Post Show

In the context of Arches Live, Post Show is the great comedy. Using the format of the after-show discussion, it ranges writer Rob Drummond, director David Overend, a host and two "actors" against an audience invited to ask questions about a play that doesn't exist. A mixture of improvised and scripted humour, it pokes at the mythology of both author and director, toys with stereotypes and mocks the excessive seriousness of performance art.

The audience, which consists mostly of practitioners and cognoscenti, lapped up the jokes about Drummond's unworldliness and Overend's tyranny: both come across as obsessive, rejecting common humanity for abstract visions of truth and creativity. The oppression of female actors and the sharp contrast between the imaginary play's political idealism and the savage working process of theatre are highlighted, and the audience gamely throw hilarious questions at the foursome, who respond with lightning wit.

Gradually, the bonhomie of the cast breaks down into point-scoring and physical violence. The host of the event storms off, leaving the cast and crew to battle for dominance. In the mayhem, Drummond makes a few clarifying comments about the importance of compassion while Overend is beaten, exposed as a thug and chauvinist.

At only forty minutes, there is plenty of potential for development. Although pitched well at a hip, cerebral Arches' crowd, there is space for a little more thought on how theatre interacts with broader society, which only emerges in Drummond's putative failure as husband and father.

Equally, there is a strange attitude towards criticism in the work. The constant references to "five star" reviews, and the snide aside "if it is in the Scotsman, it must be true" reduce the role of the critic to a mere cheerleader.

That academic criticism is not subjected to the same sardonic humour is telling – there is plenty of jargon there that Post Show could enjoy, but it is given a free pass, possibly because it feeds erudite performance more generously than the rough-house of public debate. Perhaps by adding a critic to the cast, they could move from four to five finale fighting performers and stars. Nevertheless, in the final stages both script and improvisation bring out deeper currents beneath the laughter, and often hit the mark.