Review of ‘Police Cops In Space’: “Still scores, but brings no music to our ears”

The most arresting show in town returns to the stage in a new form – bringing the second installment of its bullet-in story, with every intention of putting audiences on the edge… of the galaxy. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, let us know if its SWAT humour deserves to be gunned for.

In an universe where crime continues to rise at astronomical rate, someone is destined to clear the air (no pun intended) from the clutches of dark matters… Just make sure that you read that opening line with the deepest voice you can bring to your mind. Make it sound raspy, rough, penetrating… I’m starting to lose it. Yes, you’ve made the right guess: the campiest, stupidest, what-the-f*ck’est crew of policemen is back. But this time, subjects have got a little bit more… stratospheric.

Welcome to PoliceCops In Space, the most obvious, promise-fulfilling title ever since The Simpsons coined Bin Landen In Blender. If you’re in the mood for an hour of face-palming humour and absurd plot twists that, surprisingly, end up being completely logical, look no further: this is your show. A sequel to the foolishly outrageous musical parody, the piece takes us on a ride into the future and across the galaxy, as the last Police Cop left embarks on a new adventure that will determine the fate of the entire cosmos.

A suitable addition to their initial love letter to the 80s spirit, the montage accomplishes enough independence to function as more than a mere postscript. However, it’s still a few scribbles and cross-outs away from delivering the same thrills its elder sibling was able to trigger so effortlessly. Though highly enjoyable from start to finish, the play seems to be in a state of development that’s yet to be completed – flaunting absolute potential to match (and perhaps, surpass) its original counterpart, but missing some of the key elements that made its precursor succeed in the first place.

Downscaling its cast to the company’s founding members, the production stars Zachary Hunt, Nathan Parkinson and Tom Roe in a multi-role performance – poking fun at the troupe’s reduced size (please, don’t make it sound dirty…), evenly solved through a long list of comedic stunts that work as cleverly as they look ridiculous (in the very best way!). Nonetheless, though this doesn’t pose as a big deterrent to the effectiveness of its storytelling, one can’t help but feel a sense of absence throughout the rendition – getting the impression, as it evolves, that such issue would totally fade away should a fourth actor be welcomed aboard the spaceship.

On the other hand, despite both writing and interpretation being extremely entertaining, there’s a lost component that’s profoundly missed, and whose disappearance is almost impossible to understand: why isn’t it a musical? Even though the plot moves along at a good pace through dialogue, slapstick and tantalising softcore excerpts (my brain can’t still let go of such… cheeky jokes), there’s too many moments that crave for a song to start – and while the homages to the soundtrack of that era are anyhow there, the ghost of a custom-made score keeps popping as that neglected aspect that, inevitably, leaves a void throughout the show’s progress.

In any case, none of these flaws should prevent viewers from serving their time (though sadly, not behind bars) next to what still one of the funniest, beguiling and, all in all, feel-good shows the London scene has been sentenced to in the last few months. Packed with hilarious gags, imaginative sketches and a story as gripping as it’s logic-breaking, the piece is on the right path to becoming a great asset to its force, as it perpetuates its antecessor’s mission to defy the laws of common sense. It may have not earned its golden badge as of now, but it’s nonetheless a solid recruit.

Police Cops In Space concluded its London run last week. Further dates and venues will be announced in due course on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara