[2007080] [interrobang]

[interrobang] (FringeTIX)

Unstoppable Huxtable [MySpace] @ FAD Gallery

9:00pm, Fri 30 Mar 2007

The FAD Gallery is very much a Fringe venue; it’s a small space upstairs from a bar, temporary seating wodged in every which-way. This fosters a very indie, intimate feel; it also means that, when the show is sold out (as it was tonight with what seemed to be a family-and-friends show), the sight-lines in a flat and cramped space are horrendous. Luckily, the seeing-shows-by-my-lonesome thing paid off again, scoring me a seat pretty near the front.

As noted in the comprehensive programme, the interrobang “is a seldom used … punctuation mark [and] is employed primarily to punctuate ironic, sarcastic or rhetorical statements, replacing the double punctuation ?! or !?”

Look, here comes an interrobang now: “‽” Or possibly “‽”, depending on the niceness of your web browser. Wikipedia (linked above) also makes reference to the gnaborretni, an inverted interrobang almost completely unused in Hispanic languages.

Wow. What a great way to pad the post out. But at least I’m writing something. Do you know how long I’ve contemplated writing this post, juggling words and memories in my head, knowing full well that once they were tapped forth onto my laptop they would completely miss whatever point I wished them to make?

Oh dear. Anyway…

[interrobang] consists of five short acts performed by various members of the Unstoppable Huxtable collective. The bracketing pieces (1, 3, 5) were heady pieces, absurdly played out by a Clown and a Strongman. Whether speaking to God on the phone, exploring existentialism through circus life, or questioning their own sexuality whilst scaling a mountain, these acts combine equal parts head-scratching and thoughtful rumination, with just a dash of humour. Whilst the first of the trio was a little limp, these performances were enjoyable enough.

The second act was a pre-recorded self-help video, played with no noticable grandeur on a couple of TVs, featuring Mark Trenwith (previously seen in Girls Just Wanna Have Fun) as a self-help guru. Despite the appearances of a few special guests, this infomercial-esque production was definitely the weakest link of the [interrobang] experience; a nice idea, but over-long and poorly directed.

The fourth act, though, was abso-fucking-lutely stunning. Kate Skully, Tess Appleby and Rhiannon Davis performed a contemporary dance piece that used the narrow confines of the FAD Gallery brilliantly – table lamps project deep lush shadows, the dancers walk on walls. Imaginative, visually gorgeous, and genuinely edge-of-your-seat exciting(!), this piece made [interrobang] worth every cent, worth every second. Stunning.