Written by Chris Leask and Harry Kershaw, directed by Sam Baron, produced by Nathan Craig and Gareth Tempest, and Henry Shields as executive producer, Office Royale sees a seemingly normal office turn into a battleground of chaos and a race to climb the corporate ladder. WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!
I’ve been following Mischief Theatre and their various endeavours closely for about 6 months and have been eagerly anticipating the mainstream release of this since I found out about its existence. High concept self-made short films have been a massive drive for my love of Film and to have members of my favourites in Theatre make their own is a perfect personal crossover.
The premise is disconcertingly dark. Oftentimes, I find that comedic pieces with dark themes become very bleak and the humour is overshadowed. But, Office Royale‘s Crowdfunder reassurance of making something “fun [and] silly”, absolutely delivered. It should come as no surprise that Leask and Kershaw, with the comedy acumen they both have, manage to strike a perfect balance between absurd surrealist comedy and dark themes.
The messy single-camera handheld mockumentary shooting style echoed the likes of The Office (from either side of the pond) and was also reminiscent of other workplace sitcoms such as Brooklyn 99. It’s a fantastic style choice and having that pastiche of other workplace comedies’ filming style helps set the comedic tone really well. The camera switching focus from time to time also added to the comedy.
With about 13 minutes to play with, Office Royale absolutely does not wait around and launches straight into the premise and action immediately, maintaining a swift pace throughout. Despite the complete non-stop chaos, it functions so well on many levels allowing for some very heartfelt character development and even a hint of romance.
The strong, relatively recognisable cast delivers outstanding performances across the board. Notably, Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Stan the Intern gives a brief but hilarious performance, Amit Shah as Colin the IT Guy, who comes into the story as quickly as he is taken out, makes a funny and memorable impact, and Harry Kershaw is completely in his element as Peter, a man on the edge of the most spectacular breakdown. However, Chris Leask as Greg the Area Manager is utterly incredible and gives an absolute masterclass in acting. In what he does and doesn’t say, he drives the story forward and gives both comedy and heart to this story.
Beneath the surface of the silly absurdity, there is a compelling sharp satirical commentary about the corporate world and power in the workplace. In spite that their boss is dead, they persist in the absurdity without much question. The focal point of the corporate strategy of the Peace Lily and its various areas that one must succeed in and its acronyms is truly the epitome of corporate bollocks. Be The Leaves (BTL) with ‘ The Kershaw Konga’ (written and performed by the indomitable Max Runham) is such a perfect illustration of the absurdity of corporate team building, events, and encouraging employees to “drink in the light of life” despite how soulless the corporate world is. Greg’s unending buzzwords and phrases of “thought shower” and “team” and “no idea is a bad idea” continue throughout until we reach the emotional and romantic crescendo in which he is finally honest and open with Yasmin. Having the opposites of ‘corporate greed’ and ‘romance’ fight against eachother in the final minutes is brilliant.
The Crowdfunder page as well as the Directors Notes interview with Sam Baron suggests that this could become a longer length project which would be absolutely incredible to see! I think this short film makes for a very neat proof of concept which has a lot of passion behind it, but it would be amazing to see this on a larger scale as a TV series!
Overall, Office Royale makes for an incredibly ambitious piece that delivers so much in its relatively short run time. Despite the many themes and elements running throughout, it does not feel overwhelming at all but still maintains a tone of chaos. I absolutely love absurd surrealist comedy and this does it so well. Leask and Kershaw have got something special here and I hope it goes far.
Office Royale is now available on the Directors Notes YouTube channel here
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