Mar 06

FRINGE 2016: THEATRE – The Ballad of Frank Allen – Tuxedo Cat – 5K

Frank Allen (Shane Adamczak), polite and amiable janitor, is paying less than adequate attention at work one night and manages to accidentally shrink himself. Somehow (Frank’s not really sure how, so neither are we) he ends up in the beard of Al (St John Cowcher), a minion at the dodgy burger joint next door, whose only constant in life seems to be his crush on the girl who works at the bakery across the road. What ensues is one of the most original and entertaining buddy-comedies you’re ever likely to have the opportunity to see.

For such a bizarre concept, the play actually works incredibly well, structurally. The two performers bounce off one another, ensuring the pace is snappy and the transitions from inside to outside the beard are smooth. Even when the two worlds collide it is clear what is going on, due in no small part to the excellent physicality of the performers. When they take on additional characters in the story, differentiation between each is easily achieved with the addition of simple props and a great variety of accents.

As might be expected from the title, there are several songs peppered throughout the show. They are both humorous and musically pleasing; Adamczak’s and Cowcher’s voices complement each other well. It’s a very self-aware show, with several direct references to the growth of the characters and the transitional nature of their relationship; this just adds to the amusement while still allowing those more emotional aspects to be included without things getting sappy.

The Ballad of Frank Allen will leave you with several unanswered questions (not least of which is, if you were to spell bakery with a z, where would you put it? – I’ve settled on bzakery), but it’s a show about a man living in another man’s beard, so it was never going to be straightforward. My advice is to sit back and enjoy the ride, because it is very enjoyable.

Kryztoff rating: 5K

Mar 05

FRINGE 2016: Mustardseed – 4.5K

10790_mustardseed-800x800_EFUL_GUIDE

By Amy Nancarrow.

If you were to search the comedy section of the Fringe guide, you’d be hard pressed to find a show more original in its concept than Ryan Good’s hour-long bedtime story, Mustardseed.

Set in the fantastic Tuxedo Cat venue, Mustardseed sets the audience up with beanbags and pillows whilst Good regales them with the tale of a small dragon (ours was called Fiona) who, after the death of her father, stumbles into a magical dream world free of the day-to-day troubles of most adults. Dressed in pyjamas and clutching a mug, Good makes everyone feel comfortable and involved everyone in the story with just the right amount of audience participation and improvisation.

Good is clearly incredibly intelligent, and weaves a verbose and clever tale with visual aids and the help of US band Dirty Little Blondes for some delightful musical interludes. As with his other show Cosmonaut, Good’s second show is full of heart, drawn from personal experience, and incredibly funny. Good touches on despite touching on subjects such as death, grief, and depression, Mustardseed is heartwarming and uplifting; the strong message of familial love, particularly the relationship between a parent and their child, is a strong theme throughout, as is the message that despite the ‘pine needles’ (or, the troubles that weigh us down), there are always stars in the sky waiting to be viewed, whenever you’re ready to look.

Good’s ‘set’ is fantastically set up. He uses props and costumes to bring characters to life, and creates a spectacularly clever ‘tree’ using ribbons, fabric, and sheets. He asks the audience to help create a blanket fort when the story moves to a cave, and has small globes as fireflies. The set helps the story to become immersive and emotive, and enhances every aspect of the tale.

Ryan Good is a talented comedian, whose intelligence and good heart come shining through his work. If you want to see a truly creative, original, and uplifting show, Mustardseed is a must see.

Kryztoff rating: 4.5K

Mar 05

FRINGE 2016: THEATRE – Trampoline – Tuxedo Cat – 5K

Dreams are strange things; no-one really knows why we have them. Sometimes they’re hilarious, sometimes they’re terrifying, often they’re completely mundane. For Matt (Shane Adamczak), they’re the single most engrossing thing in his life. They permeate his day-to-day existence; making it hard for him to know what’s real and what’s not, impeding his ability to hold down a job, and leaving social interactions awkward at best.

His therapist, Vangilles (Whitney Richards), tries to help him reign in his rampant imagination, and his need to tell everyone about it, without much success. Until, that is, the appearance of Kelly (also played by Richards), Matt’s quirky and vibrant new neighbour. What ensues is a sweet (but not in a saccharine way) story, about two people appreciating the eccentricities in each other and helping one another deal with life and the curve-balls it throws. Written by Adamczak, this is another excellent piece of independent theatre from Weeping Spoon Productions.

All of the performances are outstanding. Richards manages to balance the requirements of the dual roles of Kelly and Vangilles well, giving each their own subtle traits and personality while managing to retain the truth in their characters, so that neither seem unduly clichéd or disingenuous. As Matt’s cousin Frank, and a host of other characters, both real and imagined, St John Cowcher gets some of the funniest lines in the show; he delivers them at just the right frequency of strangeness so that it’s often uncertain whether they are real or in Matt’s imagination. Having created a character who has such a disconnect from reality, it would be easy to portray Matt in an exaggeratedly bizarre fashion; however, Adamczak has also imbued in him an authenticity that gives him a genuine likeability and credibility, despite the absurdities going on around him.

There’s really nothing to dislike about this show; it combines comedy and drama, silliness and complexity, reality and fantasy – all with a delightful soundtrack and a bunch of pleasing pop-culture references. It’s also probably the only time you’ll enjoy the repeated presence of Kenny G in a production.

Kryztoff rating: 5K

Mar 05

Fringe 2016: Nazeem Hussain – Hussain in the Membrane – Studio 7 – The Garden of Unearthly Delights – 3.5K

By Olivia Henry

 

You may recognise Nazeem Hussain: he’s an Australian comedian of Sri Lankan descent, and star of SBS’s Legally Brown. Hussain is back in Adelaide this year for his hour-long stand up show, Hussain in the Membrane. In this show, he tackles a wide variety of topics such as home ownership, marriage, dogs (he doesn’t like them?!?!!) and most notably, race.

 

There is no denying that ethnicity and religion are two of the most controversial topics in Australian media today. With other comedians, this can often lead to uncomfortable giggles or outright offence. However, Hussain is very good at crossing lines while avoiding the awkward “ooohs” from the audience. As a Muslim living in Australia, Hussain draws on his own experiences and tackles stereotypes head-on.

 

Audience input is also a small, yet memorable part of Hussain’s show. It is interesting how passing comments, such as his conversation with a voice actor, or mishearing “Hotline Bling” as “Hold my Bling” can produce giggle-worthy results.

 

This is a great show for anyone who knows what it’s like to be a little bit different. And with sell-out crowds, it’s definitely worth a look.

 

3.5K

 

Saturday is sold out, but tickets are still available for Sunday, 6 March. You can check it out and buy tickets here.

Mar 04

Fringe 2016 – A Simple Space – The Vagabond – The Garden of Unearthly Delights – 5K

By Tom Eckert

A20Simple20Space_Underbel-480698

The first thing that will strike you about a Gravity and Other Myth’s A Simple Space is precisely the simplicity of the space. A small sprung stage and a rug of yellow lights and the performers themselves in muted earthy tones. Don’t mistake this for blandness by any measure rather it is a desire for minimalism on order to not distract from the feats that follow.

With an atmosphere more reminiscent of a rehearsal space than a theatre and a utilitarian affect the audience is sucked into focus on the the rhythm of the movements and the beating of the drums.

With more a sense if theatre games than a performance the performers push each other to ever greater physical feats through friendly competition and a wry sense of humour.

With nothing else to focus on you fixate on the feats themselves and these do not disapointed. Demonstrating the extreme capacities of strength and agility the human body is capable of you are sitting on the edge of your seat and alternating holding your breath and gasping. There is no illusion of safety here, the only thing separating these people from the emergency department is the spring boards, the other members sporting and their own phenomenal athleticism.

With impeccable performance sense, sense of humour and a penchant for audience engagement and participation Gravity and Other Myths entertain and inspire awe.

Kryztoff Rating: 5K

Mar 04

FRINGE 2016: Amos Gill – Netflix and Gill – 4.5K

By Anthony Nguyen

9556_AmosFest.Headshot.2016_EFUL_GUIDEMore commonly known from hit107’s breakfast show, Amos Gill steps away from the radio and presents his comedy show Netflix and Chill for the 2016 Adelaide Fringe. Born and raised in South Australia, Gill has earned many nominations for his past standup comedy work including Best Emerging Comedian at the 2013 Melbourne Comedy Festival and the 2014 MCIF Best Newcomer Award.

With the title suggesting a play off of the term ‘Netflix and Chill’, the show mainly consists of uncensored sexual humour elaborating on his hilarious sexual experiences. Contrastingly, Gill also finds comedy in other topics with stories from getting haters in radio, looking like Jon Snow, and getting his sparkly ASOS shoes stolen.

Gill cleverly segues between stories, transitioning well into comedy and jokes regarding heavier current news topics such as the global refugee crisis and South Australia’s nuclear waste debate. Although very opinionated, Gill ingeniously find comedy out of the more serious subject matters. Therefore, it is better to come in with an open mind to fully enjoy the show.

With constant laughter throughout the one hour show, Gill continually proves his comedic talent with raw comedy will leave laughing in your seats whilst making you think ‘Did he really just say that?’
Fortunately, Amos Gill is set to become a familiar voice in Adelaide as he can be heard every morning during hit107’s breakfast radio program, Cat and Amos. Filled with crude humour that you would not see on his radio show, Amos Gill continues his show Netflix and Gill for the Adelaide Fringe at the Rhino Room with his final show on March 12th.

Kryztoff Rating: 4.5K

Mar 04

FRINGE 2016 – Without a Hitchcock – 3.5K

By Julia Cudsi

On the Fly Inc is an Adelaide improvisation troupe which has been making the rounds for the past few years, providing entertainment which is generally completely without a script and, well, on the fly.

Although improv is a genre which best lends itself to hilarity, one of On the Fly’s Fringe 2016 offerings, Without a Hitchcock, has a different aim – rather than weaving together a number of short skits based on audience suggestions, the premise is to create a one hour play using only two words from the audience, and adding the theatrical elements of tension and suspense.

If you have previously read any of my reviews, you may have observed that I am always impressed by performers who are able to create something out of literally nothing. Even more impressive, then, is the ability to weave together a 60 minute play, complete with nuanced characters, plot development and a consistent motif, which the entire troupe delivered.

Thursday night’s offering, involving insurrection amongst criminal ranks, Manchurian-candidate style human science experiments and lots of delicious wedding cake tasting certainly provided for an entertaining, suspenseful and at times hilarious evening. The difficulty with semi-serious improv is that at times you can clearly observe the players taking the performance in a different direction from the one their colleagues intended to, with slightly jarring effects – whereas in pure comedy, this is hidden slightly better under the hilarity.

One further minor let-down was the location – although the capacious Tandanya Theatre suited the Hitchcockian mood well, occasionally the sound from an adjoining theatre intruded and interrupted the vibe.

Overall, though, if you like your theatre with a twist of the unexpected this is a very entertaining show. If I had the time, I would go every night to see just how different each performance is.

 

3.5K

 

Mar 04

FRINGE 2016: Papillon – 5K

Papillon_300x300

By Amy Nancarrow

Having been fortunate enough to see a few physical theatre and circus shows at this year’s Fringe, I thought I’d already seen the best of the bunch – until Papillon, a combination of theatre, circus, cabaret, and comedy, made me laugh, gasp, and look on at these talented performances in awe.

Set in Gluttony’s gorgeous Octagon tent, Papillon is an entertaining, irreverent hour and fifteen minutes of circus gold. Complete with trapeze artists, acrobats, balance artists, jugglers, glass-walking, and talented musicians, Papillon’s quick paced sets and gasp-inducing tricks held the audience’s attention throughout the whole show.

With spectacularly funny emcees El and Idris (who steal the show with their juggling act finale) and the acrobatic troupe are incredibly talented, and great performers. With the promise of half-naked acrobats (the audience ooh-ed and ah-ed at that one), El and Idris had the audience eating out of the palms of their hands, and encouraged everyone to cheer, clap, and get involved. The short performances ensure that none of the material becomes tired or rehashed, and a variety of different types of performances keep the show fresh and the pace moving swiftly along.

Papillon includes fantastic performances by Minnie Andrews, a petite girl with a powerhouse voice. Belting out great covers of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes and “Creep” by Radiohead, Minnie adds a cabaret twist and looks like she does it effortlessly. Most of these performances provide the background music to the acrobatics, which add another layer to the physical performances, and vice versa.

Be warned, Papillon is not for kids – cursing and nudity are involved – but if you can stand use of the “b-word, p-word, f-word and c-word”, you’ll love this late-night show.

Kryztoff rating: 5K

Mar 03

Fringe 2016: Angus Hodge, Guy Alone – 4K

Angus Hodge has been performing as a stand up comedian for a number of years and is no stranger to the Adelaide Fringe. His latest show: Guy Alone follows the solo, stand up comedy pattern of his previous works however he introduces an entirely new set of jokes.

Angus has been performing for a number of years and his on stage persona is witty and confident. In his latest show he discusses a number of divisive social issues including homelessness, sexuality and violence with a certain charm. His observations are well thought out and he pokes fun at some of the well established attitudes and ideas of society.

Hodge is clearly well educated and moves swiftly and adroitly between his comedic observations. While the subject matter of some of his jokes is quite simple he analyses and dissects them with a clear logical train of thought.

For the most part Angus’ jokes hit their mark, but some of his new material is still a bit raw and needs to be sharpened to more clearly draw laughs from the crowd. This being said, Angus does well to welcome and warm the crowd, engaging them multiple times through his show.

A darkly humorous show which includes hilarious stories and observations you’ll never hear anywhere else.

4K

Mar 03

Fringe 2016: Wayne Carter Teaches You To Be Fabulous – 4K

Wayne Carter returns to his home of Adelaide after several years of living and performing in London to share his hilarious and outrageous stories. From his (mis) adventures at a school camp to his sexcapades through the UK and Europe, Wayne delivers sordid and humorous tales.

The show employs a number of musical interludes, all an opportunity for Carter to demonstrate his dancing abilities. At one point he invited an audience member on stage and was clearly surprised to see the participant dancing so well and enthusiastically.

Wayne’s first solo show is a hit, he has clearly identified his audience and they laugh uproariously at his jokes. This entertainingly lecherous show is a huge amount of fun, perfect for a mid week laugh!

Head along to the Griffin’s Head hotel to see ‘the most normal member’ of the Carter family performing from 8:45pm every night except Sunday.

4K