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Aeneas Faversham Forever

Padmini Ray Murray — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:26:59 +0000

The Penny Dreadfuls are now firmly considered Fringe Favorites—an entirely unsurprising fact given the finesse, versatility and sheer talent these three gentlemen bring to the stage. Their periodic visits to Victoriana, a world obsessed with sodomy and colonies in equal measures, revolve around the dandy and explorer Aeneas Faversham, and this is its third installment. This surreal narrative of intrigue and revenge is peopled by a vast cast of characters, from the menacing butler to the simpering wife of the protagonist (who pops out to the shops for a six pack of bonnets) and all of these are played utterly delightfully and anything but dreadfully by the trio.
The sketches come thick and fast and are impressive in their speed of execution; the production is slick, which is still unfortunately somewhat of a rarity at the Fringe. What is most impressive is the sheer volume of material the Dreadfuls manage to fit into less than an hour, spoofing as they are the labyrinthine and ridiculous twists and turns of Victorian pulp fiction. Their imaginative use of shadow puppetry and props, or lack thereof, does go to show how much consummately performed physical theatre can convince, disproving the need for great expense (although their spot-on use of costume does considerably enhance the illusion).
However, although there are many things to recommend this performance, the comedy itself sometimes fails to hit the mark and resorts to the same kinds of humorous themes repeatedly, which frankly disappoints, as the Dreadfuls surely have the imagination and the wit to ensure more breadth of appeal.

4/5

Will & Greg - A Sketch Show

Padmini Ray Murray — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:26:27 +0000

Being greeted by two comedians pedalling madly on stationery cycles while the audience files in is unusual, even by the wacky standards of the Fringe. And unusual Will and Greg certainly are, which is quite a feat given the ubiquity of comedy at festival time. What very possibly sets them apart is the uncomplicated nature of what they do, but delivered with such confidence and finesse that their absurd comedy rarely misses the mark.
Will and Greg are blessed as comedians for they possess two very necessary attributes required for comedy–likeability and a fearlessness of the surreal. Their hour long show is peopled by a wide range of personalities,from the suicidal real estate agent to a mutant half man, half pen (you had to be there), played with aplomb by the indefatigable duo. Armed with the very minimum of props, the pair seamlessly transition between each sketch with the aid of a television that signals the end of each sketch. The two share an easy rapport and rarely miss a beat, and each sketch is sharply played by these impressive performers with impeccable timing. Their own enjoyment is palpable and infectious and inject extra zest to what is already an hour of wonderfully observed and gratifyingly hilarious comedy.

4/5

Just

Bernie Greenwood — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:35:02 +0000

Conceived in mediocrity and gestated in langour, no great expenditure of talent graces any part of this utterly un-provocative judicial commentary.
The script takes one usable concept - the wrongful accusation of murder - and studiously avoids any opportunity to tackle the subject with more than an adolescent perspective. Being a pint in a gallon
pot, the core idea is extended with the flimsiest of tendrils viz. An inarticulate, idiotic policeman and an arbitrarily despotic anthropomorphic Justice. Welcome to Amuter Hour.
So it’s sorely lacking in content, but halfway through you will - unless you’re not really watching, which is likely - realise that it’s also devoid of hope. Like a sunken ship, the play reaches terminal velocity very quickly and after twenty minutes of dropping through ever-darker water one suspects this may be a trend.
There are a few light chuckles to be had if you’re forgiving, but the lines are, for the most part, either exposing the pointlessness of the characters or posing as cleverly veiled metaphor. It’s only posing. The message is transparent where it’s not illegible; what’s not clever is not veiled, or rather, the clever parts are very well-hidden indeed.
All the ingredients are brought together with just enough effort to prevent it from being truly /bad/, but it’s still slack and supine, flaccid and stolid. Definitely one to miss.

2/5

The Man I Cure

Bernie Greenwood — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:27:22 +0000

It’s hard to know what to make of this show. It’s an oddity. It looks like a play in much the same way as a large box on wheels looks like a car - it’s the nearest apparent thing. There are people, to be sure, and they speak, but any normal features are absent or heavily blurred. It has some impenetrable inner logic, and to sit through it is to be awash in bewilderment. It might have been written in one intensely productive bout of delirium. One needs a Zen-like ambivalence towards interpretation, but once you allow this there is a beating heart of original experience gleaming in the mist.
An airman breaks into a hospital room, for reasons best known to himself, and is a bit put-out when he finds out the two nurses there have been expecting him. It’s a bitterly awkward start, and even a bit uncomfortable to watch. Improbably, it all gets easier when the nurses turn out to be obsessive, unstable, and mildly delusional. What’s going through their minds not even God knows as they inflict their treatment of boiled eggs and milk, and it’s even more bizarre that the airman actually cooperates with all this.
Everyone blows off some steam without actually resolving everything and the story glides into finality as effortlessly as it started. You won’t walk away enlightened, or even entirely coherent, but you will have enjoyed the ride.

3/5

Brendon Burns: Fuck You I’m Fucking Brendom Burns Part IV

Libby Pollock — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:16:39 +0000

After enjoying one of his fellow antipodean and equally close to the bone comics, I was advised by various friends, flyers and general festival goers to go and see Brendon Burns. I then realised that this was the guy that won last years if.comedy award, the guy I was disappointed to miss last time round. I don’t think he used last years material again this year.
Burns took a while to get into any sort of rhythm, partly due to an audience member who was overly enthusiastic/inebriated. Burns dealt with this promptly and professionally, although a number of people who saw last years show were left wondering if this was staged or genuine. Without any real focus to the show Burns manages to deliver a handful of gags although its not too original to poke fun at Barrymore and Princess Diana. However, I’ve never seen anyone hold a vendetta against the Quebecois and this was definitely the high point for me.
By the end of the show I couldn’t help but think this show was directed at his cult following and that he felt he didn’t need to try as hard this year as he won the festival’s highest accolade last year. Unlike some, I didn’t find Burns overly loud mouthed and offensive. I’d give him another chance and hopefully he’ll try next time.

2/5

The Last Yak

Padmini Ray Murray — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:20:26 +0000

Pangolin’s Teatime are to be congratulated for making full and inventive use of space—surrounding the spectator with the action by performing behind translucent screens on all four sides of the room creates an impact when one enters the auditorium. This effect is further enhanced by the stereophonic cacophony of animal calls (performed ably by the performers) that helps to effectively create the atmosphere of being on the jungle floor.
The story itself, told through the modes of shadow, rod and hand puppetry is a poignant origin tale whose action is divided between the world of the natural, the supernatural and the human. Such narrative complexity demands clarity of execution and it is here that Pangolin’s Teatime sometimes falls short. The acoustics of the space are not efficiently handled, resulting in a lot of dialogue getting lost due to excessively fast and unmodulated delivery, which rather hampers understanding of the layered narrative. The characters representing the human world are possibly the weakest elements of the play, especially since they fall short of conveying their circumstances with conviction, and their isolation in the jungle is particularly undermined by Lucinda’s bizarrely unsuitable attire for mountaineering.
However, in spite of these small details, the puppetry is largely impressive, Felix Trench’s Tiger is played with regal gravity while Leonie Hamway and Gwennie Von Einsiedel’s Horatio and Clarence, a duo of posh but rather dastardly bears, are wonderfully and wittily voiced.
This young company definitely have the potential to transport their spectators to another, more magical world—something they might well achieve with more time and polish.

3/5

Vincent

Scott McKellar — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:16:47 +0000

Vincent Van Gogh remains one of history’s most enduring artists. A man of brilliant talent but tortured by feelings of inadequency and failure. Amazingly, despite producing over 2000 pieces of work, he only sold one painting and was financially dependant on his beloved brother Theo. After his suicide, Theo was overcome with emotion at the funeral and unable to say a word. Nimoy’s play takes the conceit that a week afterwards he convened a gathering of friends, artists and appreciators in Paris and was able to talk about his late brothers life and work.
It’s a wonderfully inspiring idea, and using 1076 pages of letters between Vincent and his brother as its basis, Nimoy’s play has both immediacy and intimacy.
Vincent Van Gogh was far from perfect. Constantly moving from one disaster to the next and obsessed with redemption, he was a challenge to those who loved him. We hear about his life and loves, his poverty and mental illness and finally his destructive friendship with Gauguin.
Jim Jarrett as Theo, the sole character, speaks directly to the audience with only a minimalist set and with the support of a screen illustrating key events and Vincent’s work. In a nuanced and moving performace, he draws energy fom the audience and absolutely commands your attention for the duration. It’s no surprise that he has been playing this role for 12 years and his grief is genuine.
An emotional and fascinating experience giving a real insight into the tortured soul behind some of the worlds best known paintings. Highly recommended.

4/5

Pericles Redux

Martin Miller — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:13:53 +0000

Every year the Edinburgh Festival is inundated with weird and wacky new takes on the work of Shakespeare. Not A Man apart Theatre company take on Pericles is to transform it into a powerful piece of physical theatre with much hilarity and humour injected into it throughout, helped along by a brilliant seven strong cast.
The plot for those not familiar to it, is a tale involving a prince who is forced to escape his homeland by an incestuous king. As he explores different cities he has a wife and child before tragedy strikes. The play despite its age is packed full of twists and turns and had the audience engrossed.
Director John Farmanesh-Bocco has done an excellent job of creating a beautiful production, filling the performance with high drama, hilarity and some wonderful character quirks that will have you rolling about laughing. The dancing however will have you gasping, its incredible. When the men are fighting in a stunningly choreographed dance, there fighting is rough, impeccably timed and using real weapons put many simulated weapon battles from other productions well and truly to shame.
Suffering only from its over reliance on pantomime humour which while very funny takes away from the spectacle as it never quite gels together with the subject matter. Never the less this is a stunning production and well worth the fantastic word of mouth praise it has been receiving.

4/5

Titus Andronicus

Scott McKellar — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:09:34 +0000

Noble General Titus returns to Rome after conquering the Goths, but after the Queen of the Goths is married to the new Emperor, he finds himself and his family at the mercy of her bloody revenge. And bloody’s the operative word. Titus Andronicus is infamous as Shakespeare’s bloodiest play. This one has it all: murders, mutilations, adultery, rape, insanity and cannibalism, but the excesses can make it a problem for modern audiences, threatening to skew events into absurdity.
Action to the Word’s Titus is a defiantly sexy hit. Transposed to a kind of 80s London, this drips sex and lust amid the violence. Performers are dressed, and no-so-dressed, in dark suits, leathers and revealing corsets, supported by an excellent punky soundtrack. It makes sense in such a sensationalist play to use this appeal and ATTW strike a fine balance, using the modernity and sexualism to draw in the audience and support the drama without it becoming a farce.
The violence and gore is handled well, and the stage is fair sprayed with blood at points, notably in the excellent murders of Demetrius and Chiron which has them stripped and strapped to the butchering table, later reused with effect in the monstrous dinner scene.
Solid performances from all the leads, particularly Helen Duff’s memorable Tamora, show confidence in what is an imaginative and polished production.
Never less than spectacular, this is easily one of the best shows of this years Fringe.

5/5

Behind The Mirror

Scott Robertson — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:21:59 +0000

Behind the Mirror is a great show for both adults and children a like. With sound effects made by the performers themselves, the kids get to laugh out loud and be amused as the characters are really over emphasised by the cast. The adults get a kick out of the quite subtle underlining humour of the show, with its dirtiness and hidden meanings.
Even though this great piece of physical theatre has no dialogue in any language the audience will understand through their body language. This production is very funny and well acted by a qualified group of actors: Deborah Pugh, Nir Paldi and George Mann, who all trained at “Ecole Internationale de Theatre” in Paris. This master creation was conceived and directed by George Mann himself which gives you a lot more respect and applause for this very funny show.
As the show has no speak in it, or nothing any one will understand any way, it makes it great for anyone to go and see, no matter what language they speak. This show really is for everyone.
It is very well performed, has a good storyline for everyone and will have you cackling with laughter. Not only does this show have great performers and great scenes but it also makes sure you leave the place with a big smile across your face. One to see!

4/5