[2015022] Frank’s Survival Guide
Makee Makee theatre @ Garden of Unearthly Delights – Studio 7
11:00am, Sun 15 Feb 2015
Occasionally, I come across a show which feels so underdone that I marvel at the fact that it wasn’t cancelled. And whilst I’m perfectly aware of the almost hackneyed standup schtick of having written the show the week before of the Fringe, you don’t really expect the same of a children’s show… especially one that’s charging $20 per (inevitable) adult/parent ticket.
But Frank’s Survival Guide reeked of having been thrown together at the last minute… although I know damn well that it must have had a longer gestation than that.
Frank is a chicken, and his Survival Guide is an allegory about discovering inner bravery and overcoming overwhelming odds, as he tries to save Little Eggie (his son) from the clutches of an escaped lion. There’s a remote control that changes objects in a random manner, some chase sequences to amp up the tension, and…
…look, it’s a show for kids. A coherent story was not evident, but probably not necessary, either.
The show is a mix of hand-puppetry, with Frank appearing on solo performer Hamish Fletcher’s arm, and static cardboard stick puppets, which feature different images on their reverse sides to facilitate some interesting “animation”. These 2D puppets are typically used over the top of a video projection, which attempts to present Frank’s world in 3D… but the models used to create this 3D landscape are crude (at best), with animations and camera movements that border on the amateurish.
Sure, there’s the occasional bit of clever direction – the live puppets following the lighting on the pre-recorded projections is kinda nice – but this performance of Frank’s Survival Guide really, really felt like its first outing. That it took place in a sweltering venue didn’t help, leaving both parents and children (and myself) desperate for other distractions.
(22) Frank's Survival Guide: Scattered animation-driven story for kids that fails to engage in oppressively hot venue. #ff2015 #ADLfringe
— Pete Muller (@festivalfreakAU) February 15, 2015