and experiments. There’s a timer on stage (I’m not sure why there’s a timer, but there is, I used it to see how long was left, sadly.). Each letter of the alphabet gets its dedicated segment, and while some are pure joy, like the windy tube spinning example or the exploration into words that can disgust, others feel rushed. It feels like we can never enjoy a moment before we are rushed into the next letter and the formula of ‘Next letter, unique words that begin with that letter, short science section and repeat’ happens. Moments like the bubble section zoom by, leaving the audience wanting more. The crowd’s yearning is evident when they groan in response to the “next letter” chant, craving more engagement and fun over rapid-fire factoids.

The heart of the show sometimes feels slightly amiss. One section sees our hosts shoot rockets across the stage at each other, if things were slowed down, some children from the audience could get involved as we all cheered along, instead, we watch two adults have fun and then move on to the next letter. While it’s fun to witness smoke rings from a bin shooter, it’s even more enjoyable to participate and experience the science first-hand and one section, where Noel Edge got in the face of Lexi Con felt more awkward than awesome.

There’s a distinct balance that’s needed between the sheer amount of information and the opportunity for audience participation. The wordsmith, with her fountain of alliterative words, and the scientist, with his repertoire of experiments, undoubtedly have the potential to mesmerise. But as the show ends and the (pointless?) countdown reaches zero, there’s a lingering wish for them to slow down and let the magic of language and science sink in, rather than just skimming the surface.

2.5**
Reviewed by Matthew
Underbelly George Square – Udderbelly
14.15 (1hr)
Until 28 Aug (not 14 or 21)