Lucy Aylmer, Deputy Editor, reviews EUTCO’s Ideation ahead of their Edinburgh Fringe debut

Ideation makes the mundane amusing and the average extraordinary. Set in an office boardroom characterised by clinical corporate speak, four management consultants try to find a suitable disposal method for bodies infected with an unnamed virus. In essence, they attempt to make the seemingly immoral – moral, through languid justifications that set the tone for this hysterical thriller.

Whiteboards, pens and brainstorming ensues. Moral parameters are ostensibly drawn with the team agreeing not to mention the ‘N’ word, but their corporate code of conduct is frequently broken. The ideas become progressively degenerate and mirrors the team’s descent into corporate madness. 

EUTCO’s performance carefully constructs a believable reality in and amongst the hypothetical

After firing the young and plucky assistant for failing to make coffee it is clear that the team suffer from myopia. This surfaces when Brock kindly corrects Ted for his mistaken use of the plural crematorium rather than crematoria. Pernickety comments such as these are a distraction from the overall end game and highlight the idiosyncrasy’s that arise from monotonous office work.

Littered with corporate jargon, a dose of misogyny and ‘get over it’ style jokes – EUTCO’s Ideation accurately distils the corporate descent into madness – each character at a time. Sandeep is the first to crumble. Suffering from some kind of existential crisis he encourages Hannah, who he is having an affair with to run away with him and abandon all responsibility. She is tempted but resits. Next follows Ted and Brock who experience severe paranoia as they come to believe that this task is a test and that their behaviour is being assessed. Following this ‘logic’ the three colleagues start to frantically search the board room for signs of surveillance as Olivia Rodrigio’s good 4 u plays as backdrop to this comical scene. 

EUTCOs performance carefully constructs a believable reality in and amongst the hypothetical. By challenging the ordinary tropes of office life, Ideation finds humour in darkness and makes a relatable parody out of white-collar work.  

EUTCOs Ideation will be performing at Edinburgh Fringe 2022. Follow @eutco_ on Instagram to track their journey this summer.