Binge Fringe Magazine

REVIEW: Blasé, Officine Gorilla / Teatro della Juta, Prague Fringe 2025 ★★★★☆

A man addicted to online shopping, and desperately angry about the world that has fed that addiction, takes an e-commerce warehouse hostage. From a kaleidoscopic view inside the lives of the warehouse workers, Blasé ambitiously aims at taking a comical, potent swipe at the commodification of every aspect of our humanity.

Blasé opens with Chekhov’s Gun fully out on display – and we watch as solo actor Michele Puleio embodies a disarming anti-hero for the show’s first act. He tries to explain his motives to us – not to get us on board with the mission – but to make it clear that he is an otherwise sane man disenfranchised and disillusioned with society’s inability to satiate his needs and wants. The character development of our nameless anti-hero is a highlight of the piece, saturated in prescience in a world of alleged CEO murders and copycat acts of violent resistance.

As we follow him into the warehouse, he elaborates the immense effort he’s undertaken – fraudulently obtaining a job, delving into the packaging and distribution systems to sneak in a weapon, and fighting against the algorithms that dictate whether or not you’ll be able to find a toilet in your two minute break. ‘Big E-Commerce’ is our anti-hero’s first enemy, but not the only, as Puleio then leaps into the bodies of all the different characters you’d find working in this warehouse we find a candid mix of intentions, stories, and prospective futures on the other side of this situation.

Puleio is a commanding and thrilling performer who is able to keep us thoroughly enthralled through the many twists and turns. He switches physicalities between the characters with such disarming skill, and it’s consistently exciting to see what contortions of his body and face he’ll do to craft the next unfortunate person to find themselves at the other end of our anti-hero’s gun. Particularly potent is his depiction of a depraved, money-hungry executive who promises to make our anti-hero the next big star.

All of this is wrapped in a stunning soundscape and lighting design that illuminates the dizzying warehouse lights, the shadow of a man undertaking a revolutionary act, the world outside that may or may not be awaiting our characters. A soundboard piloted by writer-director Luca Zilovich provides live sound effects that cornice every turn with a gut-punch.

Zilovich’s script is whip-smart and focused. He accurately portrays and explains the precarity that workers in these warehouses experience alongside the power structures, and powerful nasty people behind it all, that suppress them. All the while, the focus is on the humanity on display and how it is commodified, packaged, and plainly exploited by this system. It is clear a great deal of care and skill has gone into creating each character’s journey, and how they inform our anti-hero’s mindset all the way through to the bitter end.

This is an English translation of an Italian piece and the current script comes with moments of clunky-ness and verbosity that could be re-worked to help set the tone a little more clearly at points. I wasn’t massively convinced by Blasé‘s ending – it could have been more devastating, more stark if the piece had ended ten minutes earlier.

Devilishly clever, breakneck storytelling meets character comedy and an immersive sound & light-scape in this whiplash-inducing hour.

Recommended Drink: Head onto Amazon and order yourself a make-your-own cocktail kit. You need it. Right?

You can catch Blasé‘ at Prague Fringe one more time tonight, 29th May at 20:45 (60mins) at Museum of Alchemists – Divadlo. Tickets are available through the Prague Fringe Online Box Office.

Jake Mace

Our Lead Editor. Jake has worked as a grassroots journalist, performer, and theatre producer since 2017. They aim to elevate unheard voices and platform marginalised stories. They have worked across the UK, Czechia, France and Australia. Especially interested in New Writing, Queer Work, Futurism, AI & Automation, Comedy, and Politics.

Festivals: EdFringe (2018-2025), Brighton Fringe (2019), Paris Fringe (2020), VAULT Festival (2023), Prague Fringe (2023-25), Dundee Fringe (2023-24), Catania OFF Fringe (2024), Adelaide Fringe (2025)
Pronouns: They/Them
Contact: jake@bingefringe.com