Mar 01

Fringe 2019 – Double Denim: A Very Fancy Dinner Party – Cupola – 4K

In every comedy duo, there’s a straight man and a funny man. Double Denim – featuring Michelle Brasier and Laura Frew – is not every comedy duo. There is no straight man here; it’s just crazy and crazier.

Double Denim: A Very Fancy Dinner Party is a kooky parody of My Kitchen Rules, with the pair playing a host of characters including British Tourists, a bogan father and son and a pair of 20-something friends.

It’s quite hard to explain what to expect from a show like this: it’s sketch comedy, but also musical, but also just like… a shouting mess in the best way possible. And yes, there is a high stakes storyline, but no, you won’t need to follow it closely. 

The pair break into song at irregular intervals complete with choreography. Comedic musical numbers are usually divisive, but this pair have the audience looking forward to these tunes. These ladies are genuinely talented musicians who just happen to also be hilarious, and these songs were highlights of the show.

As a woman in her late 20s, my personal favourite was a song about just that – being a woman in her late 20s. In fact, any young Aussie with a quirky, absurd, Aunty Donna-esque sense of humour will love this show and the themes throughout. 

Michelle Brasier and Laura Frew are relatable, hilarious, talented and perfectly in sync. They have mastered the art of making a highly rehearsed and practiced show look effortless and casual. Check them out at the Garden of Unearthly Delights this week, or you may have to wait a whole year to see them again. 

4K

Mar 01

Fringe 2019 – The Tiger Lillies Present Edgar Allan Poe’s Haunted Palace – RCC Elder Hall – 5K

The eerie ethereal sounds of the theramin were a fortuitous forewarning to any audience member not yet familiar with the dark cabaret of the Tiger Lillies.

Based on the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe this performance contains songs based on Poe`s poems and stories, as well as original material. Elder Hall is transformed into a seemingly haunted place through the use of wonderful lighting, projection, and clever set design. Poe frantically travels through this nightmarish world in search of the special ink that the raven has seduced him into using, and without which he cannot write.

This hard to define trio ( Brechtian, punk, avantgarde, contemporary vaudeville all come to mind) present the Haunted Palace. This is a journey through the tragic life and strange mind of Poe. We are confronted by his poems, stories, and events from his life around every corner, behind every door.The show features the falsetto-voiced founder and song writer Martyn Jacques as the evil raven-like character on accordion and piano (and other stranger instruments), Adrian Stout on theremin, double bass and musical saw, and Jonas Golland on drums, percussion and backing vocals. They are joined by actors who play the parts of Poe and the raven`s rather scary assistant Doris, as well as other, doomed, female characters. The costumes, and make-up, are suitably surreal.

After 90 minutes of menacing hilarity the audience seemed to have been rendered almost too nervous to request an encore, but the Tiger Lillies laconically returned and wowed us with, of course, a song based upon the poem of The Raven.
5K

RCC Elder Hall until 10th March.

Mar 01

Fringe 2019 – Circus Abyssinia – Ethiopian Dreams – Peacock at Gluttony – 5K

In a Fringe awash with circus acts Circus Abyssinia are a stand-out.
Gimmick free and full of top level skill and enthusiasm, any one of the acts in this show would be well worth the admission price.

Formed in 2017 by brothers Bibi and Bichu, Circus Abyssinia is the first circus created by and for Ethiopian artists. Don’t be fooled by the youth of these charismatic performers, they exhibit a level of expertise way beyond that of many older artists.
Synchronised perfectly with the sensational music, and with spectacular lighting effects, the performances continue at a cracking pace. Hitting the stage with a wonderful dance routine the mood then shifts constantly with an astonishing contortionist double act leading into skipping routines, hand vaulting, cloth spinning, Chinese pole work, juggling, hula hoop, and more dance.
Even each set up of equipment was done in an entertaining fashion. There were just enough minor mishaps and near misses to keep us on the edge of our seats. Indeed the routines were executed with so much skill that it made the feats seem deceptively easy. Perhaps they should have issued a caution of “don’t try this at home!”

The standing ovation that this celebration of life received was well deserved. Circus Abyssinia is an ideal show for all ages, the children in attendance were transfixed throughout. In the middle of this hot Adelaide summer a bonus is the fact that the Peacock is an airconditioned space.
5K

Peacock at Gluttony until March 17th.

Feb 28

FRINGE 2019 – The Choir of Man – 4.5K – Gluttony

There’s no doubt about it – The Choir of Man is a Fringe favourite around the world for a good reason.

This is a polished production, one that has dotted the ‘i’s and crossed the ‘t’s. It knows itself – particularly its strengths – inside and out. It’s well practiced, with high production value. In short, it’s got its shit together.

The Choir of Man are just that – a choir, of men – who’ve set up shop in their local, The Jungle. They’re lads, blokey-blokes, talented young chaps, and together they make up a choir that helps each other through all times, good and bad. It’s home to the Choir.

Let’s start with the choir – and boy, are they good. The voices of each and every member of the choir were flawless. Most are able to play an instrument, sometimes two, and often all can dance. As I said, this is a well-oiled machine.

The crowd was going absolutely nuts as the choir expertly upped the energy, enthralled with their stunning slower renditions (including a truly fantastic rendition of Sia’s Chandelier), and even pulled some lucky punters on the stage for a free pint. There’s certainly no faulting the singing, that’s for sure!

Where the (admittedly small) fault lies is actually in the spoken word sections of the performance, particularly in the second half. Whilst the introductory section is very well done and very clever, from then on the spoken word merely hints at certain plot points, such as one of the Choir members recently going through a bad breakup. Unfortunately it doesn’t wholeheartedly pay off in the final spiel.

Also, I understand that this is the ‘Choir of Man’, but the unseen female characters are presented rather terribly – as shrews breaking the hearts of these men, or lambasted for essentially being boring (a la Josh the Bartender’s wife). Come on CoM, you can surely do better than that in 2019.

All in all, the fantastic singing makes up for the small gaps in the plot. Definitely a must-see this Fringe.

Kryztoff Rating: 4.5K

Feb 27

FRINGE 2019 – LASER KIWI – Studio 7 @ GOUD – 3K

Laser Kiwi has returned for the 2019 Adelaide Fringe, bringing their unique brand of circus sketch comedy with them.

What should you expect? Spontaneous dance sketches like Aunty Donna? Check. Impressive circus acts? Check. Flight of the Conchords-eqsue awkwardness? Check. Jokes that were probably written by your dad? Oooh yes. Big check.

The show started with the trio handing out photocopied agendas of the night’s show. The cute kiwis were charming in their introductions and pretty much instantly likeable.

The quality of the jokes came in waves – peaks and troughs of genuine laughter and bits that may have gone on a little too long. The trio acknowledged the show was all about giving things a go – no joke was off the table – but of course this meant that some ‘dad jokes’ didn’t quite land.

The circus acts were fantastic and much better than I expected from such cute, goofy hosts. They started with their strongest trick that left you wanting more, and so by the end, I felt I hadn’t seen as much of the circus side as I would have liked. They were strongest in riffing off each other as they performed what they did best – be that juggling, balancing acts or aerial acrobatics. I would have loved to see more.

With some novel ideas (for example, we each got a “confetto” to throw and form a “confetti”) and a unique style, this group shows immense promise. They brought the goods, even with a fairly low energy Tuesday Night audience. Keep an eye on these guys – with some development this show could be a huge hit.

3K

Feb 27

Fringe 2019 – Eurydice – The Sunken Garden Holden Street Theatres – 4K

This is a delightful retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. This time from a female perspective. The setting, the Sunken Garden at Holden Street Theatres, gives the performance a lovely ambience and is so appropriate as most of the story takes place outdoors.

Casey Jay Andrews and Serena Manteghi, accompanied by a guitarist, deliver a fast paced performance incorporating dialogue, monologue, song and dance.

After a brief informative intro the story begins with 5 year old Leni (Eurydice) on her first day of school determined to control her own fate . She insists on wearing a super hero costume and we see her struggle with her mother Cyrene who is torn between wanting her daughter to conform whilst at the same time being delighted by her force of will and rebellious nature.

We travel through adolescence and young love, through romance and ultimate betrayal. This retelling follows the trajectory of the ancient tale however in the final scenes Eurydice’s experience and sense of self dictate a different outcome.

There are skilful performances all round. Serena’s character ages from 5 to 35 whilst Casey transforms into multiple characters over the course of the play.
The language is poetic, the play is expertly crafted, clever and funny. This telling of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice honours the complexity and nuances of the classic but in a modern twist Eurydice is empowered.

Holden Street Theatres until 16th March.
4K

Feb 27

CIRCUS – Let’s Get Wild – Wine Centre – 3.5K

By Peter Maddern

Two likely lads from Melbourne town have come to Adelaide with their kids circus show. Leigh Rhodes and Bede Nash are intrepid explorers of the jungle and after their plane goes down they set out to find the five pins that will see them safely home or something like that; Enid Blyton need not worry her crown with kids storytelling is under any threat here.

Back on terra firma Nash and Rhodes perform various stunts, from ball juggling, acrobatics, hoop twirling and pin tossing. It’s all great fun and the young ones present the evening this reviewer attended were kept enthralled and delighted by all the khaki clad antics of our brave boys. Bottom jokes and head whacks are included free of charge.

The stand out from it all was Nash’s hoop work but most audience members probably did not care who was making them feel good.

Great fun for children up to aged 12 with a show parents can readily enjoy along the way.

Kryztoff Rating   3.5K

Feb 27

Fringe 2019 – Rebel – Wonderland Spiegeltent at Gluttony – 4K

Bursting onto the stage in a profusion of sound and colour Rebel the show is a high energy performance from beginning to end and carries the smiling rocking audience along with it. The fabulous vocals of Stewart Reeve combined with the very talented musicians and a sideshow of circus deliver far more than a mere tribute to David Bowie.
Promising us that this show will not be boring Reeve brings the essence of Bowie to the stage whilst his own personality and distinct voice are preserved. With fabulous costumes (and amazingly fast costume changes) we are taken through the different eras and styles of the late musician’s career.
On Tuesday night the cast seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely despite the very warm Adelaide evening. They claim that until they came to Adelaide they did not realise that knees could sweat. Starting with the title song Rebel we heard such classics as Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust and Under Pressure amongst others. Sparks flew and we saw wonderful aerial displays, skilful hoop work, fire eating and roller skating accompanying the songs. Although the circus acts, performed primarily by the band members, could at times be a bit distracting, they also contributed an element of surprise to the evening.
The audience, comprised of a wide spectrum of ages, clapped and sang along throughout and rose to their feet in appreciation as the performance came to a close.

This family friendly show can be seen at 6:30pm in the Wonderland Spiegeltent at Gluttony until 17th March.
4K

Feb 27

Fringe 2019 – Umbrella Man – National Wine Centre – 4K

Marooned and shoeless and working as a tour guide at Angkor Wat, Umbrella Man shares his story of misfortune and naivety. Managing to be humorous and engaging throughout, he takes us with him on his journey through hope, grief and homesickness into a gentle spiral of madness and conspiracy theories via spoken word poetry, ‘local jokes’, and storytelling. Trying to convince us that the earth is flat (and that the moon landing was fake, and JFK’s assassination…etc), he takes us to the very edges of his ice- rimmed world and attempts to get us to look over the edge with him, to see what he sees.

With his gentle piano improvisations lulling us into a false sense of security as we enter the room and take our seats, he leaves his keyboard to make our acquaintance, desperately seeking connections to his past. He is one of those lonely people that one encounters in bars around the world hungry for an understanding ear, to meet someone, anyone who will listen.

Umbrella Man comes to the Adelaide Fringe after successful seasons at both the Edinburgh and Prague Fringe. Presented by writer/performer Colin Bramwell this is a goofily funny, tender show.
Bramwell is a delightful raconteur with a beautiful voice for delivering the spoken word.

Umbrella Man will be appearing nightly in the Ferguson Room at the National Wine Centre until March 1st.
4K

Feb 26

FRINGE THEATRE – Oysters – Bakehouse Theatre – Kryztoff

Alexander Ewers

Oysters (Mon-Sat at the Bakehouse Theatre until March 17) is an entertaining theatre production perhaps best described as comedy flavoured biopic. A sensitive and educational introspective into the legendary composer Johannes Brahms, the show sprawls widely across the artist’s life, sweeping before it a conglomeration of persons and periods that shaped the work and the soul of this musical genius.

Incarnated by the brilliant Neil Salvage, Brahms is introduced at a post-premiere party celebrating his famous Violin concerto in D Major. It is a portentous moment professionally and personally, the event representing a rich intersection of the people and pasts entwined throughout the story of the artist. In this heady milieu of influences and alcohol, the man is slowly unfolded to the listener. The audience learns of pain and privilege, the vagaries of fortune that elevate and cast down at whim, the perfectionism of genius and the curse of the self-same. It is a journey over the course of an hour from position of bedazzled bystander, cognisant only of greatness, to that of an intimate, privy to the griefs and glories that inspire and beset such artistic pre-eminence. And in intimacy is discovered  nuance and complexity, the reality of a man perhaps best misknown then as now, solely for his music.

Oysters’ strengths lie in meticulous respect of historicity and an array of external perspectives to build and support protagonist development. There is a convincing quality to, and an internal consistency throughout the dialogues and scenes presented. This achievement rests on the solid bedrock of factual accuracy, a foundation that plays no small part in the believability of the performance. Similarly, the procession of characters through whom Brahms’ inner self is revealed, form a series of lenses by which the audience achieves a more adequately complex understanding of the man.

However, the same creative approach that is the show’s strength also becomes its weakness. As the pace builds, the growing character parade assumes the confusion of a character carousel, detracting from the messages underlying the plot. The performance begins to feel too busy, and the scenarios onstage a little contrived. Similarly, the metaphor of the oyster, arguably the crux of this performance given the titular emphasis, feels jarringly underdeveloped. The (assumed) intended weight of impact is diminished by an incohesively laid groundwork, it being an idea warranting a more comprehensive embedment within or elicitation from the story. As it is, the reference seems surprising in context, and unfortunately recedes rapidly from the forefront of memorable relevance.

One ought not to allow these criticisms to dissuade from attending this show though. Salvage and co-star Nicholas Collett are stalwarts of the London Theatre scene, and their performances here are masterful. Oysters remains exceptionally informative, a thought-provoking panegyric to one of the classical music world’s icons, and one that is truly enjoyable to those both native and naïve to this genre. Yes, Oysters is about Brahms. But its collateral beauty lies in the themes unearthed along the way: the isolating curse of fame; the disjunction between artistic ideal and audience/consumer perception; the ingredients from which artists are forged. Perhaps the most lasting lesson is captured best by a question. What is the cost of art? And to whom is the burden of that cost allotted: the artist or the consumers of that art?

Kryztoff Rating 3.5K