Feb 23

FRINGE COMEDY/THEATRE – Matt Byrne’s Hott Property – Maxim’s Wine Bar – 5K

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Matt Byrne’s Hott Property embodies the quintessence of everything wonderful and celebrated about Adelaide’s Fringe Festival. Especially fitting, given it represents the 15th Fringe show and over 40 years in the business for Byrne, producer, director and performer extraordinaire.

Nestled in the in the funky and intimate upstairs space of Maxim’s Wine Bar, Norwood, Hott Property promises an unlikely marriage of two seemingly incompatible bedfellows – comedy and the real estate industry. This reviewer admittedly ventured to the Wine Bar decidedly dubious, a sentiment not relieved by being the sole millennial in a more seasoned audience. But from the outset, Hott Property disarmingly defuses all preconceptions and doubts, and proceeds to dance between the droll, the daring and the delightfully entertaining.

The concept is bold. The Hott family are one of Adelaide’s prime real estate businesses. Matt himself plays the affably boisterous Red Hott, principal realtor and nominal family head, and is ably supported by the marvellously wry Theresa Dolman in the role of Smokin’ Hott, their daughter Pipin’ Hott (played by Amber Platten) and ambitious apprentice and boyfriend, Terry Trott (Brad Butvila). Ostensibly the show portrays the Hott family’s efforts to accommodate four gloriously and risibly caricatured couples, but along the way, hurls irreverent and indiscriminate hilarity at everything that moves in the real estate world, be it denizen, contender, or inquisitive/prying neighbour.

Two elements really elevate this performance beyond the pedestrian. Courtesy of long time real-life realtor Brad Butvila, a depth of inside insight into the real estate industry is evident, lending a richness of timbre and a cogency to even the most comedic of moments. In fact, Hott Property feels at times as much education as entertainment, a lesson on lies and lingo and life-advice. But if this must be education, let all schooling be this memorable! The real heart and soul of Hott Property however, lies in the sheer calibre of creative and comedic talent on display, a life-force sustained equally by each member of the cast. It is a triumph of pure theatre – minimal props, minimal pretence – just a compellingly honest and wholehearted coalition of stage experience, energy and camaraderie. It is a thirst-quenching experience to bathe in artistry such as this, where a feather boa represents a role change and yet each and every character is as convincing as the last.

In an entertainment world saturated with the latest and greatest in props, sets and CGI, Hott Property is testament to the enduring power of the performance alone. This is a glorious bit of comedy theatre – theatre at its finest. And while perhaps more pertinent or attractive to those who have personally brushed or battled with the world of real estate, this really is a show for all adults, even millennials. Because you never know: you might learn even something!

Kryztoff Rating 5K

Feb 23

FRINGE 2018: F**k Tinder – 3.5K

By Anthony Nguyen

scaled_f_tinde_800_by_800_red_backgroundIn the 21st Century age of online dating apps, many people are familiar with the disillusions of chasing a digital romance. Self-proclaimed Scottish single man, Chris Henry, attempts to revive the romance by bringing lonely singles back into the pubs with his comedy event, F**k Tinder, for the 2018 Adelaide Fringe.

Social interaction is actively encouraged between the audience with fun social elements introduced through the night in the form of activities such as trivia, brainstorming, and poetry-writing. By the end of the show, you can mark on a sheet the people you’re interested in (through provided allocated numbers), and if there is a match, contact details will be emailed to you the following day.

This social dating experience presents an interesting concept that highlights the eccentricities with online dating and has a lot of potential with more effective execution. The show relies heavily on audience interaction and participation, and Henry’s comedic personality did its best to ease the initial awkward atmosphere between audience members.

Henry is supported by fellow comedians, Eleanor Conway and Steve Bennett, who provide a much-needed comedy assistance to the show. Keeping with the theme of their lack of romance, Conway and Bennett, present different comedy styles to Henry which kept with the theme of being unlucky in love.

F**k Tinder has a lot of potential to be a fun night out with your single friends. However, it would not be suitable for all types of people, especially if you are looking for a comedy show without having to be forced into uncomfortable social situations with strangers. Additionally, there is no regard for sexual orientation as everyone is essentially assumed to be straight with social activities encouraging more boy-girl interactivity. With a runtime of over two hours, be prepared for a long show with comedians presented as the “best wingman you’ll ever have.”

The F**k Tinder comedy event has presented successful shows throughout many global locations including London, Glasgow, and Singapore. Presented in the Red Room at the Austral Hotel, Chris Henry continues F**k Tinder for the 2018 Adelaide Fringe every Wednesday night with his final show on 14th March 2018.

Kryztoff Rating: 3.5K

Feb 23

PICK OF THE FRINGE (part one)

PICK OF THE FRINGE  (Part One)

TGI  @ THE KENTISH WINESHED-23 Stanley St. Nth Adelaide.

21st February 7pm – 90 Minutes   Reviews by GARY CLARKE

 

Held in The Kentish Arms upmarket  “Wineshed”, walls adorned with racks of expensive plonk, this was a series of 10 minute preview tasters of shows from The Adelaide Fringe.

I missed my bus from Norwood on the way to the show so I hailed a cab on Magill Rd.  Where to?  Sahil enquired as he cut the volume on the music he was playing on the cab’s stereo.  I immediately recognised it as Punjabi music.   Sahil needed little encouragement to crank it up and we sang and  danced in our seats all the way to the venue !

The atmosphere at the Kentish Arms was informal and friendly and our host Shakti introduced the first act, the  very engaging and disarmingly funny :

Steff Tisdell.  Steff worked the room warming up the audience, regaling us with one liners on subject matter that some less confident artists would struggle with. Her timing and delivery are 1st class.  Catch her show “IDENTITY STEFT” – Piglet@ Gluttony  Recommended 4.5K            

From the back of the room strutted a dark figure dressed all in black making her presence  known . Wow, this was no rehearsal, this girl meant business!  Makeup and costume were immaculate.  Cazeleon  had arrived.  Working a  film noir theme, Cazeleon delivered a sultry cabaret performance and unleashed her vocal talents on this receptive audience.  This is not just another drag show,  Cazeleon  is a perfectionist and it shows. Catch  “DIFFUSION “-  Raj House 54 Hyde St. rated   4K                                                    

 Two tall beautiful dark haired women rose from a nearby table and moved onto the stage.  The audience weren’t sure.  The two women stood nervously staring out beyond the room. The audience grew more unsure… The women were waiting for something ..the audience were waiting for something… The women began moving around the room approaching tables asking in English and Farsi  for something ..”have you seen Mr Ghadalari?” —  Shiva Makinian and Mina Zaman draw us into their plight  with very few words. For some the door is difficult to open and what awaits on the other side is  full of uncertainty. Iran Saye Theatre  present THE DOOR  – TGI @ Adel. Town Hall

Marc Ryan sidled up to the mike looking somewhat bemused.  How do you follow two frightened women dramatically  fleeing  oppression and turmoil with a comedy stump about being Bogan in Adelaide’s Northern suburbs ?  Well, Beautifully it seems.   Like a pro, Marc launched into his very insightful and funny stand up.   When you hail from “a place with more neck tattoos than shoes” not much phases you.   Marc is insightful, honest and very very funny…catch Marc’s show:  BEAUTIFUL BOGAN –  LIFE”S NOT FAIR  (see Fringe Guide)  4.5K

Hailing from Vancouver, Canada ,  Green Eggs and Ham disappeared under a makeshift table with a light and a sheet draped over it .   What seemed to a be an improvised set  lent itself to an excerpt from their show  The Bridge involving hand shadows and a dialogue around crossing The Golden Gate Bridge,  post apocalypse.  Unfortunately, due to the limits of the venue, I couldn’t get good visuals and it made it difficult to evaluate its merit.  However, it was well received by those in the audience with a better vantage point.  It also gained an excellent review from fellow Kriztoff reviewer Julie Robins who saw the original complete show.  To get across  THE BRIDGE  – you will need to head to  — Studio at Bakehouse Theatre 225 Angas St. Adelaide

Idris a.k.a  “Eyedrys”  Stanton thought about getting a real job  but instead chose to entertain us with juggling,  witty repartee’, original humour, a leaf blower and a kiss of rock ‘n roll.   And if you think that doesn’t cut it, apparently in his full show he juggles chainsaws!….nuff said!                                                                                               Catch The LAST KING of VAUDEVILLE – After Dark Theatre @ Gluttony.  4K

Our host had informed us earlier that    SENGAR SENI DHARMA BHUDAYA dance troupe and a full Gamelan orchestra from Indonesia were scheduled to perform here but had been held up by immigration.  All 38 of them! … which was a shame, and sadly ironic. 

And speaking of our gracious host,  I couldn’t help noticing that the demure Asian woman that had initially presented at the mike as the evening’s host  had been undergoing a gradual transformation. More and more of her shawl drifted off  as the night drifted on, revealing a  deeply tanned sensual dancer that burst forth onto the stage to close proceedings.

Shakti exudes joy and evocatively expresses herself through dance and rhythm.  Her show is a dance fantasy inspired by the music of Armand Amar  and you can catch Shakti  in her show at : TGI@ ADELAIDE TOWN HALL 128 King William St. Adelaide –     4K

 

Please note these reviews are based on very limited 10 minute excerpts from the artists shows without sets and may not be entirely informative of the full show experience. Refer to reviews of the complete shows for further guidance.                            

                                                                                                                                Reviews by GARY CLARKE

Feb 21

Fringe 2018: Socially [un]acceptable – 4.5K

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By Amy.

There are some Fringe shows that stick with you long after you leave. They make you contemplate your own experiences, opinions, and beliefs.

Socially [un]acceptable, a no-holds-barred piece by Laura Desmond, is definitely one of those shows. An honest, unflinching look at both the sexual assaults experienced by Desmond throughout her life, and the warped attitudes towards harassment, sexual assault, sexuality, and misconceptions about what does and does not constitute assault in Western society.

Clad in her underwear, Desmond dresses and undresses throughout the show, which was an inspired choice; it is a one-two punch in accompanying her brutal stories, and also seems like something more personal.The admiration that you will have for Desmond’s bravery, who bears both her body and soul to her audience, is immeasurable.

An important performance for both women and men alike, Socially [un]acceptable needs to be seen, heard, discussed, and praised for its bravery and honesty. Thank you, Laura Desmond, for sharing your experiences with us.

Kryztoff rating: 4.5K

Please note: This show has a trigger warning for survivors of sexual assault.

Feb 20

THE BRIDGE – ADELAIDE FRINGE 2018

Two people, brought together by chance, search for ways to keep hope alive.

Through their nightly shadow-puppet play they are able to create stories and worlds over which they have control.  They can make plans, express their fears, laugh, and make it through another night.

Nameless throughout and with their pasts virtually erased by the calamity and alone in a post-apocalyptic world, they are travelling toward the Golden Gate Bridge. The man believes that a community of survivors exists on the other side and that they will find there all they need to start a new life.  The bridge comes to symbolise hope and also the end of hope.

They cling to one another as the last tangible traces of their past lives fade away.

Actor-writers Nick Rinke and Caitlin Docking bring this story wonderfully to life.  With minimal props, clever dialogue, song and excellent shadow work they take the audience with them on their journey.

4K

Presented by Green Eggs and Ham, Canada.

Bakehouse Theatre

Feb 20

FRINGE 2018 – ANYA ANASTASIA: ROGUE ROMANTIC – 4K

by Riccardo Barone 

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Anya strikes again! A character with a tormented floozy life, eternal wanderer, researcher of that perfect Hollywoodian love with the consciousness and the related consequences of solitude and illusion to find stability in it.

The interaction with the audience is brilliant, sassy, sexy, provocative, clever. This unsatisfied girl is starving for her perfect-ideal love which, due her picky taste and neverending demands, is going to lead her to a lonely daily life. The reality is glamorously and inevitably faced in the song “It takes two to tango”, a cirquey four hands duet with the pianist.

The all female band consists in drums, bass and keyboard players. The flowy music perfectly represents the sparkling dynamic of the story following the character’s timing with audacity and loyalty.

The “star of the party” brilliantly entertains the audience with her multi-skilled abilities: singing, acting, playing the piano and the ukelele.

Can you ask for more?

Rogue Romantic perfectly faces the contemporary lifestyle and mentality regarding our expectations so much bigger than reality.

Kryztoff Rating  4K

 

Feb 20

A HISTORY OF EARLY BLUES – ADELAIDE FRINGE 2018

It was a full house on a balmy Adelaide evening in the Tin Shed at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, but one could have heard a pin drop when Cal Williams unassumingly took to the stage and began playing some lovely slide guitar.  After a few minutes he was joined by Kory Horwood plucking and bowing his double bass, and a little later by the amazing Will Kallinderis on harmonica.

They proceeded to hold the full attention of the audience for the duration of the show with their easy flowing style, expert musicianship and snippets of storytelling and humour.  The early blues music included a touch of soul and gospel, some Appalachian blues played on a ukulele made out of an old copper wood heater, and a beautiful rendition of Parchman Farm featuring brilliant solos by all three musicians.  Will Kallinderis treated us to a demonstration on how to play the ‘tin sandwich’ and a brief history of the instrument.  All three performers sang, and their voices worked beautifully together.

At the end of the night the audience were invited to participate in a version of ‘Turn Your Money Green’ which they did, with gusto.

The setting was ideal, the weather was cooperative, and the audience were very appreciative.  This was a very classy and engaging show.

5K

Feb 20

We Live By The Sea – Adelaide Fringe – Feb 2018

We Live By the Sea is a wonderfully atmospheric, imaginative and tender theatre piece which draws the viewer into the world of an autistic person and the lives of those who care about them.

Katy is a friendless autistic teenager with an imaginary dog named Paul Williams.  She lives by the sea with her sister Hannah, who has been thrust into the role of carer as a consequence of their father’s death.

Living with virtually no outside support they meet Ryan, a young man new to the area who is dealing with problems of his own.  This meeting and the bonds that they form are transformative for all of them.

As audience members arrive they are intimately welcomed into these stories within stories and invited to participate in a “different kind of thinking”.

The simple set makes great use of live music, lighting and projection to take us to the sea, and also to experience what sensory overload may feel like to an autistic person.

There was brilliant acting from all four cast members, great dialogue and storytelling, humour and sadness.

There will be a soft performance with minimal lighting and sound effects on Feb 25th.

4K

 

Presented by Joanna Hartstone, Patch of Blue & Hartshorn-Hook productions.

Empire Theatre,  Royal Croquet Club

 

Feb 19

FRINGE 2018 – MAGIC – Matt Tarrant : Unsolved – Gluttony – 4.5K

By Julia Cudsi

 

Matt Tarrant can hardly be considered a new addition to the Adelaide Fringe – with sold out shows in each successive Adelaide Fringe since 2012, and a star turn on Australian Survivor,  he has become something of a fixture in South Australia.

Having said that, I have never had the opportunity to see one of his shows before, so I attended with high hopes for a magician and mentalist who wins award after award. And I was not disappointed.

With a tongue in cheek nod to the fact that most audience members spend the entirety of a magic show trying to figure out exactly how the magic tricks work, Matt takes us through a variety of sophisticated card tricks, mind reading and humorous stories, all relying on a hefty dose of audience participation. Each trick, of course, goes off without a hitch – and we would expect no less from a reputable musician.

Overall, this is an extremely entertaining show, with a lot of bang for your buck. Perhaps a little heavy on the patter and a little light on the number of tricks, it is nonetheless indisputable that, at least for this reviewer, every element of Matt Tarrant’s show remains Unsolved – and extremely entertaining.

Buy your ticket before, inevitably, this show sells out.

 

4.5K

Feb 19

FRINGE 2018 – Music, Jazz KIND OF BLUE : The Miles Davis Show – GC Club – 4.5K

KIND OF BLUE: THE MILES DAVIS SHOW
At The GC — The German Club — Showroom 1
Saturday 17th Feb 2018 7:30pm – 90 Minutes

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1997) Retail CD

The ‘Kind of Blue’ band features SA’s leading jazz session musicians Chris Weber (trumpet), Jason McMahon (sax), Tom Pulford (alto), Shaun Duncan (bass/MD), John McDermott (drums) and Dave McEvoy (piano).

review by GARY C

I was a few minutes late and the music had already begun. It sounded good from out in the foyer of the uber busy German Club with 4 separate shows all running at the same time, at the same venue, in separate rooms !  I negotiated my ticket with the very friendly staff and sidled up to the bar while scanning the room. This was a huge space that looked more like a Footy Club with its blue and white streamers draped across the ceiling and its table arrangements reminiscent of a refectory.

With hard surfaces everywhere and little evidence of acoustic damping other than a full house of people propped on plastic chairs I wasn’t expecting great things. But I was wrong! ….
The sound mixer and the equipment were top notch doing justice to what was an impeccable performance. This very accomplished sextet reflecting Miles Davis late 50s early sixties period consisted of Drums, Double Bass, Piano, Tenor Sax, Alto Sax and of course Trumpet.

They were tight knit, weaving their magic through a repertoire including pieces from Porgy and Bess, Milestones and naturally the whole of the truly seminal Davis album, Kind of Blue. The timing of the interchanges and the nuances of the performances had me closing my eyes and imagining I was in a smoke filled basement in New York with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie listening to this hot trumpet player breaking new ground. I opened my eyes to a sea of white faces and not a puff of smoke in sight.

Highly recommended for jazz buffs and music lovers of all kinds. However this was a one off performance at this Fringe and we can only hope they come back next year or even better, decide to tour this show around so more of us get a chance to hear it. —— 4.5 K stars

 

Reviewed by GARY CLARKE