Issy Cory
It’s Bill’s big day. He’s poured a punch with lethal levels of alcohol, he’s done crudités and dip, and is playing some killer boogie tunes. All he needs now is his troupe of guests… where on earth could they be?
A group of three puppeteers create the characters in Bill’s world, as well as the birthday man himself. As Bill spirals into a panic about his party being a failure, the world around him begins to change. Balloons become evil beings threatening to trash his bash, and he is confronted with the memory of many lonely birthdays from previous years.
Bill’s 44th is nothing short of genius. Bill is half-puppet, with a faux beer belly and papier-mâché bald head, and half-human, with real arms and legs provided by Dorothy James and Andy Manjuck. It is an insanely clever and rare way of performing puppetry.
Other puppets that adorn the stage are equally artful. Simple yet effective, numerous balloons with marker-pen faces float about the space, filling the room with a spooky presence. The mini version of Bill is adorable, especially with his changing hairstyles, balding as he celebrates each passing birthday.
For a piece that begins as undoubtedly slapstick, we are brought to a much darker place as the story unfolds. We are reminded of how birthdays can be the loneliest of times, often times of self-destruction. Bill’s ‘mini-me’ communicates the tragedy of his present state, after one too many years of birthday-ing alone.
The staging matches incredibly well with Bill’s aesthetic. He is clearly a tidy man, not too adventurous, perhaps a bit set in his ways, and his kitsch birthday decorations complement perfectly. When the walls start warping as Bill completely loses control of the party, the reality of his mid-life crisis is palpably felt.
Although there are terrifying moments, such as the freakishly creepy version of mini Bill who chases him around his house, there are tender ones too. By the end, the whole audience is singing happy birthday to Bill, and as the balloons come down we are caught in our own breathless joy.
Though there is no dialogue in Bill’s 44th, it is a rallying confirmation it is not a necessity to form a deep connection with your audience. Our emotional investment in the story is thus all the more noteworthy.
Recommended Drink: Bill’s Lethal Party Punch.
Performances for Bill’s 44th have now concluded at EdFringe 2024.
Jake Mace
Phoebe Bakker
