From the Editor: Tuesday 9th May

Having written recently about the fun in sheer spectacle, I had a similar experience revelling in the daft and absurd with the Harlem Globetrotters. I enjoy playing basketball but had never seen any live before. I knew that HG are a sort of wrestling version of basketball, and I was curious enough to see them at the Brighton Centre. I thought there could be some impressive trick shots amidst the tomfoolery, but was struck by quite how off-the-wall the show was overall.

Where I had assumed there would be a pretend game (but within the realms of being remotely credible) I was pleasantly surprised by the frequency of farcical interludes, including an impromptu YMCA dance off for example.

I also hadn’t realised how young the show skews, which I probably should have looked into more before attending, but I like to be surprised anyway. Although some might baulk at the theatrical interpretation of sport (and some questionable approaches to good sportsmanship), it was a nice sight seeing the amount of children, parents and friends playing basketball together in the break, and there were autographs on offer for the celebrity-minded.

The show was lacking in some regards: I felt that more lighting effects would have created a more vibrant atmosphere and some ideas fell flat. But there were some genuinely funny moments, such as a surreal vignette where a player had climbed up the hoop and wouldn’t get down, and a good sight gag with a helium-filled ball. Ridiculous as the experience was, I don’t regret trying something different and going in totally blind. I’ll probably remember it more vividly than another four-guys-playing-rehashed-rock-music gig anyway.

Joe Fuller
editorial@thelatest.co.uk