Xhloe and Natasha: Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It | Soho Theatre

It is undeniable that Xhloe and Natasha have secured their place in the Fringe theatre history book. I experienced the brilliance of these performers in Edinburgh last year in the absurdist When the Rodeo Burnt Down, and they keep going from strength to strength. Hot off this year's fringe straight to the Soho Theatre, Bigfoot Ripped my Dog in Half and I Saw It is engaging, fast paced and immensely impressive at its core.

We begin with two teenagers, driving into a stop sign and amongst the panic and the lack of a licence... claim to have been distracted by a nine foot creature. Rumours of a Sasquatch/Bigfoot start to circulate and in the madness of maintaining a lie, the teenagers find themselves with a dead dog and lots of unanswered questions.

Xhloe and Natasha have a wonderful ability to take a random and altogether mad story and make it wholeheartedly their own through their use of physical theatre, music and charisma. It is creativity and expression at its finest. What makes this duo so impressive is the feeling of complete control and ownership over their work and creativity.

With co-direction from Tom Costello, the piece feels fully formed and a perfect length at 65 minutes, it’s concise and engaging, even if some moments of pause last a little too long for the audience to grasp. However, the flow of this show never hinders and their energy is infectious. It’s almost like one entity moving and you cannot help but be drawn in. Natasha Roland’s stage presence and expression is captivating, she can transform between characters with a single beat, but this would go unnoticed without the companionship of Xhloe Rice, who has almost more of a youthful approach but just as vital to the narrative.

The use of lighting from Angelo Sagnelli and music is addictive and so well timed with lyrics to popular hits from Britney and the Vengaboys somehow creeping in perfectly in the physical theatre montages.

In a world where AI is creeping in and original creativity can often feel futile, Xhloe and Natasha keep creating profound, captivating and frankly brilliant theatre. It doesn’t try to be anything it’s not... It's storytelling at its most engaging and I can only hope this duo keeps creating work we can all absorb and enjoy for years to come.

Xhloe and Natasha: Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It plays at the Soho Theatre until Saturday 26th September - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Jennifer Forward-Hayter