Mar 04

FRINGE 2019 – Adelaide International Youth Film Festival Preview Program – 5K

by Riccardo Barone

Children are sponges. They absorb everything they see, everything they experience. We’ve all been there, fragile sprouts, innocent angels, truth-tellers, staring at our preferred cartoons, creating thousands of adventures and imaginary scenarios to escape the grown-up’s reality, a too realistic reality for this age; this is when the fantasy comes in to play with our imagination and let’s us be children. This is when often we, adults,  go around the bush, striving for the appropriate solution instead of listening to our inner voice, the voice of a child, to solve the problem in the most harmless way (win-win?).

The preview program of the Adelaide International Youth Film Festival allows us to get back in touch with our childhood, listening with a child’s heart but watching with adult eyes. The short movies, screened for a primary school aged audience, touch important topics such as compassion for elderly persons, empathy for children with disability, bullyism in school premises, fighting parents with related consequences on the kids, entering in a little girl’s mind to understand her food preferences or just hilarious and colored cartoons.

We are enthusiastically waiting for September when the Festival will be on to enjoy other amazing productions.

Kryztoff rating: 5k

Mar 03

Why John Howard REALLY Sucked – Jordan Shanks

WHY JOHN HOWARD REALLY SUCKED

Jordan Shanks – Rhino Room March 1st 2019

 

Image: Jordan Shanks in a previous life as an Advertising Model.

Review  by Gary Clarke                                                                                                                4 STARS

Jordan Shanks relies on parody as the lubricant for his acerbic wit and is impressive dishing it out to high flyers, politicians and public figures but less so aiming cheap shots at easy targets like Bogons and  “Dole Bludgers” .  Shank’s audience of Millennials and  a smattering of of Zs and some older cohorts like yours truly were geared up and well prepared.  Most of them having followed “Happy Jordies” his online persona on You Tube.

At times it seemed more like a partisan Uni lecture on politics but with the professor being a well groomed good looking Millennial with an acerbic wit and a sharp tongue and the lecture theatre having beer wine and spirits on tap.  If only that were the case while I was at Uni, I never would have completed my degree but I would have enjoyed myself all the way…!

” I’ve always had a strong performing background. I’ve been doing it since I was five and I have very little understanding of what public shame is, I’m just an exhibitionist” .  he informed The Daily Mail.  And it shows. He is at home on stage and very comfortable in front of a full house of 150 people in The Rhino room.   His delivery is well honed and the subject matter very well researched.

Jordan Shanks argument is that all the important, effective developments both economic and social achieved since the 1960s have been at the hands of Labor Governments and that the mainstream press and even the ABC and SBS have promulgated a well worn myth that the LNP and Conservatives are better economic managers.

Who would have thunk a 29yo male model with a degree in International Politics could be so funny, keeping one hundred and fifty  25-35 year old’s  engaged and entertained for 70 minutes. Not one of them took out their phone to check their social media accounts or to tweet, Snapchat or Instagram.!

Jordan Shanks has had international exposure as a male model and since 2015 has built a You Tube channel following of 200,000 for his show “Friendly Jordies” while also performing live stand up comedy in front of audiences here in Australia and around the world.  Performing live is what he lives for and he works hard to keep that dream alive.   Unless of course he gets offered a safe Labor seat at the next election. Stay tuned!

Review by Gary Clarke                                                                                                                          4 STARS

 

 

Mar 03

FRINGE COMEDY — ERIC’S TALES OF THE SEA — Ferguson Room @ The National Wine Centre — 4K

By Belle Dunning

‘Eric’s Tales of the Sea’ is exactly what it sounds like — good old-fashioned storytelling by a former submariner of the Royal Navy Submarines. And it’s excellent.

Honest and heartfelt stories of mateship, terrifying close calls and the ridiculous things we do to keep ourselves entertained when living in close quarters.

I won’t reveal anything else because the magic of this show is in hearing these stories first-hand.

This is live performance at its best. Up-close and personal, you really feel connected with the person standing in front of you. All sense of time disappears, as you wait for each story to unfold.  It reminds you that ‘comedy’ doesn’t have to anything sophisticated, it can be as simple as someone sharing good stories. 

Don’t worry if you don’t know the first thing about submarines, if your curiosity is piqued, make sure you head along to one of the four remaining performances of ‘Eric’s Tales of the Sea’ on the 9th, 10th, 16th or 17th March.

Kryztoff Rating 4K

Mar 03

FRINGE 2019 – “VIVIR” Flamenco Guitar and Dance – 5K

by Riccardo Barone

La vida y la muerte. Rooted in the South of Spain, the Art of Flamenco is an ancient tradition started by the Gypsies in the South of Spain contrasting the classical tradition already present in the North. Let’s not forget when Manuel de Falla asked for help from Joaquin Turina, in order to have his music published, but the positive answer came only after he demonstrated to compose music deeply connected to the Flamenco.

Raul Mannola establishes a deep connection between the past and the present becoming spokesman for all the instrumental Flamenco treasure, result of years of sacrifice, dedication, belief, keeping in mind to serve the Arts using the power of an impressive virtuoso technique to enrich the world. Memorable and remarkable is his performance of John McLaughlin’s Lotus Feet as well as all the pieces in Soleá and Seguiriya Flamenco styles.

Aylin Eleonora with her majestic dance guides the hypnotized audience through unbelievable precision, speed, incarnation and materialization of ancient secrets whispered in the ears of time by her body rhythm.

The duo Eleonora-Mannola enriches our world from fifteen years with rapture and brilliant synergy becoming manifestation of pure knowledge and heritage.

Kryztoff rating: 5k

Mar 03

FRINGE 2019: Dolly Diamond’s Blankety Blanks – 3K – Gluttony

Dolly Diamond is your host as you enter the May Wirth in Gluttony and prepare to play – or, to watch others play – Blankety Blanks.

That is the basic premise of the show, but throw in a panel of Fringe celebrity judges (artists, staff, venue managers, etc.) and a couple of unsuspecting audience members and you’ve got a game on your hands. Dolly reads out a saying – famous or otherwise – and it’s up to the panel to fill in the blank. If they have a match with the audience participant, they win the point.

Dolly Diamond is a great host, bringing energy and life to the stage. She knows how to work a crowd and does it expertly.

However, the premise itself wears a little thin after the first two or so rounds. Moving through the rounds quicker would have helped here – the pace does wear the audience down a little and after a  while your mind starts to wander. Another thing that grated was that many of the participants repeated answers for all questions, and this also wore thin and just wasn’t entertaining – perhaps they should have been briefed beforehand to write a different answer each time.

This is a good premise, with a great host, but needs a little development in order to keep the audience engaged throughout the whole show.

Kryztoff Rating: 3K

Mar 02

FRINGE THEATRE — THE SORRY MUM PROJECT — Exhibition Hall @ The National Wine Centre — 3.5K

By Belle Dunning

Playwright and performer Pippa Ellams and director and producer Hannah Goodwin (of Pip and Han Inc) produce a modern, fun and honest theatre performance that is firmly grounded in the real world.

‘The Sorry Mum Project’ explores Pippa’s relationship with her real-life mum, and how they ended up so emotionally alienated that Pippa decided to make a Fringe show about it. Over the course of an hour, Pippa talks (and dances) her way through ridiculous and haltingly honest stories from her childhood and teen years, bringing the audience along for the ride. 

An awkward teenager with an overbearing showgirl for a mother, childhood dreams that are crushed by over-zealous body hair, family turmoil at the Moulin Rouge. At times embarrassing and uncomfortable, it’s also funny, quirky and uplifting.

Both a cathartic performance of coming to terms with her own guilt and a sincere apology to her mum, Pippa’s performance is refreshing in its honesty. This is theatre that isn’t trying to be anything fancy — it’s simple, up-close and personal. The show leaves you realising that we’re all just inadequate human beings trying to do our best, and we really should be a little nicer to our parents.

The Sorry Mum Project has now finished showing at the 2019 Adelaide Fringe, but keep an eye out for these girls in 2020.

Kryztoff Rating 3.5K

Mar 02

Fringe 2019 – Bourgeois and Maurice – RCC Little Theatre – 4K

We are all going to die. So we might as well go out dancing to a disco beat, with this talented and charismatic (probably human) duo as our guides.

Bourgeois and Maurice, the upbeat dancer and the downbeat pianist, tell us that they are workshopping their next show and trying it out on us here in Adelady. They are searching for a formula that will pull the crowds and fill the theatres, and so they decide on a show about…death. A memento mori – a reflection on mortality.

And so, sequinned and spangle-clad, they launch into a repertoire of clever witty songs, dance and banter.
Maurice isn’t convinced that it will work – they may need to aim for something bigger, something more inclusive.
But it’s not ALL about death. They’ve just arrived from the UK (The Land of Uck) and they’ve written a new national anthem. And there are ideas for saving the planet – which don’t involve giving up sequins. And there’s lots of sex, oh and love, sort of.
At any rate, they discover the meaning of life – for themselves at least.

This is not a show for the easily offended. It contains strong sex themes and language, and plenty of death, bitchiness, subversive songs, and dance. And they’re not very nice about immigrants from the womb – whoops – I mean babies…
4K

RCC Little Theatre until March 10th.

Mar 02

FRINGE Visual Arts and Design – Orion – Sound Bath – Adelaide Planetarium – 5K

The cosmic cloud Orion Nebula – 1,500 light-years away from Earth.
Retouched and cleaned version of original image with infrared and visible-light from NASA – Hubble Space Telescopes.

By Alisha Dyer

This years Fringe season is already at its half way mark and with so much going on you may find yourself in need of some meditation. What better way to leave that stress behind than by immersing yourself in the sounds and visuals of space?!

Orion Sound Bath is presented by Sacred Resonance founders Darren Curtis and Bradley Pitt. The experience is held in the cosy but remarkable planetarium at the University of South Australia Mawson Lakes campus. An intimate seating of just 45 has the audience reclining to look up at the eight metre domed ceiling, where a simulation of the night sky is projected by a rather impressive machine. The projector is analog, calibrated manually, and while it was installed in the 1970’s, the technology still surpasses that of modern (digital) projectors when it comes to star clarity.

A mini astronomy lesson pointing out the positions of Orion’s Belt, Orion Nebula and some well and lesser known stars is followed by an immersive sound and visual experience that will relax you into a deep meditation or even sleep.

Hear the raw sounds of Bellatrix, Saiph, Mintaka and celestial nebulae that have been recorded by NASA and expertly mixed into a dreamy sound bath by Darren and Bradley. Close your eyes or keep them fixed on the domed ceiling where the sound bath has been paired with stunning visuals of the galaxy and artistic renderings of sacred stone art from ancient cultures around the globe.

Sacred Resonance have absolutely succeeded in their endeavour to present a unique musical piece, based on natural resonate frequencies, that carries an entire audience to a peaceful state. Suitable for families, spiritual beings and anyone with interest in space. Take some time out of your busy weekend and escape to the stars this Sunday 3rd March. The Orion Sound Bath experience is scheduled at 2.30pm, 6.00pm and 8.00pm.

Kryztoff Rating 5K

Mar 02

Fringe 2019 – PUSSY RIOT – Riot Act

PUSSY RIOT — Riot Act 

The Attic – RCC Fringe Feb 27th 2019 – 8PM

 

Review by GARY CLARKE                                                                                                                                           5 STARS

“Planned Leaping and Hopping”  was the description one church employee gave at the trial of Pussy Riot activists. This referred to the now infamous 40 second “Punk Prayer” protest event in Moscow’s pre-eminent Orthodox Cathedral of Christ The Saviour that day in August 2012.  An event that epitomised the movement that challenged Putin’s grip on power.   “Non Conformity in The Eye of Conformity”.   And we were treated to plenty of planned leaping and hopping, air punching, dancing and hard core, high energy protest music  in The Attic.

This show featured not 3 but 4 of the original members of Pussy Riot in a 6 piece band .  Using multi media  including  a backdrop of archival footage, visual effects , music, theatre, dance, song and spoken/shouted word /chant. The whole explosive performance evoked  Masha Alyokhina’s prison memoirs.  All  this delivered at a blistering pace.  Pussy Riot were taking no prisoners!  The enraptured audience of 150 were fired up on a hot and balmy Adelaide night.

This feisty  Russian protest art collective, as they have been described, haven’t backed down an inch since those heady days  of 2012 despite the Russian State’s efforts to neuter them.  They are even more potent today as a result and that is reflected in their commitment to a better tomorrow.  More power to their arm I say.

This was also a  rare opportunity to purchase their “merch” in the form of signed Pussy Riot T-shirts and copies of Masha’ memoirs that the performance was based upon. This night the lines stretched three deep the length of the balcony. Many were stocking up on multiple copies of  the book and several T shirts. A large portion of the profits were going to support political prisoners.

A raunchy, driving, potent, display  and a rare opportunity to catch a piece of history  unfolding.   Catch it now and you wont regret it and you can say “I was there”

Review by Gary Clarke                5 stars

Riot Days merges punk, electronica, theater, documentary footage and protest.

Mar 01

FRINGE 2019 – Rouge – Gluttony – 4.5K

By Julia Cudsi

Circuses of the adult variety have been exceedingly popular in recent years of the Fringe, and generally for very good reason: amazing acrobatics, combined with burlesque, bawdy humour and a strong dose of titillation generally makes for an excellent night out.

“Rouge” fits perfectly within this description. From the welcoming words of “Ladies, Gentlemen, and Non-Binary Friends”, it is clear that this is a show which celebrates diversity in all its forms.

Ushered in by a magnificent operatic soprano, the audience is taken along on a magical ride of trapeze artistry, feats of physical strength, impressive gymnastics, hula-hoop related wizardry and – yes – full frontal nudity. “Rouge” is naughty, sexy, sensual, kinky, hilarious and just plain fun. I promise that you will never look at lamp shades, or carrots, the same way again.

If you only see one show this year, make it “Rouge”. But hot tip: leave your kids and your parents at home unless you want to endure an awkward ride home.

5K