Sadly, I'm going to remove the ability to add comments to reviews. This is a response to the arseholes who have started spamming assorted threads with links to their on-line poker junk.
Oh well. Once again, the foolish acts of a few ruin things for everyone.
Ivan Rebroff @ Festival Theatre
8:00pm, Mon 15 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Big singy guy sung a bit, and had a chat...
After a gorgeous instrumental opening by four supporting musicians (on the balalaika, "bass" balalaika, "pregnant" balalaika, and some 12 zillion button accordian type of thing), Ivan Rebroff strides onstage wrapped in a bear. Well, a hell of a lot of fur, anyway. The huge fur overcoat was dispensed with almost immediately, but a den of foxes stayed atop Rebroff's head for the duration of the performance, whether he was roaming the stage or sitting imperiously in his throne.
With overcoat doffed, Rebroff reminded me of the Jolly Green Giant as he repeatedly sang a song & chatted amiably (in decent English) with the audience. The last song before the interval was a unique version of Waltzing Matilda (all the emphasis on the wrong words), then a costume change saw the musicians lead into the second act with a trio of delicate snippets from Nutcracker. Another series of songs/chats, and the performance was over - leaving the audience happy, but quizically looking at their watches.
Throughout, Rebroff constantly sipped (occasionally gulped) wine; and his vocal performance was not really what I was expecting. I reckon only the bottom half of his four-and-a-half octave range got a decent workout, with the closing songs expanding a bit, but losing out in terms of volume. Still, it was an entertaining enough show - and judging by the ticket prices & two capacity crowds, a tidy money-earner for the Festival.
Tokyo Shock Boys @ Thebarton Theatre
5:00pm, Sun 14 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Underwhelming... except for the CO2
Apparently, it's been 10 years since the Tokyo Shock Boys first came to the Fringe. I've never seen them before, so I took advantage of a nice matinee to check them out.
First off - I get pissed off with shows where the performers repeatedly run around greeting the audience. That screams "lack of material" to me. However, once the Boys actually kicked into stunt mode, the laughs came pretty thick and fast. Clips being yanked off, hands being superglued, milk being sucked through the nose and squirted out through the eyes, scrotal weight-lifting, freezing hands and faces with dry ice, and more carbon dioxide stunts than you could poke a stick at - it was all good, but not what I would consider shocking - or maybe I'm just getting a little blasé about all these freakshow acts. The lack of shock-factor made the show a little underwhelming to me :}
But, to be honest, I'm a bit disturbed by the number of parents who thought it'd be a good idea to take their kids along to a show like this... I mean, does a child under 10 years of age need to see a man's scrotum in a tug-of-war with a motorbike? Still, as a self-contained show, it offers some nice thrills - but given that you could see two Umbrella Revolution shows for less than the cost of this, you'd have to weigh up your options carefully.
Circus Monoxide @ The Garden of Unearthly Delights
2:00pm, Sun 14 Mar 2004
Score: 3
Short Review: Why bother?
Apart from a low-brow high-wire act, some creative juggling moves, and a bus with some inventive fold-out panels, Circus Monoxide had little new to offer over any of the other circus acts of this year's Fringe.
And when an hour-long show starts 5 minutes late, finishes 15 minutes early, and has no seating (just a patch of well-worn grass), that's about the nicest thing I can say.
And on the Thousandth Night...
Forced Entertainment @ Royalty Theatre
6:00pm, Sat 13 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: An entertaining bit of theatrical stamina - but is it art?
Once upon a time...
Once upon a time there were seven performers from a UK-based ensemble (barefoot, and clad in simple red cloaks & cardboard crowns) that sat at the front of a stage and presented a cut-down version of one of their 24-hour performance pieces. The audience are free to some and go as they please during the 6-hour-long Thousandth Night, which poses no problems to the comprehension of the performance, because it is simply a collection of short stories preceded by the phrase "once upon a time...".
As one of the performers sees fit to interject, or simply end the current thread, they would call out "Stop", and start another story with "once upon a time". (Much) more often than not, their "new" story would contain elements of the previous story - or mix elements of stories from several hours ago; and thus, a very long, winding, often absurd collection of unfinished stories.
As the performers tire, get hungry, or just get pissed off that their story was neutered in its prime, they take their chair and retire to the back of the stage, where they can eat, drink, sleep (!), or disappear to the wings to smoke or otherwise relieve themselves. And the duration of the show is very important - as the performance progresses, the behaviour of the players changes somewhat - story change-overs slow, threads become weightier and more considered, they become noticably irritated with each others interruptions and inclinations - time becomes as important an actor as the humans onstage.
As for subject matter? Movies, plays (we start with King Lear), books, nursery rhymes, fables, physics, the God of Love, axe cannibalism, sex mad kings/plumbers/gorillas/high schools/(etc), mirrors that reflect evil, nose pickers, politics, good/bad thieves, plagues... the list is almost endless. As the night wore on, individual stories would run longer (up to 5 minutes); as some players got their second/third winds (or just had something to say), the rapid-fire changeovers returned... "Once..." followed immediately by "STOP!"
Occasionally, the story would be morbid - a tragic death, a wife discovering her husband was collecting child pornography, a brother & sister becoming sexually intimate, the Twin Towers... and the audience would become deathly quiet, waiting on every word as if it possessed great weight. Unfortunately, when the story started verging on popular distaste, the inevitable "stop" would be heard, and the subject would be avoided. This was a great pity, IMHO, and at odds with the attitude of First Night.
To be honest, I took seven columns of notes during this performance - just tracking threads and the looks & performance of the actors during this piece. And, in the cold light of day on the morning after, I can't figure out whether I could consider this art or not. Yes, it was certainly entertaining, occasionally confronting; and yes, it was always interesting, if only to watch the reaction of the players during a boring story - would they let their colleague uncomfortably meander? And the final story was beautiful: "Once upon a time there was a mouth that wouldn't stop talking; ears that wouldn't stop listening; eyes that wouldn't stop watching; ...".
But was it art, or was it just adept storytelling?
Brink Productions @ Odeon Theatre
2:00pm, Sat 13 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Solid effort
Brink Productions, responsible for ff2002's Killer Joe and ff2000's The Ecstatic Bible (with The Wrestling School), present this play by Harold Pinter. It's a thoughtful, plodding piece, with interesting - but not really likeable - characters.
Two brothers - one, the weak and wistful owner of the building in question, the other a noble but emotionally crippled caretaker of said building - are thrown into an uneasy conflict when a whiny, ungrateful itinerant bum is shown compassion... and opportunity. As each man strives for their own short-term goals, their weaknesses are exposed, and an unhealthy mistrust develops.
The opening of the piece - quiet, introspective, mesmerising - was quite beautifully done, and the articulate set proceeded to be stripped away over the duration of the play, as the characters themselves were laid bare. The lighting was gorgeously subtle, with lovely transitions. Acting - as always with Brink - was considered and well-weighted... in all, a solid piece of entertainment.
I've been waiting for this day for two-and-a-half-weeks.
I'm finally up-to-date with all my reviews / memes.
And now I'm off to more shows / fall behind again... ;)
Guy Masterson/Theatre Tours International @ Scott Theatre
11:00pm, Fri 12 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Improv fun
This Gala evening featured four of the actors from 12 Angry Men - Steve Frost (Juror 03 & MC for the evening), Andy Smart (Juror 11), Dave Johns (Juror 06) and Ian Coppinger (Juror 02). All four presented some stand-up comedy - which, at worst, was still amusing - but the real fun started when they performed some improvisational theatre using audience suggestions.
A lazy half-dozen improv games were used, all of them bloody funny... I mean, where else do you hear phrases akin to "gurgling like Camilla's vagina"? Still, this was improv, so anything could have happened - it just so happened that these four guys made it happen in a most amusing manner on the night.
Ballet Nacional de España @ Festival Theatre
8:00pm, Fri 12 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Disappointing
I was so looking forward to this. Ballet inspired by flamenco, I though. Well, remove the "ballet", and you've got the pre-interval idea - three pieces of exciting flamenco, the opener Grito being quite astounding. It's hard to believe how fast these people can move, can snap their limbs into position - fabulous stuff to watch.
Being flamenco, there's a fair bit of stomping, clapping, and tapping going on, which drives the excitement level right up. The costumes were colourful, the lighting superb - lovely large projected shadows. Additionally, there seemed to be a bit of eastern influence in the movements of the female dancers; still, it was all very joyous stuff. Then came the interval.
At this stage, this show was looking for a big score, and raptuous standing ovation. But the company returned after the interval with their production of Medea - or, as I like to refer to it, Skanky Lays Some Smack Down. This hour-long production was, frankly, boring as batshit. Sure, there were some OK-ish bursts of flamenco, but they were few and way-too-far between.
In the end, Ballet Nacional de España milked the applause for all it was worth, and got a standing ovation from about 8 people. Which is about right, really. Those expecting traditional ballet would have been disappointed - this performance owed more to flamenco and opera theatrics than ballet. Still, it was worth seeing - if only for the undeniably exciting first half.
fabrik Company @ AIT Arts (Main Theatre)
6:30pm, Fri 12 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Great idea, but dull
A wonderful feeling of claustrophobia is generated with the sound of heavy breathing in the pitch dark at the start of Pandora 88; then the two East German dancers that comprise fabrik appear. Their accents as they toy with the concept of hide and seek over an ominous music score almost creates a sinister effect.
And then they're trapped within the real star of the show, The Box. Initially using a plane of light at the front of the box for some very unique effects, the piece soon turns into an exercise into what can be achieved in such a confined space. The two men play hide and seek within the box, suspend themselves and each other horizontally, create the convincing effect of looking down on them from above, and use the depth of The Box to create some interesting effects.
The two performers are obviously talented - and strong - and the lighting within the box is great, creating all manner of different moods. But, in the end, I just found this piece to be dull. Lots of other people loved it, though, so take your chances.
(Oh, and it loses big marks for repeatedly using a ringing noise at the exact frequency that freaks my tinnitus out. Grrrrrr)
Neo @ Weimar Room
11:00pm, Thu 11 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: Funkalicious!
NT band Neo presented a fun bit of cabaret and music at the Weimar room. The theatrical component was a bit naff, but earnest and honestly performed; but it's when the band start pounding out the tunes that this show really takes off.
Tight funk, with a bit of rock thrown in. And when I say "tight", I mean it - these guys know their stuff backwards, and they have a lot of fun doing it. The occasional use of harmonica or flute adds interest, but in general there's plenty of bass, wah-wah and chuggy guitar backing to keep this band moving along with their bright, punchy, and grooving songs.
They really deserve huge crowds during their short stay. Neo's remaining appearances are:
I Bought a Spade at Ikea to Dig My Own Grave
La Carniceria Teatro @ The Space
9:00pm, Thu 11 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Food-mangling anti-consumerism avant garde performance art theatre
Spanish company La Carniceria Teatro ("The Butchery of Theatre") present a, quite frankly, messy statement on modern life with Ikea. Spanish dialouge is translated onto a screen behind the stage for the duration of the performance, and occasionally short video clips are also displayed there too.
Opening with a list of common societal grievances, confronting the audience with a controversial list of Top 40 All-Time Motherfuckers (Lennon & Ghandi?), and closing with performer Juan Loriente shaving using a wreath-decorated mirror, Ikea was a bleak and absurd rant that, almost inexplicably, used the mangling of food at almost every turn. Cornflakes and milk served with a huge knife? Drowning a boy in gravy?
Creator Rodrigo Garcia's anti-Argentinian (why?) message is given a good airing, too. There's a disturbing role-reversal paedophile scene, a movie that literally gave societal icons the finger (especially death), and a great "masking tape logo" scene.
Sure, there was a general overwhelming feeling of anti-consumerism, but was there any finer point to it all? Was the spewing of unfrozen lasagna a comment on the gluttony that pervades our society? Why were exactly six bottles of sauce and mustard emptied onto hotdogs held by a near-naked man? Was Christmas really that bad that they had to explode both a tree and a turkey? Was there any significant social comment behind shoving food up their own arses?
In short, was there any more subtle meaning to this? More questions were asked than answered in Ikea, though this may not have been the intention of La Carniceria Teatro.
Typically Red Productions @ Rumours
7:30pm, Thu 11 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Yoga-filled chick fli-... erm, play
It's an hour long. It's three women talking about yoga. It uses a yoga class as a central theme for the trials and tribulations of their lives. The cast are fine (they all sing really well), there's a twee plot, there's cheesey songs, there's jokes about yogarobics, masturbation, and fanny farts.
And that's Downward Dog in a nutshell. It's entertaining, it's funny, it's probably worth $15 - it's just not compelling.
The International Men Of Leisure @ Exeter Hotel
6:00pm, Thu 11 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Curiouser and curiouser...
Taking their name from French social theorist (and author of "The Gulf War Did Not Take Place") Jean Baudrillard, the Baudrillard Brothers pose the question: how do we really know whether their comedy has made us laugh? Running weeknightly at the Exeter for the last two weeks of the Fringe, they present a different theme and content every night.
Today was Tangential Thursday: themes were introduced, discussed briefly, then used as a tangential basis for the next topic of conversation. This worked bloody well, leading to a rapid-fire display of wit - but also meant that flat spots were all the more obvious. However, the boys were quick enough to go off on another tangent quickly when needed.
Really, I'm a bit pissed that I only discovered this show now, and that my schedule precluded just the one Baudrillard Brothers experience. Despite their overt geekiness (Simpsons and Matrix references, too much Moebius), at least they didn't mention Star Trek ;)
Bloody good laughs all 'round - even if they did rubbish Hudson Hawk.
(I've just spent a few minutes scooting over the Brothers' show plans on their website. Now I'm really pissed off I didn't see any other shows).
Ross Noble @ Scott Theatre
11:00pm, Wed 10 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Manically funny... but...
Having seen Ross Noble at ff2002 (I could've sworn it was in Nova 1), I figured his surreal, rambling, improvised comedy would go down a treat this Fringe too. And, again, his intro is quite bizarre: a short cartoon by the Information Slug. Erm... yeah.
And then Noble bounds onstage, rapidly launches into banter involving Yetis and lecturns, then proceeds to try and disassemble the Scott Theatre in order to create a makeshift lecturn. He discovers a remnant from either Back To The Future or Short Circuit, expertly milks the laughs, then finds his audience mark for the night.
An occupational therapy student. Noble invents the OT Interpretive Dance (which makes several encores throughout the night), links in Ghost and huge pottery, goes shopping with his wife, scoots across via monkey-love to Stephen Hawking, throws in the time-honoured Aussies-swear-lots material, and then he's gone.
It's like watching a comedy whirlwind with long black hair. Ideas flit through his head quicker than you can say "hey, that'd be funny"; some are common threads for the evening (pig killing, that's another one), some pass by as quickly as they were conceived. It's fair to say that Noble is an improvisational genius.
...and yet, I don't think the bigger stage at the Scott Theatre suits him. It seems less intimate, less immediate - more like an impersonal performance than an interaction, you know what I mean? Still, if you've got tickets to one of his remaining sold-out shows, you won't be disappointed.
Forced Entertainment @ Royalty Theatre
8:00pm, Wed 10 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: Brutal
Brutal. There's no other word for this piece from UK-based Forced Entertainment. A lot of the audience around me tended to use words such as "boring" and "shit", but I've never experienced anything so confronting, so harsh... so brutal.
Initially, it seemed like First Night may be a comedy - eight characters appear onstage with forced grins and heavy makeup, bidding welcome. Slowly, the grins wear off, only to return suddenly. A breast appears. Characters drift offstage, returning wearing blindfolds. They start trying to read the audience's minds.
And this is where it gets nasty, where the true confrontational nature of the performance is shown. The performers start pointing at various people in the audience and telling them how they'll die. Initial prognostications have an amusing quality about them, the audience giggling; then one of the characters points at a woman and says, quietly, "a lump in your breast". The room goes cold; she continues, pointing to other members in the stalls: "cancer... of the bowel. A car accident. Drowning." Every so often, there's a nervous (or stress-relieving) titter from a pocket of the crowd - but it is soon muted.
This goes on for about 15 minutes. 15 minutes of introspection. Tough.
Later pieces continue to focus on the morbid, whilst the characters demand that we do not think about it. "Don't think about war, don't think about death, don't think about the death of your parents, don't think about the death of your children." Most of the performance is going on inside your own head; Forced Entertainment are just directing.
Indeed, the lightest moment of the performance was the performance of the Balloon Bimbo (inexplicably joined onstage by a blindfolded man with a saw) - her seedy languidity seemed both surreal and superior. But, for the most part, this performance felt like the cast were pointing their finger at you and laughing. Sad, pitiful laughter perhaps, but the joke was on you - you were the performer. Occasionally, the performers would have some fun at each other's expense - the various levels of boredom during the "mystery?/illusion" sketch were quite amusing - but all the while, the dialog is still depressingly morbid.
Of course, not everyone likes to have the words "You're shit, and you know you are" sung to them for a couple of minutes, and so this performance may not appeal to everyone. Or anyone. Except me. Challenging? - hell yes.
Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
Aquarius Productions @ Uni Cinema
5:30pm, Wed 10 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Lacking consistent power
Can't Stand Up for Falling Down tells the story of three women in a small town. Essentially three solo pieces (the characters don't meet until the final few minutes of the play), the characters of Jodie, Lynette and Ruby share the stage, the "inactive" characters mute whilst the active character addresses the audience. The only commonality between the women: the brutal, misogynistic, overbearing bully, Royce. Murderer, husband, lover to the women, his actions eventually draw the three together.
The first act sees 10-year-old Jodie witnessing her boyfriend die due to Royce's bullying. Four years her senior, Lynette recounts how her father was responsible for a similar act. 18-year-old Ruby is pregnant with Royce's child. Act two, set eight years later, sees situations change: Lynette has stumbled into marriage with Royce, Ruby has a string of broken relationships and a 7-year-old child, and Jodie has blocked the death of her boyfriend from her mind. Slowly, through Lynette, Royce's brutality becomes more apparent - and the play tumbles towards a somewhat predictable climax.
Jodie is played with a sheer youthful exuberance, and the frail Lynette is played to perfection. But the show didn't gel into something decent for me until the final fade-out - the furtive, scared glances between the three women speaks greater volumes than the previous hour.
Daniel Kitson @ Nova 2
9:45pm, Tue 9 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: A kindred spirit
Kitson comes onstage with no fanfare. Whatsoever. The crowd hasn't been worked into a frenzy, so the opening is a bit flat. With delusions of melancholy, he improvises himself into a corner - behind the side screens, anyway. And then he reappears, utters the immortal words "this room's shit, and you're a bunch of cunts" - and he means it. And he's won a friend for life in me.
Let it not be said that Kitson doesn't have a dislike of popular society. His aim of whittling down his audience to a core group of twelve would be a lot easier, however, if he weren't so bloody funny. Recounting a tale of his worst-ever radio interview, he described his comedy as "a fat dog raping a cake" - and he's right. Picture that, and you've got Daniel Kitson.
Hell, anyone who takes the piss out of The Advertiser's reviews is fine by me. Kitson's abrasive take on modern life is something that's been sorely missed since the sad loss of Bill Hicks; a style that many comedians have tried to emulate, but failed to succeed. Kitson makes this style his own, and does it bloody well.
"Clumsy, but valid": oh yes. "All filler, and not an ounce of killer"? I think not.
Absolute Ensemble / Adelaide Symphony Orchestra @ Adelaide Town Hall
8:00pm, Tue 9 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Punchy
It's easy to tell the members of the ASO and the Absolute Ensemble apart - the former turn up to work in their standard black presentation garb, the latter wear whatever they feel like... which creates an interesting dress aesthetic onstage.
Not that it detracts from the music, oh no. Blood on the Floor is a moody, punchy piece of music - the Prologue was a particularly brutal, stabbing introduction, Shout was exploded into an aggressive piece, and Sweet & Decay was everything it claimed to be. The closing piece, Dispelling the Fears, was ominous; and throughout, Absolute's Kristjan Jarvi conducted with aplomb.
The problem I had with Blood on the Floor is that the string section was inactive for about half the performance - indeed, Needles seemed to be more oriented towards a jazz/funk fusion band than an orchestra. ASO equals strings to me, so this was a bit of a bummer. Still, the oomph provided by the decorative ends to each piece were compensation enough.
Craig Egan's Summer of Rock Tour
Craig Egan @ Rhino Room
6:00pm, Tue 9 Mar 2004
Score: 5
Short Review: AOR
Craig Egan's show is named after the month he spent indulging in three Big Day Outs, two Pearl Jam concerts, as well as seeing his idol Dave Grohl with the Foo Fighters. 6 gigs in a month, eh? Lightweight ;)
Egan started well, given the audience of 13; he managed to get 100% audience participation in the "let's ROCK!" chant at the top of the show, and the what-makes-a-rock-star slide show was well prepped. There were a few dead spots later on, however, when he could have benefited from having a larger quantity of material to draw from. Egan did make one very valid point, however - great rock heroes (and great rock moments) are everywhere.
His theories on Quentin were ace, however, as was his admission of his love for the aforementioned Mr Grohl. And the story about the heckler he gave the mike to - for 75 minutes - was a good closer. But would you take lessons in rock from a man whose biggest rock moment is the only time he crowd-surfed?
Absolute Ensemble @ Adelaide Town Hall
9:00pm, Mon 8 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Blusteringly gutsy
The Absolute Ensemble, based in New York City and led by Kristjan Jarvi, presented two hours of interpretations of Frank Zappa tunes. The audience was an eclectic mix - classic Arts patrons, old-school Zappa deadheads, and Zappa aficionados.
Jarvi conducts like an excitable loon - he grins manically at his ensemble, drifts off to chat with them during solos, and is the personification of the mad young conductor stereotype. The wonderful thing was watching the musicians get into the music - there was almost more head-bobbing Zappa-digging onstage than there was in the audience. Most of the songs covered were arranged by Charles Coleman and the Ensemble's Gene Pritsker, who wielded a guitar onstage.
If anything, the problem with this show is that it started too well - "Filthy Habits" was an astonishingly good opener, thumping the audience right in the third eye, and was almost impossible to better. "G-Spot Tornado" challenged it, with a surging, dynamic orchestration; likewise, "Packard Goose" had a stupendous crescendo; "Teenage Prostitute" raced along brilliantly; and "Muffin Man" was a great closer. Bowing to audience demand, Absolute encored "Dirty Love", complete with a rap by Pritsker.
The only other issue was that the string section of the ensemble sounded a little overwhelmed early on; still, the arrangements of the chosen songs were fantastic: closing your eyes and trying to disassemble the collusion in your mind was magical. A truly unique experience.
Pluck @ Holden Street Theatres
9:30pm, Sun 7 Mar 2004
Score: 10
Short Review: Pure genius. Really.
Sweet mother of goat, what a fabulous show. Words cannot do it justice, but if I were forced to select a collection of words, they'd include witty, inventive, expressive, brilliant, and fun. Twice each.
A collection of classically trained musicians, Pluck - Adrian Garrat on violin, Jon Regan on viola, and the smokily beautiful Sian Kadifachi on cello - perform what can only be described as a musical-theatrical-comedy show that delivers on all counts. The music - apart from that when Garrat played a "dead" violin - was superb; the comedy wickedly funny; and the trio's acting was simply sublime - the eyes were everything.
So much good stuff - the violin funeral (was that Monica?). The romancing duel. Adrian's collection of music artifacts. The audience participation (brilliantly managed by Regan). The constant upstaging of each other. The eyes... the eyes!
Look, I could rant on and on and on and on about how wonderful, how mirthalicious, how sweet Pluck were. And I should, because they deserve it. But, as I said before, my hacky words cannot possibly do them justice - so I'll cop-out by saying this is simply a must-see show.
Swamp Fairy @ East End Exchange (The Swamp)
7:00pm, Sun 7 Mar 2004
Score: 4
Short Review: Nice idea, but...
A cabaret show based on the output of rock-song-opera king Jim Steinman sounded like a great idea when I was reading the Fringe Guide. And, scanning the programme when I arrived at The Swamp, it looked like it would be a cracking show: "I'll do anything for love...", "Holding out for a hero", "Paradise by the dashboard light", "Total eclipse of the heart", and "Bat out of hell" were all there (13 tracks all up, including 2 spoken word tracks).
Simple premise, really - in a biker-goth fantasy world, Johnny woos Jenny before being killed by Jimbo. A bit of lamenting in heaven/hell and earth, then Jenny lops herself and the lovebirds are re-united. All set to Steinman lyrics. So, does it work?
Erm... nup. The music (bass, keyboards & pre-records) was a little thin and, though Darren Mullan did a great Meatloaf impersonation and Jamie Jewell's Jimbo was great, Oriana Forte managed to completely thrash her vocals - dunno whether that was the mixing or the room, though. The plot... well, it's cabaret, so let's play fair and not say anything nasty.
A final point - The Swamp is a long, thin venue. Great for a pub, crap for viewing shows. 'Nuff said.
VIP-Concert @ Scott Theatre
5:00pm, Sun 7 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Hilarious! ...for all the wrong reasons ;)
I have no idea what attracted me to this musical show featuring three Russian vocalists, but I'm so glad I was present at this performance. Accompanied by the same gruff translator that Valeri and Gleb used, Trio Relikt wandered through some nice traditional Russian songs that had the predominantly (probably 90% - you could tell by the amount of laughter during the "humourous" songs) Russian-speaking audience clapping wildly.
The Trio's own onstage fun factor seemed inversely proportional to their guitar proficiency - the only member of the Trio who didn't strum strings had a great time, wandering all over the stage and flirting with the audience like a shy schoolboy.
Now, I'm no stranger to not knowing what the hell is being sung - I grew up listening to Dad's German beer drinking songs every Sunday morning, and have recently developed a passion for J-Pop. But the use of the translator, who sprung into action after the Trio introduced songs, was inspired... but for all the wrong reasons...
In between songs, someone from the audience walked up to the stage and handed a request on a piece of paper to one of the Relikts. He, in turned, looked at the request, chuckled to himself, then rambled off about a minute of Russian to the audience, who laughed appreciably. A pause; the Trio looked offstage to the translator, who then uttered the immortal words in his own thick accent: "I don't understand what he said."
The non-Russian-speakers in the audience, myself included, pissed themselves laughing. Much applause, too. Applause and laughter and idiotic grins. Thereafter, Trio Relikt had much fun at the translators expense - dragging him onstage for bows, getting him to translate long strings of text to "many Russian words" and "two popular songs without comment". So funny... so funny.
As for the music? Well, they're not as tight as Tripod, let me tell you. But they did a wacky accented cover of "Yesterday", and an uptempo "Besame Mucho". And a bunch of Russian songs.
But, truth be told, I won't be remembering any music from this show. Take a bow, Mr Translator :)
Circus Oz @ Rundle Park
12:00pm, Sun 7 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: Spectacular!
A fiery opening introduces Circus Oz to the crowd, and it's immediately apparent just how polished this performance is. From the RoofWalk, to the juggling, to the presentation of something as simple as the contortion act - it all oozes class, the kind of polish that requires oodles of training in a professional company.
And Circus Oz are true to their name - not only do they perform the classic stunts that we've come to expect of a circus company, but they insert an element of Australiana in there too - witness the cockatoo trapeze act. The elements of balance (especially on the bikes) and clownery were there too, all wonderfully performed with the same care as the rest of the show.
Sure, there were slip-ups; there was the odd lull in proceedings; some of the acts may have superior renditions elsewhere in the Fringe; and the Humanitarian Cannon act, whilst noble, may be a trifle too political for a circus. But as a whole, Circus Oz provided a spectacular, family-friendly show.
Tripod @ Union Hall
11:00pm, Sat 6 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Cabaret - the best way to see Tripod
After the appalling Tosswinkle episode that Tripod brought to Adelaide for ff2002, I vowed to never again subject myself to one of their "themed" shows. However, the prospect of "old-style" Tripod in cabaret-mode was too tempting to pass up.
And the boys were in fine form - using the crowd as guinea pigs for testing out new songs, constantly making fun on Gatesy's lack of a sex-life, and just generally doing what they do best - being funny. Most of the new songs were great, two that still stick in my mind being the anti-shorts song, and the photo-developing ditty.
The undeniable highlight, however, was their cover of Radiohead's "Paranoid Android". This piece demonstrated just what good performers the boys are; the harmonies, the timing, the humour were all top-notch.
I can now forgive them for ff2002.
Uber Alice - the elaborate adventures of a New Zealand manicurist...
EpicWorlds @ North-South Dining Room
9:15pm, Sat 6 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Ridiculously fun
A one-man show presented by Jonno Katz, Uber Alice describes the rise of New Zealand's greatest deity, Alice Winkins, a manicurist fated to rule the universe. Erm... yes. And the joyous thing? That's about the least absurd aspect of the show.
With a biblical-like opening, we are introduced to God and the premise for the play. Then Jonno appears, accompanied by a hideously amusing Kiwi accent, and proceeds to tell the story of Alice. Her escape from her mum, like much of the rest of the show, was brilliantly played out, as Katz swaps simply between the two characters in a brilliantly funny bit of theatre. Likewise, the audience-assisted sex-scene is cunningly done - after which Jonno re-appears clad in a dressing gown, accompanied by a bag of cookies he shares with the audience in a hospitable interval.
At one stage, after Katz had sneezed unexpectedly, he told the audience (through his thick accent) "That wasn't in the script, that bit." My response was one of disbelief: "There's a SCRIPT?!" Actually, that's a little unfair. This was a unique bit of comedy - original in both content and presentation, the laughs often came from the ridiculous nature of Jonno's ramblings - the flashback to a tale of "heartbreak, treachery and abuse" was pants-wettingly good.
Not bad, not bad at all.
I Spied - True Confessions Of An Ex-ASIO Spy
David Callan @ Uni Cinema
7:10pm, Sat 6 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: Classified!
David Callan used to work in ASIO - and this show was designed to give the audience the inside story of what happens inside the Organisation. He takes us through training, his many jobs over the years, all the way up until the time he left, all the while providing humorous and sobering snippets in equal measures.
His stories about the anti-terrorist training excercise he was a volunteer victim for was stunning, his running gags - "what's your mother's maiden name?" - well timed, and the bomb disposal squad incident was... well, just piss funny. All the while, his delivery was excellent - and the script has obviously been lovingly cared for, such is the wonderful pacing of the show.
Yep, the raves are well deserved - a wonderful bit of enlightened comedy.
Your Mama Productions @ Weimar Room
6:00pm, Sat 6 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Intriguing...
I Was Here is essentially just an arrangement of comments made on the doors and walls of women's toilets around the globe. This may sound like a piss-poor premise for a bit of theatre, but it actually came across rather well.
Using three actors to repeat the same text over and over, with different delivery each time, was really quite an intriguing idea. There's only a total of about 5 minutes of dialogue in the whole piece, but each iteration makes it sound fresh. The only exception was the statement "I made Ian kill himself. I am so sorry"; this was always poignant, as were the supportive followup statements.
All the while, the three girls roamed the black stage with paint pens, spreading graffiti as they went. And the statements used were rarely crude (as is the case of 98% of graffiti in male toilets), but often inquisitive, informative ("grammar's not just a party trick"), or supportive. A real eye-opening thinker of a show; masterfully done.
Guy Masterton / Assembly Theatre @ Scott Theatre
3:00pm, Sat 6 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: Compelling theatre
It appeared to be an open-and-shut case: a 16 year old boy on trial for the murder of his father. One eyewitness caught him in the act; another places him at the scene. Psychologists taint the boy as "the murdering type". An easy day at the office for the jury, surely.
Yet Juror 08 - wonderfully played by Owen O'Neill - is unconvinced by the evidence, though not exactly sure why. To the protestations of the other jurors, he refuses to commit to a guilty verdict - he just wants to discuss the case a little more before effectively sentencing a boy to death. So begins the to-ing and fro-ing of this jury room battle, as evidence is called into question, egos are inflamed, and twelve men - each with their own perceptions and prejudices - struggle to converge to a consensus.
This was a masterfully portrayed piece of theatre; even with nowt but a table, twelve chairs, and a water cooler for props, the script crackles along at an electric pace. The timing of the twelve men is impeccable, the tense dialogue occassionally punctuated by spots of humour, as the twelve men form alliances, battle preconceived notions, and generally... get very angry.
Except for Juror 08, of course - the "weakling" who stood alone at the beginning. Strangely enough, it's the biggest bully of the jury - Stephen Frost's Juror 03 - who stands alone at the end. A morality tale, perhaps? Who cares, it was grand theatre, even if the direction of the plot was usually telegraphed well in advance. In fact, the only negative of the performance from my point of view was Ian Coppinger's overly Rick Moranis-like Juror 02. But that's just me being a big fusspot - this is well worth seeing, and certainly another big tick for the Festival.
Spaghetti Circus @ Tiny Top
2:00pm, Sat 6 Mar 2004
This was my first visit to the Tiny Top, for a snippet of the Spaghetti Circus' act. Was it worth it?
Oh yes. The Amazing Rubber Girls bend in a most... unnatural way. And the old bearded lady? Um... yeah. Words cannot... thingy.
$5 for 10 minutes? Yes please.
Throw Down @ The Umbrella Revolution
1:00pm, Sat 6 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Stunts with attitude!
Victorian circus troupe Throw Down should be applauded for bringing this act to town. In doing do, they have filled a gap that has been noticeable from ff2002's circus program - the trapeze and suspended acts have been (sadly) notable by their absence thus far. Not any more; Throw Down's trapeze act was quite the breath-taker, and their suspended acts were as imaginative as they were powerful.
But that's getting ahead of ourselves a little. The opening act, involving some deft handling of glass balls highlighted by torchlight, would look even more spectacular in a pitch-dark tent, but didn't detract from the level of control exhibited. Acts of strength, balance and control are at the forefront of Throw Down's performance - the less svelte of the troupe's women showed astounding poise in her chair-balancing act.
After the initially sombre and aloof attitude of the opening acts, their was a little comic relief as the sound guy took to the stage for more balancing tricks. A mysterious legged bag also inexplicably scuttled across the stage occasionally, lightening the mood.
Some (handcuffed) juggling, the trapeze work, some spectacular hula-hooping, and the troupe performing all manner of leaps and bounds whilst skipping rope(!) rounded out this tasty show. Well recommended.
Half-Arsed Productions @ Promethean Theatre
9:30pm, Fri 5 Mar 2004
Score: 4
Short Review: Underdeveloped
It sounds like a great idea - combine the backstage and onstage banter at a comedy club into one piece, showing the audience what goes on behind the curtain. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work as well as one would have hoped.
Joey D has "accidentally" got himself engaged, and the ball-and-chain-to-be has him on a tight leash. He's contemplating giving up comedy, much to the chagrin of his cohorts. Between scenes backstage, where Joey and the team contemplate their profession, we have four stand-up routines from the troupe. And, honestly, only Joey D and Pepe (with a great redneck routine) provided any real laughs here - although it was probably played that way.
The whole show had an unfinished, underdeveloped feel to it; the character of Stella, in particular, was used both minimally and poorly. Still, there was the odd laugh or two to be had here (especially the bitches about other Fringe comedians)... but hardly essential viewing.
To be fair, though, the artist description on the Fringe site is bloody funny :)
Fresh Track Productions @ North-South Dining Room
7:15pm, Fri 5 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Disturbingly entertaining
Songs for the Deaf comprises three short plays by Caleb Lewis. Essentially, each play is a tragedy, but each is also spiced with humour.
Bunny opens with the absurd image of actors in bunny and bear suits. Both Romy Loor and Andrew Brackman display suitably numbed characters, revealing more about their lives than they'd probably care to. This was a nice, solid piece.
The Half Windsor is a cracker. Dealing with prejudices and perception, Caleb Lewis shows that he can act (as a feisty bum) as well as write. The final piece, Rocket Baby, features Roberta Tyrrell playing a corrupted 10-year-old schoolgirl. Gutsy acting, but an incoherent and unbelievable script.
In short, this was a solid and entertaining bit of theatre. It was freaky how easy it was to identify with the characters portrayed, and there's certainly some stuff in there to think about. This is, by far, the better of Fresh Track's productions this Fringe.
Snow Machine @ Weimar Room
6:00pm, Fri 5 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Pretty, but...
Snow Machine are a three-piece band from Sydney. Relying heavily on electronic backing, but with live keys/guitar/vox over the top, they generally seemed to produce a lush instrumentation with little-girl-lost vocals dripped over the top. This isn't unpleasant, but not earth-shattering, either.
The lead singer's voice is quite attractive, really, and when you get a simple beat/guitar backing (such as the second track of the evening), the result doesn't sound unlike Garbage. But Snow Machine sound their best when they're harmonising, and putting some depth into the vocals. The songs were also accompanied by some projected visuals, but they were somewhat lost on me, as I spent most of the show watching the singer's nipples (highlighted as they were by the lighting and her white top). Truth in reporting.
I bolted at the end of the set - had to run to catch the next show - and I suspect that I missed an encore. Oh well. My scorecard shows 7 ticks from 13 songs, so I guess that puts this gig a little above average.
Incidentally, this show marked the first time this Fringe that I've seen an artist use a laptop other than a Mac. Them wacky creative types, eh?
Espress Yourself! A Comedy About... Coffee
Final Draught @ Weimar Room
4:00pm, Fri 5 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Undergraduate
Melbourne theatre group Final Draught present this rather simplistic play, intertwining stories of love, greed, and life in general around coffee. The only really interesting thread of the story involved deadshits Pete and Joe in their get-rich-quick schemes.
The humour is very undergraduate, but that didn't perturb the crowd of mostly schoolkids. There are, however, some very funny soliloquies that various characters occasionally launch into - Cat's Joe Scully rant was one such mirthful encounter, as was the corporatisation bluster. The odd Star Wars reference, and the "real gun" discussion, round out the highlights.
There was soooooo much about this show that I wanted to hate - the overacting, the wooden acting, the non-acting, the tacky dialog, the bad double entendres, the crap sight gags, the shitty stage management - but Espress Yourself! stumbles to a climax that is so ridiculously stupid, I found myself grinning like a loon. I dunno whether that's much of a recommendation, but there you go.
Budgie Lung Theatre Company @ Fowler's Live
12:00pm, Fri 5 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Abrasive... in a good way
After being impressed by Budgie Lung's ff2002 performance, Swallow This!, I thought I'd give this a go too. A collection of three stories, this was confronting stuff.
The first piece, Nil, saw Rachel Paterson play Karen, the "other woman" in an affair. Carrying both a shattered heart and a shattered mind, she turned in a performance very much like Glenn Close's Fatal Attraction - but without the bunny-killing. Equal parts love, hate, joy, sadness, superiority, venom, Karen convincingly flipped between her bi-polar states on her way to total annihilation. An impressive start.
Then Cat (Michael Finney) appears for a raw, explosive and profane burst. Whilst I approve heartily of his mandate of cat-hate, his abrasive monologue - addressing the perpetrator of a heinous act - is unrelenting in its aggressive derision of the recipient, homogeneity, and cats.
The final act, Buried, is a belter, with Nick (Finney) helping Candy (Paterson) bury her child. A portrayal of manipulation and weakness ("You know your problem? You're weak and pissy"), this act gathered steam to a wonderfully climactic finish.
Heather Frahn provided (frankly) sensational music throughout all three performances - creating a sinister backdrop, uneasy tension, or impact effects as required. Her singing voice was also striking, whilst providing a distraction between the second and third acts. As with Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Casey Van Sebille's set design was both functional and elegant - and the lighting was superb throughout, casting ominous shadows upon the back wall at Fowler's at emotionally appropriate moments.
Briefly - well worth seeing. Another success story for Budgie Lung, and long may they continue.
For those of you who were keen to see Pluck, but are disturbed by all the "SOLD OUT" notices you see everywhere, there's a couple of lesser known shows around the place:
You're welcome :)
Ed Byrne @ The Arts Theatre
10:30pm, Thu 4 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: Bloody funny scrawny bugger :)
Oh yes, thoroughly good stand-up.
Ed Byrne has a fabulous style, a not-unintelligible accent, is really quick on his feet, and tells some bloody great jokes.
What more do you want? He jokes about travelling, Australian-isms, and sex. And he's really funny.
I don't really know what else to write. Ed Byrne is bloody good VFM.
Suburban Motel - Criminal Genius
Bakehouse Theatre Company @ Bakehouse Theatre
8:30pm, Thu 4 Mar 2004
Score: 5
Short Review: Flat
Criminal Genius is the second of the two Suburban Motel plays by George Walker that Bakehouse is presenting this Fringe. Sadly, this paled somewhat next to Problem Child to me because of the less polished performances.
Rolly and Stevie are a bottom-of-the-barrel father-and-son team of petty criminals who "don't do violence". When they botch a job requested of them by their boss Shirley, committing a kidnap instead of arson, a twisted tale of multiple revenges ensues.
In general, the acting in this play was only adequate - Roger Newcombe's Rolly was earnest, and once again Patrick Frost stole the show as he reprised Phillie. Anna Linarello appeared to be tripping all over her lines, and Emily Hunt was less convincing in her role as the rebelling Amanda than in Problem Child. On the whole, a flat and slightly disappointing piece of theatre.
Suburban Motel - Problem Child
Bakehouse Theatre Company @ Bakehouse Theatre
7:00pm, Thu 4 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Disturbingly familiar...
Problem Child is the first of the two Suburban Motel plays by George Walker that Bakehouse is presenting this Fringe. And, for me, it's the better of the two, due to the almost farcical script and solid character portrayals.
Denise and RJ are trapped in a small-town motel room - Denise yearns for her child (kept from her care by social worker Helen), and RJ is addicted to daytime talk-shows. Phillie, the motel manager, provides comic relief.
The performances were solid all round - Emily Hunt was great as a manic mother, and Nathaniel Davison played RJ with a small-town familiarity that I could identify with. The standout, though, was Patrick Frost's Phillie - a well-weighted and funny delivery. This solid piece of theatre can hardly be considered essential Fringe viewing, but doesn't detract from Bakehouse's growing reputation.
Daredevil Opera Company @ Universal Playground
8:30pm, Wed 3 Mar 2004
Score: 5
Short Review: Underwhelming
Only after I'd parked my arse in a seat at the Universal Playground did I realise that this Stunt Show was being presented by the Daredevil Opera Company - the same company that was behind my first show of ff2004 (the youngster-oriented Cirkus Inferno). And whilst this Festival event was louder, more explosive, and definitely more adult in content, it was also lacking something that other show provided.
After summoning a protesting Roxy from the crowd, the same "Hound of Hell" bit from Cirkus Inferno was used. "Oh no," thought I, "this entire show is going to be a re-hash of CI." This was not the case, but while the stunts and special effects for the rest of the show were, at times, spectacular, there was no real theme to the show; more a collection of (somewhat lame) stunts and performance segments. I mean - was it really necessary to have that vaginal kazoo bit?
Despite all the sparks, explosions, stilt chases, and laughs, it just didn't feel like a coherent show. In fact, I'd much rather re-visit the charming story of Cirkus Inferno again than return to this. Bangs and sparks do not a good performance maketh.
A Dog's Breakfast starring Joanne Brookfield
Joanne Brookfield @ Margaret Murray Room
6:45pm, Wed 3 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Disappointing... but the potential is there
After having a lovely chat with Joanne (about life, the universe, and fringing) out on the Barr Smith lawns by FringeTIX, I decided to catch her show. And whilst she's a lovely person in real life, "A Dog's Breakfast" isn't really her best side.
Initial impressions were good - as the audience rolled in, Brookfield lay on the stage floor, constantly cracking jokes about "stand-up" comedy. Unfortunately, when she did stand up, the laughs were a little thinner on the ground. It's not that she can't be funny - her delivery is great, and let's face it, she's as cute as a bug's ear (even with the knickers her gran bought her) - but it's the material that lets her down. I mean, when throwaway dead-spot lines like "I might as well just slap Pal on my vag" fail to get a decent audience response, you might have to tweak the show a bit.
To be fair, there was some good stuff though - her avid Googling raised a few good chuckles, and the image of Joanne accosting "serious" Festival-goers gave me warm tinglies. And it's always great to see some creative swearing from a cutie. But, at the end of the day, there's better comedy around at the moment.
CanStage @ Festival Theatre
7:30pm, Tue 2 Mar 2004
Score: 10
Short Review: (almost) Flawless
Wow. It's rare that I can see such a large-scale, lavish production, and get totally immersed in the experience. The Overcoat, however, sucked me in from the outset.
Simple story, really - a downtrodden draftsman snaffles himself a nice new overcoat, and his life changes as a result. But the manner in which the story is told - no dialogue, constant musical score, wonderfully staged crowd scenes, creative direction - make this a true aural and visual delight.
The attention to detail in this production is staggering - when the stage lights are all forward, characters still create a hubub behind the screens at the back of the stage... even the final cast-call is superbly done. Costumes are spectacular, the sets are both simple and clever... and the acting... the acting! Peter Anderson puts in a sublime performance as The Man, every facial expression adding to the story.
In fact, if I had to draw fault with The Overcoat in any way, it would be that the ending is quite sudden, and doesn't really create a sense of closure. But that's just a minor nit-pick - I left the theatre absolutely elated after this production. This is, without doubt, the best Festival flagship production for many a year.
Helen Herbertson & Ben Cobham @ Secret Location(!)
6:30pm, Tue 2 Mar 2004
Score: 8
Short Review: Exquisitely subtle
The description in the Fringe Guide was sooooooooo attractive: "You are taken to a secret location, eat and drink a small exotic treat, enter pitch black, silence, as light grows you see a figure moving in the distance." How could I not attend this event?
After jumping in a mini-bus (driven by lighting designer extraordinaire Ben Cobham), we were taken well outside the CBD to a shed in suburbia. Inside, after letting our eyes adjust to the absolute, inky blackness, we were guided to a small seating area. A bite-sized piece of polenta & mango, a snifter of Brooks Brothers muscat, and the actual performance began.
As with Herbertson & Cobham's production in ff2002, Delirium, the lighting is really the star of the show. Every aspect of the performance (both lighting and movement) was exquisitely paced, with an utterly unique mood being generated over the three acts of the piece. And a real surprise in store for the ending, too :)
Back out of the darkness for the mini-bus ride home, and the experience is complete. No aspect of this event was "sharp" - but everything about it was carefully calculated, allowing to subtleties of each element to collect into a single, wonderful experience. I'm so glad I took a chance on this one :)
Australian Dance Theatre @ Her Majesty's Theatre
1:00pm, Tue 2 Mar 2004
Score: 9
Short Review: Snapshots of Art
This was the second preview of the ADT's collaborative piece with photographer Lois Greenfield, and it was announced that the sets "were not yet finished". However, talking to various people who have seen the non-preview performances, it appears that not much changed from the bare stage and elongated screens that constituted the set.
Essentially, Held is a study of time and motion. Lois Greenfield takes to the stage with a digital camera, and remains static while the performers from the ADT perform for her - lots of jumps, spins, air - always aiming for the spectacular in 1/2000th second grabs. The photos she takes are projected onto the screens after a short delay; displayed in black & white, all the shots have a classic timeless feel to them - we are witnessing art in the making.
The snapshots also demonstrate the tight choreography of the piece, and are utterly compelling. It gets to the stage that you've got to remind yourself that there is live dance occuring at the same time, so addictive is the act of watching the screens. Conversely, when watching the live dance, it can conjure odd feelings of "why didn't she take a photo then?" A most odd experience.
The camera doesn't always drive proceedings, though - the screens are often rotated to act as shadow backdrops. There was a wonderful piece of dance accompanied by strobe lighting - forcing the audience to interpret the dance in their mind's eye using short flashes of visuals to guide them - almost the antithesis of the Greenfield's camera.
There's also a variety of dance influences, too - "The National Anthem" from Radiohead is accompanied by some stylised pogo-ing (resulting in some great photos), followed by an exaggerated waltz and some synchronised team voguing. At other times, Larissa McGowan was elaborately dancing in heels(!); another notable piece had most of the ensemble standing and facing the audience, while a lone performer danced like an absolute loon (in a good way!) behind them. Striking!
Throughout, the music is distinctly industrial in nature - pounding rhythms, ambient noisescapes, grubby drum'n'bass. But it works to actively drive the excitement of the piece; and this is one of the most exciting pieces of dance I've seen in a long, long time. It's hard to explain the impact of the camera to the piece; but it leads to some extraordinary visuals.
9th of March. Hippo birdy to me. Another year older, another year wiser. Cliche cliche blah.
:)
Sound & Fury @ Little Theatre
10:20pm, Mon 1 Mar 2004
Score: 5
Short Review: A ridiculous mess
Three men do a necessarily abridged version of Hamlet within about 40 minutes.
That's about all there is to it, really.
Yes, this is another one of LA-based Sound & Fury's Fakespearean plays, which works hard to get the juvenile and slapstick laughs running thick and fast. There's a fair few amusing bits, and the trio worked well together, but I always felt one step removed from the action - a kind of overwhelming feeling that I wasn't in on the joke.
Which is a shame, really. Sound & Fury are obviously talented - the timing between them is immaculate - but I just wish that power could be used for good, instead of evil.
Music of Transparent Means @ Bakehouse Theatre
8:00pm, Mon 1 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Patchy noise-fest
Entering the intimate Bakehouse Theatre, the first thing you notice is the variety of drums, keyboards, saxes, digital gear, and even old tube amps that litter the stage. 20 musicians appear and, all utilising tom-tom drums, watch a single computer screen for cues on timing and rhythm.
Backed by a video projection of various images, Music of Transparent Means is a collection of interesting noise landscapes. The second piece, "Second Presencing", was deep, murky, and sinister, with wonderfully controlled swells of volume. "Emerging Like an Infant From the House of Truth" was another cracker, essentially just groups of notes repeated over and over by the small ensemble of musicians at different frequencies, building to a brilliant crescendo.
Still, sometimes it all went wrong - "Husk" once again tried to attain a phasic swelling of notes, but too often the sax and bowed guitars clashed, creating a discordant mess. And the first piece after the interval, a reworking of John Cage's "Fontana Mix", reminded me of a D&D night - four guys sitting around a table, twiddling their knobs, doing something that may have been exciting for them, but not for us.
But the important thing to recognise is that Music of Transparent Means is not just random noise, but is in fact as ordered (if not more so) than "normal" music. That said, ordered or not, it can still be perceived as crap - "Fontana Mix" proved that point admirably. Still, MoTM should be applauded for presenting such a brave piece of work.
Catalyst Theatre @ Scott Theatre
5:45pm, Mon 1 Mar 2004
Score: 6
Short Review: Dripping
"The Blue Orphan", a butterfly held in high regard in the storyline, is a very lush piece of musical theatre by Canadian group Catalyst Theatre. Lush. The costumes, the backing music, the songs all have a sweet weight to them - and this only exacerbates the overpowering feeling of melancholy that drowns the show.
First up - I was not expecting this piece to be a musical. That said, even with most of the story told in sing-song rhyme, it didn't really detract from the show - save the effect of over-emotionalising the experience. Some of the characters were wonderful - Harold the paranoid child watching shyly over his love, Jim Tibue the town recluse, the bird-girl, the Robbie Coltrane-esque Sister of the Orphanage. Narrated by young Jonah, fleeing the Orphanage into town, there's not so much a story, more a series of character pieces.
The lighting was superb - the back- (or front-) lighting of curtains onstage to hide or present characters was superb, and the projection of shadows was also used well - witness the bird-girl's attempts to fly! Likewise, the sound was wonderful - as mentioned before, the instrumentation of songs were lush, voices (especially the singing narrator) strong - although the arrival of the storm wasn't great for us tinnitus sufferers.
But in the end, the lack of plot and overly mournful feel of the piece was discouraging. A lovely spectacle in parts, but not a great show.
What does it say when the heartiest laughs I've had thus far in ff2004 have been from musical acts? Yep, both Pluck and Trio Relikt had me in stitches today... though for very different reasons :)
Reviews soon - I'm catching up! Only 27 behind now! :)
VIP-Concert @ Scott Theatre
4:00pm, Mon 1 Mar 2004
Score: 7
Short Review: Spandex-a-riffic!
An indecipherable, gruff accent barks out something akin to a welcome message, and Valeri Kaparulin & Gleb Ivanov take to the stage. Theirs is a very physical kind of comedy, mixing mime, classic clownery, and audience tomfoolery.
Opening with some simple mime, they rapidly moved through a imaginative bit of juggling ball-play (!), a rather risque tale involving Adam and Eve, and an excellent audience symphony. Throughout, Valeri's rubbery face contorted in an audience-pleasing manner, whilst Gleb's impossible gangliness sealed in the black spandex the pair wore raised many giggles.
The only problem with this show? The fact that there were just 13 people in the audience. In the vast expanse of the Scott Theatre, this was a tragedy. Valeri and Gleb, like most non-stand-up acts in the Fringe, deserve much better.
Vitalstatistix @ Eclipse
9:00pm, Sun 29 Feb 2004
Score: 4
Short Review: Couldn't see what the fuss is about...
"A reinvention of the horror/slasher film genre from the perspective of the female victim hero." A bizarre intro. Plenty of projected video. Lots of screams. Plenty of tacky effects. A pumping soundtrack. What more could you want?
Lots, actually. Whilst there was a bit of enjoyment to be had from the "sewing" scenes - especially the Alien pisstake - most of the rest of this piece left me cold. Even the presence of Angelo Badalamenti's tunes (and plenty of them were used) couldn't save this, in my eyes. Or ears.
And yet the rest of the audience loved it. Ah well, I'll just be content to stick with the minority on this one.
Vic Waclawik @ Cloisters Carpark
8:30pm, Sun 29 Feb 2004
Plato's Cave is a neat little red-and-white-striped tent that sits in the Cloisters Carpark on certain evenings. Starting 8:30pm, short shadow-puppet shows with a pre-recorded soundtrack are performed every half-hour, up to 11:30pm.
The show I managed to catch was Orpheus (and the Underworld). The puppetry was fine, but it was the soundtrack that made it work - Orpheus, rather than emitting harp-like sounds when strumming his harp, tended to belt out Led Zep tunes rather proficiently. Class!
Plato's Cave hosts four different stories; unfortunately, I only ever seem to be available when Orpheus is on, and can't comment on the others. Well worth 10 minutes (and a gold coin or two when the collection goes around after the show).