[2013066] Frank Woodley & Simon Yates – Inside
Frank Woodley & Simon Yates @ The Garden of Unearthly Delights – Romantiek
7:30pm, Wed 27 Feb 2013
I was initially torn when I read the précis for Inside – whilst I will happily fling money at the Acrobat crew (with whom Simon Yates has worked in the past), I was wary of the association of Frank Woodley – the only time I’ve seen him in the past proved so disappointing that I’ve dared not waste another hour on his work. But the initial buzz around this show was positive, and a good friend assured me that I’d find something of interest in the performance; a quick dash in from my previous show saw me at the end of a long, snaking queue outside the Romantiek, leading to a seat well back in the crowd.
First impressions of the set were oppressive; there’s no overt humour to be found there, with a grim and spartan prison cell enclosed defined by an open-fronted wire-mesh cage. Woodley and Yates – Viktor and Vissilli – are likewise visually grim characters, sporting identical shaven heads, facial hair, and drab uniforms; their accents are heavily Russian. Together, the pair perform a series of short skits that are only loosely connected via the repetitive interactions with their off-stage Warden; and, while the skits have their comic moments (often derived from intricate wordplay), the overarching narrative relies on a constant threat of torture being used to separate the two comrades.
And while that tends to create quite a bleak atmosphere, it somehow doesn’t manage to feel out of place. Nor do the brighter, more positive moments: the pair’s periodical exposure to daylight (which shows off superb lighting and sound design) also fits within the overall story without feeling tacked on, as do Yates’ occasional acrobatics (using the cage as a kicking-off point).
Despite the camaraderie shared by the prisoners, they also descend into the kind of faux violence typified by the British new wave humorists (think The Young Ones or Bottom) that Woodley so deftly dealt with in his duets with Lano. But there were also some flaws on the night – the reappearing hand, the bird getting stuck as it “flew” into their cell – but it was hard to tell whether these were the kinds of “mistakes” that occur every night.
It’s only now that I look back on the ticket price – $48. That’s probably the most expensive Fringe ticket I bought this year and, though I can see a significant investment in the set and production values of the show, it’s pretty hard to justify that expense. For as much as I enjoyed the bleak comedy, the wonderful accents, and the great design elements, I’m not sure I enjoyed it that much.