The Return

Fresh Track Productions @ Queen’s Theatre

12:30pm, Thu 28 Feb 2002

Score: 7

Short Review: Gritty

“Oh no,” thought I, as I approached the wonderful Queen’s Theatre and saw nothing but a sea of school uniforms, “not another school production.” Luckily this was not the case – even though local production company Fresh Track had only 5 weeks preperation on the piece, “The Return” was a good, solid piece of theatre.

Focussing on the low socio-economic suburban hell of 5 characters riding a train to Fremantle one night, there’s a few little twists and turns in the plot (but certainly not enough to warrant the incessant “oooh”s and “oh my god!”s of the schoolie audience). Characters are introduced as cliches, developed into non-sterotypes, and then radically revealed to be something they are not…

The production was uniformly good. There was excellent live guitar backing, and the skeleton shell of the train the characters ride in fit with the overall deconstructive nature of the show. Alistair Scott-Young is stunning as lead thug Steve, all the more surprising given that he’s only been acting three years. Melanie Vallejo is merely adequate, however, due to the lack of strength in her voice.

I felt let down that some of the characters were just… unbelievable, especially in their “stereotype” phases. Overall, however, I thought this was a worthwhile piece of drama. This feeling was only strengthened after attending the Q&A session held after the play – both cast and crew proved both frank and approachable. Stories about character work in Salisbury were amusing as hell.

Ennio Morricone Experience

@ The Famous Spiegeltent

10:30pm, Wed 27 Feb 2002

Score: 9

Short Review: A Fistful Of Quite Good

This was brilliant. Four totally straight guys came out and smoothly produced an hour of classic spaghetti western music, dialog, and a few laughs as well.

If you’re like me, you’ve never sat through an entire spaghetti western in your life. But you’d be surprised how familiar all the tunes the Experience played are – sure, everyone knows “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”, but other pieces sparked the memory also.

On top of backing beats and kit-triggered samples is laid a wonderful mesh of percussion, double bass, hoarse grunts, and a myriad of other, more obscure instruments, which all fit into the mix in a manner which recreates the feel of a badly over-dubbed, gritty movie experience. This effect is enhanced by the breaks between songs being perforated with appropriately stilted, scripted dialog – “Water… parched… AQUA!!”

This was a staggeringly entertaining bit of work. Great music, great humour… one hour very well spent.

The Whore Whisperer – Confessions of a Madam

The Whore Whisperer @ Rhino Room

8:30pm, Wed 27 Feb 2002

Score: 7

Short Review: Educational

What an eye-opener this was. Not being one who partakes in the not-quite-legal brothel industry (no, honest), this was a big insight into the machinations of several Melbourne brothels, as told by ex-brothel receptionist Meshel Laurie.

“Normal”(?) brothels, transexual brothels, and the patrons of said businesses all were subject to close scrutiny… lots of details that you didn’t know, lots you mightn’t want to know (what happens when a “client” shits on the sheets?), and plenty of anecdotes.

The crowd was, in Meshel’s words, “feral” – but very amusingly so. There were a couple of vocal hooker wannabes (or weres?) in the crowd that provided many good heckles, and even better comebacks. Better still, when one 56-year-old woman in the front row was being used as a an example of the distortion of the truth associated with describing the “girls of the house”, Meshel asked her “Do you do arse-licking?”. Her husband (husband!) leapt forth with the reply, “Close. Tell her the truth…”. Wonderful stuff, a performer couldn’t wish for a better crowd.

In the end, this was a pretty funny, though horribly unstructured show. You’ll learn stuff – hell, I probably even blushed at some point which, if you know me, means there’s some pretty rank content. “Bucket”, for example. Well worth a look.

And at least I know what a Roman Shower is now.

Scum Nation

Rod Quantock @ Nova 1

7:00pm, Wed 27 Feb 2002

Score: 8

Short Review: Conspiratorial

Yay! The return of my favourite Lefty comedian. And after last Fringe’s slightly disappointing show, this one was back to the Quantock I know and love. Greeting the audience at the door (as usual), his quick wit provided many laughs before the show even started.

Complete with the requisite world map, Quantock lacked his usual blackboard – but was accompanied by a white-board and several “felt-tipped white board marker pens” (a subject of much derision). His act this time did not focus so much on politics – although the Liberals, as expected, copped a bit of flak, and the Prime Prick was mentioned quiet a bit. Instead, Quantock focussed on corporate conspiracy theories that would stump Jello Biafra.

The Internet being used as a consumer tracking tool; Hills hoists being used as mobile phone towers; the Melbourne TOLLway being responsible for the transposition of entire suburbs. And, of course, the Teddy Bear biscuit conspiracy. Best of all, however, was his plan to join the axis of evil, on the premise that his house would be bombed, then summarily rebuilt and a McDonalds installed.

Yup, the man is back. While some of the material was old (the history of the universe timeline, the “Teddy Bear mardis gras” biscuits), it was given a wonderfully fresh touch-up. Go see Rod – just don’t mention you’re a commerce student (especially if it’s O-Week in your first year). And don’t roll up late.

Double Climax

K Brian Neel @ Uni Cinema

10:00pm, Tue 26 Feb 2002

Score: 8

Short Review: Noir-iffic

Billed as a “contemporary noir thriller”, this one-man show never really recovers from an absolutely stunning opening – there was nowhere for it to go but down. But only very slightly.

Neel uses cunning lighting and spoken stage directions to rapidly belt through this very American noir-ish crime story. His attention to detail is stupendous – while it is just one man on stage, you can see the seven main characters and their environs as if it were a movie. And the first couple of minutes were soooooooo suspenseful…

K Brian Neel is obviously a very talented actor and director – but, as previously mentioned, the opening to this play is almost too good. Well worth seeing for that gorgeous piece of suspense, and Neel’s ability to believably change characters in situ.

runt

Wilson Bell @ Wills Refectory

8:30pm, Tue 26 Feb 2002

Score: 9

Short Review: Powerful

At first I thought this was going to be a simple monologue, as Michael Edwards (in the shape of Wilson Bell) strolls onto the stage and starts talking about his childhood. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary monologue – this is a deeply personal interrogation of Edwards’ own psyche we are witness to.

The first time Edwards adopts the persona of his father, I knew this was going to be a cracker. I could have sworn there were multiple people on stage, so convincing was his portrayal of his father (and other characters), and he uses his expressive face extraordinarily well. The appearance of his grandparents’ butler was great, as was his fathers’ spiel about the “sweet love spirit”. But the final (internal) confrontation with his father is stunning theatre – and Edwards worked for it to, judging by the rivers of sweat streaming from him.

In the end, it’s the fear that Edwards has of the inevitable – that he will become his father – that proves the driving force behind this play… the strength of this message makes the presented humour and trivialities that much more effective. A powerful bit of theatre.

Tokyo Triangle in Tantra Vision

The Garage International @ Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre

6:00pm, Tue 26 Feb 2002

Score: 8

Short Review: Seething

As we stolled into the virtually empty Nexus, I was really expecting something approaching Japanese porn – read the Fringe guide if you want suspicions arroused. However, whilst there was a little nudity, this was really a blinder of a dance piece.

There were three principal dancers in the piece, who we will call Red, Green and Blue. The opening piece was simply a beautiful bit of dance – Red, in particular, was stunning. Choreography was gorgeous, in particular the use of the fans.

The third piece was the closest thing to overt sexuality in the show… backed by what seemed a gothic chant, the perceived orgy seemed less concerned with pleasure than with agnst and pain. The following piece was in stark contrast, with a japanese torch song (see the end titles of just about any anime show for examples) backing more peaceful movenents – but, in the background, there was still a seething, grinding undercurrent of uncertainty. The finale was a high energy taiko monster – awesome.

The lighting was excellent, and (once again) I cannot rave enough about the music. All that, and a cracking bit of dance as well. It’s a crying shame that there was only seven people there to see it.

Wil By Mouth

Wil Anderson @ Union Hall

8:45pm, Mon 25 Feb 2002

Score: 7

Short Review: Amusing… but…

There was no theme to this show, no premise – just Wil coming out (to a raptuous applause) and cracking a bunch of jokes before he left. He was really rapid-firing it – at times he was almost speaking too fast to be legible.

After opening the act with the fourth “I don’t know how to open this act” I’ve heard in the last week, Wil was right into it – jokes about his mum, faux pas at friends’ weddings (I’ve got that one beat, buddy), a smattering of ads and expressions that he hates. And chalk up anothe “Crocodile Hunter” gag – except Wil’s Steve Irwin impersonation is neither as accurate nor as amusing as Lehmo’s.

The thing I like about Wil is that he’s a real Aussie comedian – self-denigrating, and au fait with classic Australian mannerisms. But I feel that I should wrap up this review by saying – he’s almost there. This was almost a classic show, except for the last 10 minutes… his Ministry Of Sound – Ibiza airline gag went way too long, and the “DVD menu” at the end was just gratuitous. “No offence”.

We Are…

Hybrid deFLEX Productions @ Little Games Room

7:00pm, Mon 25 Feb 2002

Score: 8

Short Review: Industrial

Hybrid deFLEX, a Melbourne based production company, present this examination of the perception of normality in Australian society. They do this using a highly physical, wonderfully choreographed piece of dance.

Whilst the group aspect of the performance is great – choreography is exceptional, timing of the cast is fine – what sets this piece of work apart is the individualism granted to each performer. According to the program, each performer was given the liberty to present their own interpretation of the matter at had… and this works well. The cacophony of voices when each utters a different common expression is great, and the group use the space around (and in) the audience well.

The soundtrack is awesome – one gorgeously textured industrial soundscape. All dancers were great – the opening 5 minutes, with its odd rhythms, is exceptional – but performing director Parris Sloan was exceptional; his focus was absolute, and at times he could be mistaken for a fixated devil, such was the strength of his stare. Andy Snelling was also a standout, but this takes nothing away from the rest of the cast – this was a cracker of a bit of dance.

Jeff Green

Jeff Green @ Nova 2

9:45pm, Sun 24 Feb 2002

Score: 5

Short Review: Over-rated

On a whim, I managed to squeeze this show in. I needn’t have bothered really, and frankly, I dunno what attracted me to it in the first place.

Jeff is a nice enough kind of bloke and, to be fair, this Sunday night crowd probably wasn’t the most responsive one could hope for. But… well, his observations of the mundane (particularly relationships) and stories of his youth just weren’t that funny. And the one time he tried a more risque joke (vaginal flatulence), eliciting groans from some of the audience, he backed away from it quicker than… somthing very quick. “Brave” my arse.

There was some good stuff there – stamp licking stories, vanity, lactic acid jokes, and feeding a horse a lemon. And Jeff’s constant mocking of the dead crowd was great. But I’ve never seen a worse closer to a comedy show. Never. And, at the end of the day, methinks that’s inexcusable, especially if there’s better comedy around.

King Lear

heartspace theatre company @ Masonic Lodge

7:30pm, Sun 24 Feb 2002

Score: 8

Short Review: Good Shakespeare

Ah, Shakespeare. Thou doth quote, and all that. Well, Heartspace Theatre Company (a group of Sacred Heart College Old Scholars and friends) put on a solid, entertaining rendition of the Bard’s work.

In front of a generally young crowd, this interpretation has a distinctly Asian feel – incorporating popular Buddhist mythology in the Hungry Ghosts, which provide an insight into Lear’s psyche during the play. The live music, too, had an Eastern feel.

The director’s notes indicate that the original play has been but by a half, in order to focus on the psychological, rather than political, content of the work. This works well – there is no loss of coherency, and the play progresses at a rapid rate of knots.

The performers were generally good – Merwan Stevens, as Edmund, is exceptional, and Juliette Revell-Nussio and Alice Wagstaff as the sisters Goneril and Regan are deliciously evil – witness the removal of the Earl of Gloucester’s eyeballs, complete with fleshy stuff (fruit) flying across the stage. Ray Begue’s interpretation of Lear is a bit odd, though – at times I thought he was trying to immitate Yoda. The Hungry Ghosts, and the Fool of Joanna Hakendorf, also brought in some comic relief.

In short – competently performed, immensely enjoyable. And it’s Shakespeare. What more needs to be said?

The Secret Death of Salvador Dali

Strut & Fret @ The Lunar Tent

6:00pm, Sun 24 Feb 2002

Score: 8

Short Review: Surreal

Woo-hoo, this was classic Fringe theatre. One enters the Lunar Tent to see an inverted dischordant violinist suspended from the roof, along with two large, white amorphous blobs (quilts? beanbags?) that, over the course of the show, represented anything from a hospital bed to Dali’s penis & moustache. Yup, this one was about as surreal as some of Dali’s paintings.

The play spans most of Dali’s life, and is played by a male and female performer who both take on new characters without warning; one scene sees them playing Dali and sister Ana Maria, and swapping characters mid-scene – a mind bending one, that. However, there is much emphasis placed on Dali’s childhood affectations, and his later sexual fixations – “blood is sweeter than honey”. And, of course, much time is spent following his relationship with model/lover/wife/keeper Gala Eluard, who exploited Dali later in life.

There’s many, many references made to his paintings – “The Lugubrious Game” came in for a good yak, and “Eggs on a Dish without the Dish” is particularly overt. Most inexplicable, however, is the huge inflated pink blob which invades the Lunar Tent and devours Dali (after he realises he has become what he once abhored – one of the putrefacto) at the end of the play – we think is was an interpretation of “The Great Masturbator”, or possibly even “Invisible Sleeping Woman, Horse, Lion”, but let’s face it – it was a huge pink blob!

Honestly, I pissed myself laughing for 15 minutes coming out of this – the pink blobby thing was such a bizarre ending to a totally obtuse play. Direction is great, music is excellent. Worth seeing, just for the arched eyebrows.

Cabaret

Aerialize @ The Lunar Tent

4:30pm, Sun 24 Feb 2002

Score: 6

Short Review: Acrobat for kids

After the sheer wonder of Acrobat comes another tumbling and acrobatic show, also in the Lunar Tent. This time (after yet another gorgeous Lure outside the Tent) the hijinks are a little more fanciful, a lot more family friendly (the nastiest things get is the word “piss” being utterred), a lot more colourful.

There is a caberet-ish premise for the proceedings, but appears to be largely ignored, save the wonderful costumes. There are a lot more members in the troupe – maybe a dozen, including a very young girl (7 years old, who sweetly got to do her own trapeze act) and a rather dull “concierge” (who acted as a storytelling mouthpiece). In true cabaret style, there was a bit of song, dance and tap to be had, along with a lot of aerial acrobatics – trapeze, free rope, and twin sheets providing great platforms for their performers.

So, while the visuals were certainly more colourful than Acrobat, and the acrobatics about on par, there didn’t seem to be as much variety as that previously raved show. And the end of the show – was that confused or WHAT??

In short, if you want some cheap acrobatics to take the kids to, this is probably a good choice. However, the adult audiences would be well advised to just go straight to the real thing, Acrobat.

Phobia

Velocity Dance Productions @ Mercury Cinema

2:00pm, Sun 24 Feb 2002

Score: 3

Short Review: Unprofessional

Velocity Dance Productions (a troupe developed out of Eltham High School in Victoria) presented three dance pieces based around different phobias.

The first, Arachnophobia, set the scene: and what a shocker it was. Large amounts of the “dance” had all the synchronicity and enthusiasm of a 9am Monday morning aerobics class. The transitions between pieces of music (within each piece) appeared to have been editted with nowt but an old turntable and a rusty chainsaw. The second piece, Aviaphobia, had more potential – some pieces of choreography actually seemed quite clever, and would have been impressive – if someone else were performing them. The last piece, Claustrophobia, was abysmal. Let’s be honest, it was shithouse. If it was supposed to look like the dancers didn’t look like they knew what they were doing, then I apologise; however, I don’t don’t think this was the case.

Things were sub-par technically as well – apart from the staggeringly bad music transitions, the lighting was also staccato. The quality of the dancers… well, to be honest, my SO and I each thought there were three good dancers out of the eight, and only had one in common. But most looked like they didn’t want to be there, or didn’t know the pieces. And those “back rollover” thingies were just appalling.

To be honest, the very worst thing about this show (and let’s face it, there’s a long list of things to dislike) was the absolute lack of professionalism showed by the performers, whether it was milling about before the performance, or during the performance itself. One would have expected that those trying to get “a break” may have shown a little more dedication, application, focus; however, few of the dancers seen here are likely to be seeing their names in any more programmes.

The 3 Canadians – Ben Hur Digitally Remastered

The 3 Canadians @ Scott Theatre

10:00pm, Sat 23 Feb 2002

Score: 7

Short Review: Standard 3C Fun

Saturday night, and if the full house (and bloody long line-up) is any indication, the Fringe (aka Comedy) Festival is alive and well.

The 3 Canadians (reformed after their little “split” last year – thank jeebus for that, given North’s abysmal North Alone) return to their ’96 act, an attempt to condense the 212 minute, 1959 classic Ben Hur into 60 minutes. As they announced at the start of the show, the previous night (and their opening night) had run “a little long” – so I was hopeful for rapid changes, fast dialog, and rapid-fire wit.

And I got it – but they still ran about 20 minutes long (which would’ve been a real piss-off for the people queuing for “Best of the Fest”, which purportedly started at 11:30pm – we left at 11:45pm). Anyhoo, their method of volunteer selection set the scene for a good show of laughs, a nice bit of audience participation, the dismemberment of a classic movie, and several fine pieces of overacting by Derek.

There’s something about the 3 Canadians which is infinitely more appealling than (say) the 4 Noels – sure, there’s the same level of “ad libs” (quotes used for a reason), the same level of self-denigration… but the 3 Canadians make it work. This isn’t thoughtful comedy, it isn’t high wit, just good, solid, brainless entertainment.