Mar 08

FRINGE 2018 – FUEGO CARNAL 4K

by Riccardo Barone 

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Whilst people were finding a seatable solution, waiting for the firy show to start, at the Empyrian Gluttony a DJ was standing at the top of the stage handing out some introducting vibes. The audience is sitting in a semi-open space, which was sold out.
The show starts with her, the Spanish punisher with her long sensual whip introducing all the Artists. Obviously every number had fire and sensuality involved. The first artist had a major impact on women in the audience for his sensual dance with sticks on fire. Same kind of sensual impact, on men this time, the second artist on her ice-skates (on a small rounded base) which her arch and arrows (spectacularly shooting using her feet) capture everyone’s attention on her swing. Same for the following artist who jumped backwards three times with a long sword in his deep-throat. Sensual and provocative, involving the audience, the singer-actress lights a fire in everyone’s smile with her number on an a in flamed scenario. And it’s unforgettable the hornpipe player with flames coming out from the instrument while he’s performing some classics from AcDc, Queen and others. Surpises never end, because the final acrobatic fire dance between the conductor and his husband greets everyone and wishes a sensual night to all.

Kryztoff Rating  4K

Mar 08

FRINGE 2018 – COMEDY – Dating Naked – The Producers – 5K

Dating Naked is a stand-up comedy performed by Doughnut Girl, Tor Snyder. It almost felt like you are taken in one of the bedrooms at a house party to branch off for a much cooler party. Tor took the whole crowd to a world of chuckles with her natural wittiness; gets everyone to play and gives away some of her doughnuts.  The skits seemed to be amateur, but it was very well done as they are most likely intentional. Her interactive entertainment with an impromptu role playing for a pickup in a bar or a on-the-spot sitcom were more delightful than the doughnuts. There was literally a dating show, where few of the lucky audience got to go naked—almost.  The room was full of endless laughter, with almost no room to breathe. Altogether, this is a comedy show that is effortlessly hilarious. A definite late night delight and definitely worth checking out! Three more shows left, catch Doughnut Girl before Perth takes her back.

Mar 07

FRINGE 2018 – MUSIC – Boogie on Down to Soul Train – Arkaba – 5K

By Jessie Krieg

The 12 piece powerhouse superband and that is Motown Connection is back, bigger and more soulful than ever. This time burning down the house at the Arkaba.

Last night we got to Boogie On Down To Soul Train – a funkalicious frenzy of soul, RnB, disco and funk anthems that had the dance floor of the Arkaba pumping! Think Afros, flares and sequins like you’ve never seen before.

A show that is all about getting bums off seats and entertaining the fro’d and flared up party goers is exactly what this little disco diva ordered, and it delivered in spades.

We sung and danced the night away to all of the greatest hits from the 70s and 80s in a Motown manner that was dy-no-mite! The atmosphere was electric and everyone was smiling, singing and dancing like it was yesteryear.

An incredible night for all ages to enjoy. Motown Connection really created a euphoric experience that brought down the house. Their smooth soul, divalicious disco and brilliant boogie had us staying alive like the dancing queens we are, all night long.

A definite 5K rating for us

Mar 07

FRINGE 2018 – THEATRE – Apartment of the Feign – Bakehouse – 2.5K

By Peter Maddern

Six young actors under the name of Max’s Masters present this limited play about Bert, an autistic young student, and his three imaginary mates Crane, a posh Englishman, Tess, a very loud cowgirl and Mira, the caring mute. To one whom finds communicating with the real world hard, especially given the loss of his mother, such friends seem very real. That is until one day a neighbour, Lisa, knocks on his door.

This is a simple and not daring set up and the script takes us nowhere particularly new. The actor as Lisa is the best of the players followed by the cowgirl and then Bert himself. (Unfortunately no program was provided to assist with identification.) On this Cheap Tuesday showing they found a generous and easily amused audience but beyond close friends and family I am unsure the delights this audience found would be likely to be embraced by others.

Kryztoff Rating   2.5K

Mar 07

FRINGE 2018 – CIRCUS – By A Thread – Gluttony – 4K

By Peter Maddern

In a crowded field of circus acts at this year’s Fringe, Melbourne’s One Fell Swoop Circus present a program dedicated to feats with a rope. Seven acrobats take their turns scaling and wrapping around them a 30 metre white rope, strung between two ceiling pulleys, to express their art. The cleverness lies not only in their grace and strength but in the interrelationship and trust required between the members of the team and the physics of their rig to deliver their stunts.

While the show lacks a narrative of any sort, by the end the troupe has its audience in awe and appreciation as the finale is preceded by great showmanship.

At 10.20pm, the show is a bit of a misfit, especially in the big Peacock tent in Gluttony but there are earlier shows this long weekend and then at the end of next week. Target those for a genuine alternative in the near ubiquitous circus offerings this year.

Kryztoff Rating  4K

Mar 07

FRINGE THEATRE – Borders – The Studio at Holden Street Theatres – 5K

Borders_0163_photo-by-steve-ullathorne-850x455Alexander Ewers

I am going to lay aside the mantle of reviewer for a moment and speak subjectively. I saw this show twice – such is its impression on mind and soul, and such its theatrical impact that once was not sufficient to adequately fathom this union of peerless production and artistic transcendence. And confirming these sentiments, the experience relived was not in the least diminished.

Borders, the latest play by the acclaimed Henry Naylor,  is an unapologetically political performance, but free of any unpalatable polemics. Superficially it is about the Syrian refugee crisis. In reality, it is a masterful commentary on the human condition and a call to action – globally, institutionally, but most of all personally.

Two vastly disparate plots unfold on stage, each echoing parallel motifs while yet running utterly counterpoint to the other. Avrital Lvova plays Nameless, a Syrian artist caught up in the maelstrom of civil war, who turns to the medium of graffiti to express her art politically. Graham O’Mara is Sebastian, a youthful human-interest photojournalist who loses himself to the financially generous but cerebrally impoverished world of celebrity photography. Both are undeniably accomplished artists. Both ultimately find themselves in a struggle for survival. And yet their journeys and choices stand in stark contrast. Nameless weaponises her art to fight for her beliefs, for right and wrong, and ultimately for her life. Sebastian barters the power of the photographer for the fatuity of fame. Nameless physically faces death even as she seeks life. Sebastian must confront real life to discover a paralysing moribundity of soul. These two stories, worlds apart, converge dramatically in the dying moments of the show. But they do not intersect – whether they touch or not is a decision left to each viewer, arbiters of a solemn responsibility.

Theatrically, Borders is in every way breath-takingly sublime. The stage is bare other than two stools – props have no place in the domain of imagination. Lighting is the only embellishment, and that is done so marvellously that it allows for seamless transfer between the two performers and their plots, while beguiling the mind into seeing moon and sun, darkness and flame. This is literature made alive; a masterpiece crafted in lavish language. The imagery is so rich, the attention to detail so scrupulous, the monologues so compelling that Syria and Afghanistan, Homs and London, pious mother and even virtuous Angelina Jolie are rendered tangible and alive and present. This is the true achievement of the performance. There is no Avrital or Graham. There is Nameless and there is Sebastian, and we are visitors in their worlds, not they in ours.

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Thematically, it is an experience that must necessarily touch the soul … or otherwise expose a chilling callousness. The juxtapositions painted are devastating. The superfluity of affluence and an addiction to the meaningless is contrasted with the clarity of purpose forged from a desperate battle for survival in a country rending itself apart. A culture where personal prestige is paramount, versus a hell where life itself is at stake. Sebastian’s light-hearted and droll jocularity serves to accentuate these divorced realities, simultaneously balancing and highlighting the dark and grim tones of life in Syria and the political undertones presented. The dichotomy is convicting – it demands a response. How personal that response may be is the province of each individual.

“A good painter pleases the eye; a good artist touches the soul”. Graham O’Mara and Avrital Lvova are artists. Borders is artistry. Spectacular and spine-tingling. Soul-piercing and self-examining. It transports the viewer to other worlds, but ultimately speaks to this our world. One compelling quote leaves its final weighted impression, spoken to one grown comfortable with “doing nothing”. “Nothing is a choice…. Nobody asked you to save the world. Only to save yourself.”

Kryztoff Rating 5K

Mar 06

FRINGE 2018 – Marcel Blanch-de-Wilt: Love and Cordial – 4K – The Producers

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There’s one word to describe Marcel Blanch-de-Wilt’s show Love and Cordial: sweet.

Detailing the story of how he met his wife, Marcel weaves a journey of self-discovery, love, misery, and life’s ups and downs whilst he was getting $1 movies, letting go of his NIDA dreams, and writing punny copy for a cordial company.

As the Venue Manager of The Producers, to hear Marcel’s journey from the 18-year-old aspiring actor, through to his Fringe fame, and all the bumps in the road in-between is a charming tale. It’s also one that’s brutally honest; describing long-distance relationships, depression, and relationships with equal mixture of realism and humour. However, never waning is Marcel’s evident positivity and personality. He seems to tackle life with a fantastic enthusiasm – and a whole bunch of puns and dad jokes. As well as this, Marcel includes witty and well-timed musical cues, enhancing his stories and closing off his show with a self-admitted indulgent musical number that will leave you chuckling as you walk out the door.

Love and Cordial is a fantastic, fun night out at the Adelaide Fringe – whether single, taken, or doing it long-distance.

Kryztoff Rating: 4K

Mar 06

FRINGE 2017 – Delia Obst – 4K – Chateau Apollo

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Delia Obst, an Adelaide-based folk singer, brought her whimsical talents to Frome Street’s Chateau Apollo for the Adelaide Fringe.

Presented by The Porch Sessions, this performance was very much in the same vein; Persian rugs adorned the floor, relaxed musicians take the stage, surrounded by nature and the hip surrounds of Roxie’s next door. Whilst functional to a point, the atmosphere was negated by parts of the audience, who decided to drag chairs in from the neighbouring bar. Whilst you can understand this, it severely reduced the venue’s capacity, and made the event at times crowded and close.

However, it’s the music everyone’s there for, and on that front Delia Obst delivered. Support act Jesse Davidson was the perfect match, with his folk stylings fantastic in their own right. When Obst takes to the stage, her eerily perfect voice instantly wins you over. Davidson joins her for part of her set, as well as the rest of the band, and Obst’s charming, genuine persona captures your attention instantly.

It’s evident straight away that Delia Obst is a talented young woman – be sure to keep an eye out for her in the coming year, as she’s a name you’ll soon know.

Kryztoff Rating: 4K

Mar 05

FUEGO CARNAL – Gluttony – 5K

EMPYREAN  – 7pm March 2nd 2018

Review by GARY CLARKE   –  5K

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Reviewed by GARY CLARKE    5K

Fuego Carnal is Spanish for Fire-Flesh  and the title of the show is brilliantly descriptive of this amazing performance.   When I first saw the flyer I  was impressed at the visual impact it made.  So as I was arriving at the venue I was a bit concerned at how this tiny tent posited deep in the bowels of  Gluttony was going to host such an event.   The combination of Fire +Flesh + Plastic in an enclosed space  had my OH&S trained brain doing backflips !

There are a lot of circuses out there and an absolute glut of them in Gluttony, The Garden, The Croquet Club and beyond.  Most of them are really really good and some are excellent.  This one was excellent !   True to its name, Fuego Carnal was on fire,  literally and figuratively.   My safety  concerns were allayed once inside the venue which was cleverly designed and purpose built specifically for this troupe and its fiery performances by none other than the founders of Fuego Carnal.   I ceased scanning the room for fire extinguishers, fire blankets and emergency exits and kicked back to enjoy the show.  And what a show.

This tight knit group of outstanding performers treated us to displays of acrobatics, fire eating, sword swallowing, singing, vaudeville, comedy, more fire, even more fire, great music, feats of contortion, body control,  dance, ice skating (yes you read that right!) impossible archery  and an explosion of hard rock bagpipes venting flames into the sky.!   Watching a human form swallow a 50cm sword then cavort and flip violently across the stage without dis-embowelling himself is an image which will haunt my dreams for some time.

The background music, sound effects and mixing were spot on.  Every performer was a star. Evocative and sexy, this is much more than circus.   The intimacy of the surroundings was breathtaking.  I think I might go back for seconds!.  You must see and experience this.    This show is really HOT!

Review by GARY CLARKE 5K

Mar 04

FRINGE PHYSICAL THEATRE – Elixir – The Octagon at Gluttony – 4K

scaled_canva-photo-editorAlexander Ewers

Elixir is an energetic and home-grown physical theatre production. A light-hearted acrobatic adventure, it weaves together a diverse display of feats of the physical, all loosely framed around a laboratory based plot centred on the testing of the eponymous performance enhancing elixirs. Headlined by three undeniably talented and enviably muscled men, acts range from aerial exploits of equilibrium to impressive floorwork routines, each exhibiting different combinations of strength and balance. Individual skill and trio teamwork are both given ample room to shine, and each performance is well-supported by a soundtrack ripe with energy and interest.

Elixir, on show in the Octagon at Gluttony, is perhaps not as smoothly polished or as incredulity-provoking as some of its larger scale or more widely travelled circus cousins. In fact, one could probably find an equal to the exploits on display, in any of the other similar shows clamouring for attention this Fringe season. But as a homespun production, it lacks none of the heart or soul requisite for any decent contender in the genre. It is the environment of banter and audience involvement that really brings Elixir to life. The personalities, or perhaps personas, of the three performers is the real gift slowly unwrapped in this show, and these are the source for the more humorous moments. Encouraged by the antics on stage, the crowd plays an important role in the ingredients that make Elixir work, and this dynamic lends an intimacy to the performance that is not often possible in a larger setting.

While playing to themes sensual and sexual, and not without the obligatory touches of boylesque and striptease, Elixir remains a visual spectacle appropriate for all from teenagers and above. Indeed, looking round the packed venue, the most vocal and invested of those present did not satisfy any particular demographic, but truly represented a cross-section of the public.

Elixir is an experience of raw, simple, physical fun, offering little in the realms of the intellectual. But then again, it never assumes to aspire to the cerebral. Elixir is pure entertainment – light-heartedly comedic, visually stimulating and ultimately satisfying.

Kryztoff Rating 4K