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Strip Search

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:35:03 +0000

The audience is full of gay men and larger groups of women giggling in anticipation of what is promised by the title of the show. As pounding disco plays, a large, spectacularly muscled black man strides on stage in faux military attire. Striking poses of the clichéd Chippendale ilk he slowly takes his jacket off. The lights go up and he begins to address the audience with how he feels about one particular punter in the audience who keeps turning up to his gigs.
The rest of the show continues in this vein- striking macho stripper poses and then confessional-like moments with the audience, from his broken home and childhood through turning tricks for money until his eventual incarceration and escape into the army- each layer that is stripped away reveals a little more about the person underneath.
Inevitably he strips fully naked before us- when he does, the audience is now invested enough in his life-story, and the full frontal exposure is lacking in titillation by this point and instead feels faintly sad.
The monologue is delivered with an honesty that enables us to identify with the central character and see past the initial physicality and confident masculinity. Sadly the content of the dialogue and our squaddie’s life thus far is laid on so thick that we are pointed unsubtly at feeling his anger over an unfair system as a whole, rather than his situation personally. The drama could have been dealt with with a lighter touch allowing us to empathise rather than just observe his situation.
Overall a piece of strong, if heavy handed drama; but then that is typical of the military.

3/5

Request Programme

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:45:03 +0000

This is an intimate affair playing to an audience of approximately 15 people at any time. We enter a room and take a seat along one of the walls- the centre of the room is set up as if it were a one bedroom bedsit, complete with sink, fridge, bed and dining table.
It begins with the actress Cecilia Nilsson entering the room, clearly having just finished a day at the office. She hangs up her coat, and goes through the mundane tasks such as cooking dinner, doing the dishes and watching a little television. Everything is performed wordlessly as we are allowed to observe essentially another persons evening alone. We begin to glean an idea of Cecilia’s character with the way she performs tasks- she is fastidious in everything, neat and clean- the flat is sparsely decorated in beige save for a few items of sentimental kitsch belying a soppy heart beneath the façade.
When the radio is turned on more aspects of her story unfold. We are allowed to piece together our own idea of how this older woman, more mature in years, has come to be alone.
Songs of loneliness and abandonment play and descriptions of happiness and being dumped begin to pervade the scene. Cecilia plays the role openly and unflinchingly as we are allowed to observe in a piece of work that is closer and more real than film and crosses from theatre into the live art field in its picture of humanity.
Request Programme is a powerful and poignant piece of work.

5/5

Evelyn Evelyn

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 09:30:27 +0000

Evelyn Evelyn are the World’s only conjoined twin singer-songwriter duo. They are also, in fact; Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, good friends and performers in the punk cabaret genre with their own unique and dedicated fan following.
As the twins wearing matching wigs shuffle on stage, partly forced by a stage-hand (they are feeling very shy tonight) and reluctantly take a seat at the piano we see they are clothed in a dress leaving one arm free on either side. Jason’s beard let’s us tell them apart.
They sing every song together- and remarkably, with Amanda on the right hand and Jason on the left, play the piano, accordion, drum, guitar and amusingly, the ukulele in this fashion. Jason is a natural clown, cracking up the audience and frequently Amanda to the point of being unable to speak. His sparkling eye contact with everyone watching gives the personal feel that their fan-base craves.
Thomas Truax the NYC musician who creates his own instruments MCs the proceedings which have an air of vintage Vaudevillian freak show that suits the content aptly. A bizarre question section and amusing shadow puppet play interlude to the songs and the audience is clearly enrapt.
The supportive audience clearly revel in being allowed to share in the silliness taking place on stage like a personal joke that only certain people in the know “get”. If you are not an Amanda Palmer fan this can come across as sycophantic indulgence, but if you are, this is a slice of twisted heaven capturing the anarchic spirit of cabaret.

4/5

Leo

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:45:21 +0000

The scene opens with Leo lying on the right hand side of the stage in a 3 walled portion of a cube. On the left hand side is a live video feed projection, with the camera angled so it appears as if Leo is leaning against a wall.
The entire piece is performed with Leo right side up in the projection, but often lying on his back or uncomfortably balanced on his side in reality. It is an entirely wordless and initially soundless piece of theatre that graduates from Leo moving through being content, to confused, then excited and eventually accepting of the space and how he relates to it.
Like the film Groundhog Day, everything is performed in the right order as he makes discoveries about his situation and how they are explored within the scenario. Our grasp of what happens with gravity and objects is used to the audience’s amused advantage as we see them happening in real life and on video simultaneously and we are allowed to delight in the confusion it provides to our senses.
Once Leo has established the rules of the space, the boundaries are pushed and fantasy takes over to beautiful effect; dance scenarios from Metro-Goldwyn Mayer musicals unfold, underwater swimming scenes and finally; a performance of pure physicality that is powerful, sensual and mesmerising.
Leo, aka Tobias Wegner, is a performer of peak physical prowess that imbues his performance with humour and charisma that transcends the show from a mere exploration of space into another realm.
An absolute highlight of the Fringe thus far.

5/5

David Leddy’s ‘Untitled Love Story’

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:30:51 +0000

Untitled Love Story is a production involving the stories of four characters that arrive or live in Venice for different reasons in different eras ranging from 1948 to 2011 and their experiences of love and what that means.
The audience are asked at various points to meditate on different experiences; when you last had bodily fluid on your skin- yours or someone else’s and picture someone you love, for example. This action forces you as an audience member to layer your own personal experience of what you’re being asked to meditate on, on to the stories unfolding in front of you. All the stories being delivered are different, but are woven in amongst one another so that eras and times blend, situations and experiences merge and they all inhabit the same space. The characters’ lives cross, but never interact.
In an almost set and prop-less production, a large billowing scarlet parachute silk is draped inventively to great effect and minimalist lighting and projections are also used.
David Leddy’s production is a very modern theatre piece that demands, rather than ask, engagement from the audience. This may come across as raw and contrived to some, but for most it will be a refreshing and contemporary theatrical experience.

4/5

Dr Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown…

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:55:42 +0000

Absurdist clowning comedy for all ages, this show opens with a stage strewn with plastic toys, ski boots, tennis rackets and fruit. As we wait patiently for Dr Brown (ad infinitum) to appear, a grown man in a tiger suit plays the ukulele and keyboard as a soundtrack.
A large laundry bag on the floor begins to shuffle. As the audience giggles, Dr Brown slowly emerges from this bag. There is a large badly drawn map taped to the back of the curtains that falls at one point and Dr Brown makes attempts to re-stick it, first one side, then the other. Then the first side again, then the other. He repeats and it gets funnier as he does as you see the inevitability of its failure.
Dr Brown invites audience participation from the children present through gestures (the show is performed in silence) and two eager bodies assist him in various silly tasks. It quickly becomes apparent that they are enthralled with Dr Brown to the point of refusing to leave the stage and, irritatingly unrestrained by their parents; wreak havoc child style.
It is testament to his mastery of the genre of clown that he seamlessly copes so admirably with the child obstacles in his path whilst acknowledging his pain to the laughter of the adult members in the audience.
The show is meandering and formless and some may find this lack of structure a pointless experience, but to others we are simply happy to be taken on this bizarre gentle journey.

4/5

The Blue Lady Sings Back

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:45:48 +0000

It seems nearly everyone has a relative who owned or owns one of those Blue Lady paintings from the 1960’s- the lady looks demurely down to her left with arms gently folded within the confines of the picture frame, which is how Tricity Vogue starts the show, “blued up” and in a gallery for miscreant art-works.
She sings to us and mischievously tries to escape the frame whilst adopting the guises of various different iconic artworks and singing songs about being Blue. Audience participation is relied upon, to assist her perform different elements of the sketches, who respond willingly to her nudges, nods and gestures.
Tricity is a charming performer who winks, smiles and pouts her way in-between costume changes and uses the frame in inventive ways so that it becomes an important part of her character rather than just a prop on stage.
The show is a gentle experience that takes you on a sweet little journey but sadly is let down by a lack of real bite or a satirical edge required for any really depth. The character of the Blue Lady is never properly explored and the journey itself, whilst touching on many different topics, never actually mines the territory of and who she is to the full extent that is deserved or possible.
It’s worth having a look at as it is an original concept and the Fringe is a great place to explore slightly more unusual work like this, but, like art, will not be to everyone’s taste.

3/5

How I Invented Hip Hop… And Other Faux Pas

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:35:35 +0000

Rhymes and beats gentleman style. Mr B, the Gentleman Rhymer presents this show of a genre he entitles “Chap-hop” (rapping and singing over looped electro-swing beats whilst playing the underused Banjolele.
Mr B is a moustachioed gentleman here to correct our English, dear chaps, using the power of music. Opening with a selection of rock power ballads done chap style, ranging from Kiss through to Slayer he is immediately a crowd pleaser. Interjecting each song with a little commentary he continues to play for the most part, songs in the same vein (a particularly strong moment in the Bavarian styled interpretation of Kraftwerk’s Model.)
The joke does however begin to become slightly repetitive during the course of the next hour and feels very much like a one gag joke and strong 15minute cabaret slot that has been stretched into a slightly thin hour show. Mr B needs to work on his crowd interaction and develop his character more for talking with the crowd (if you’re going to advocate always wearing Tweed, at least wear some yourself) as it is lacking and his original songs, which are again part of his stronger work are neither naughty or political enough to give any real satirical bite.
Mr B is no stranger to the Cabaret Scene but needs to take it to the next level of character development for this to become a truly stand-out piece of entertainment. Worth attending, particularly if you’re going to White Mink at the Voodoo Rooms straight after, otherwise there’s stronger Cabaret out there. Tally-ho!

3/5

Shutterland

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:15:35 +0000

‘Shutterland’ is a physical theatre piece from emergent Lecoq trained artists in their first Edinburgh Fringe production. All the performers are strong, engaging and committed to the work and throw themselves passionately into the piece with gusto. The show is at times amusing and at others provocative. It blends the story characters seamlessly from scenario to scenario as the story unfolds in front of you.
What is curious about this production is that it glaringly omits the obvious: that it is essentially a physical theatre adaptation of 1984. Whether they are naïvely unaware of the book or felt it important to skirt the white elephant in the room, this is a retread of themes of the ever-watching Big Brother, the Totalitarium State and Conformity that have been explored time and time again since George Orwells’ work first appeared.
Having more in common with Terry Gilliam’s ‘Brazil’, this piece takes you on a journey of the Everyman, Lublin, whose life suddenly takes a turn for the unexpected when he receives a letter out of place. Physical theatre expresses the more surreal aspects of the subject matter of his discovery of the futility of his existence in the system as he realises he is just a piece of the machine, not even with freewill, whilst simultaneously being dutifully served by the ever present existence of technology, portrayed here in the guise of always helpful, reliable, comforting Gestapo uniform and Gas mask clad characters who veer from charming to suffocating in an instant.
A company to “watch” out for in future productions.

4/5

Flynch, Looking

Catriona Ruth Paterson — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:15:41 +0000

The scene opens to Flynch, the title role of the piece, being dumped unceremoniously by his girlfriend over a phone message. He then promptly retreats to a seaside hotel to recover.
Other than the main actor, the performers play multiple parts and interact with Flynch in various ways- manipulating the furniture and scenery in order to portray the slow passage of time around him and his gradual breakdown.
The show is a competently delivered physical theatre piece and the performers themselves are all good, but their belief in the show is not entirely there. It also lacks the necessary organic flow between scene transitions at some points. There are some nice touches: the progressively drunk singles bar is particularly amusing, as are the underwater swimming scenarios, but the show itself smacks strongly of a newly graduated student piece using typical aspects of devising in order to deliver the work. As an emerging company it is a good effort but is a little disappointing considering they have all trained at the much lauded Lecoq school in Paris.
The performers are talented and, given time, they will carve out a more specific niche for the tone and direction of their work as a company; at present it appears to all intents and purposes as if they are checking off boxes in a list of performance techniques to use within predictable physical theatre territory.

2/5