one4review | On 18, Aug 2025

The Box Show is a punchy, family-friendly percussion adventure where four colour-coded misfits coax music from whatever the scrapyard (and a giant, blinking recycling machine) spits out. Red swaggers with a “jacket of power”; Blue thinks things through; Green keeps it cool; and Yellow pops out of an actual box, hungry and unstoppable. With almost no spoken language, the troupe builds a story through clowning and rhythm: boxes become seats and scooters; plastic bags turn into instruments; painted bottles shake like a rainbow maraca line. A chef’s hat drops and, whoosh, we’re in a kitchen, drumming on pots, pans and a hefty barrel. Later, water bowls thrum, sand hisses under dancing feet, and a smooth, steel drum adds a mellow glow. Fresh from international touring, the concept is simple: transform everyday stuff into tight, inventive beats.

As an experience, it’s pure, infectious momentum. The performers’ timing is laser-sharp, so body slaps, claps, clicks and stamps snap into place and ripple through the room. The lighting splashes neon across towers of boxes; the set keeps unfolding to reveal new tricks; and the sound swings from thunderous bin-bashing to a tranquil “rain” sequence that hushes the crowd. Audience participation is woven with care; at one point, Red turns the entire theatre into a drumline, and later a volunteer conducts a playful plastic-bag routine. Because the show speaks in rhythm rather than words, younger children lock in easily, while older kids (and adults who remember Stomp) relish the craft on display. Live, it’s impressive and joyous.

Where the show really shines is in its precision, crowd rapport and eco-tinged playfulness about reduce, reuse and recycle. The ingenuity is undeniable, the pace buoyant, and the finale, giant bins thundering in unison, lands with grin-wide satisfaction. For families, school groups, or rhythm lovers of any age, “The Box Show” is a bright, beat-driven hour that sends you out hearing everyday objects differently.

*****

Reviewed by Matthew

Assembly – Gordon Aikman Theatre

13.50 (1hr)

Until 24 Aug