Online Theatre: A Taste of Pater Noster

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of A Taste of Pater Noster.
Pater Noster is a fusion of clown and bouffonnerie, following an eccentric Catholic monk who finds himself in sticky situation after sticky situation in his attempt to remain dutiful, yet God-fearing. With a clear focus on Catholic rituals and customs, Pater Noster explores the murky relationship between individual spirituality and the religious spectacle. Through the playful offering of religious-connoted motifs including idolatry, gluttony, and of course, Catholic-guilt, the piece considers the ways in which faith – a seemingly intimate relationship forged between self and God – is influenced by the often dogmatic practices of the religious collective.

To refer to Pater Noster as artistic would be an understatement; its creativity knows no bounds. I don't use this phrase lightly, but it really is quite unlike anything I've watched before, either live in the theatre or digitally. It's a very abstract piece of theatre, and one that proves to be simultaneously ambitious and intriguing. Praise must be given to playwright and star Francesca Caruso for her inventiveness in relation to this project. To carry out an idea such as this takes a lot of innovation, which is clearly a skill Caruso has plenty of.

The play is intended to be a satire on the Catholic Church, something which is conveyed quite well. Whilst on the outside the play may appear to be no more than slapstick comedy, there is more than meets the eye. There are a number of hidden messages to be found within the performance, examining devotion to one's faith and the ensuing practices.

Paster Nastor would usually last approximately 40 minutes with an audience; however, this particular version of the play without an audience stands at 7 minutes in length. This highlights how much the audience would add to the piece, as it would almost sextuple the play's duration. I do think that Pater Noster would likely play better in front of a crowd, though I appreciate that this is difficult at this current point in time. Hopefully it won't be too long before this is made possible, and Pater Noster can reach its full potential in front of an audience.

Overall, Pater Noster is extraordinarily inventive, and for that alone it should be commended. It's not a production that will appeal to everyone, but its imaginative nature is certainly worthy of praise.

Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer