White Side Story is one of those shows you either love or hate. Some may say it is a magical fairy tales, while others would consider it fanciful rubbish. It’s also probably an acquired taste as it is performed in its entirety without dialogue, using music, dance and mime to unfold its tale.
At the centre of this frenetic tale is the power struggle between two opposing queens (one good and one evil obviously). A simple enough plot, but considering that the cast consists of three and there are at least ten characters White Side Story can be confusing, and as a result it lacks real direction. However, it has to be said that the actors are impressive in their multi-character roles and their comic talent does bring life to this slightly flat play.
Be warned though, the actors like to involve the audience as much as possible. This can range from the unobtrusive, like throwing Russian money into the crowd, to physical assault, albeit with spongy swords. As with most Fringe shows of this ilk, nobody really minds, especially the children who thought it was hilarious, but I’m sure I caught a few frightened adult faces amongst the crowd.
At times White Side Story is clever and witty and at other times slow and slightly boring. It could be improved with a more obvious plot to guide us and more dancing scenes to inject energy and life. Generally the play is entertaining enough and the enthusiastic performances are worthy of note. I would recommend this play for families, as children will love this atmospheric, amusing and bizarre tale.
3/5
Julia Brown
