Feb 20

FRINGE – The Bunker Trilogy: Agamemnon – The Bunker – 4.5K

Two soldiers take shelter in a bunker, both wounded. The superior officer, Agamemnon (James Marlow), is quite seriously injured. There is no response on the phone line and little choice remains but to wait out the battle, with the company of a little medicinal rum, to either be rescued, captured or die. As he struggles through the pain of his injuries, Agamemnon thinks on his wife, of the life they had, of his subsequent neglect and betrayal, and of her likely response to him coming home.

Writer Jamie Wilkes’ adaptation of this classic tale to fit the story of a World War I soldier is beautifully executed. The relationships between the characters, the emotions explored and the actions taken are both right for the time period and also timeless.

Marlow and Bebe Sanders, as his wife Clytemnestra, have a nice duality as both the sweet young lovers and the older couple, broken by bitterness and war. Despite his impressively tall stature, Hayden Wood is believably hapless as the slightly desperate, bumbling Aegisthus. His good nature is obvious and his yearning almost palpable.

Another atmospheric theatre experience has been crafted by director Jethro Compton, with the assistance of composer Jonny Sims and sound designer Ella Wahlstrom. The scenes slip seamlessly from present to past to future. What is real and what is imagined is often unclear and this creates a delightfully macabre journey for the audience as the story unravels.

Kryztoff Rating: 4.5K

Feb 20

FRINGE – The Bunker Trilogy: Macbeth – The Bunker – 4K

Unlike the other two offerings in The Bunker Trilogy, Morgana and Agamemnon, Macbeth is not a modern rewriting of the story – the original Shakespearian text is used, the language retained. It is however presented in a contemporary manner with the action once again shifted to World War I. While this is an interesting backdrop against which to see it set, there does not seem to be as strong a connection with the time period; the story does not as successfully link with the lives of soldiers in the Great War.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, however, liberal cuts have been necessary to condense it into a sharp one hour show while not making the plotline confusing or losing the feeling and themes of the full text. For the most part, this has been successfully achieved by director Jethro Compton. Only a handful of major characters are retained, who interact with nameless, eerie, gasmask-clad bit players and disjointed voices on the end of a telephone. The witches are similarly portrayed, suggestive of their overarching influence on the actions of these other characters and the situation as a whole.

As Macbeth, Sam Donnelly powered his way through the text, creating a man haunted by his past, grappling with his present, and unsure of his future. His rapid, manic delivery suggested that he was being swept along from one spur of the moment decision to another; Macbeth appeared not to be entirely in control of himself, or the decisions he was making, and somewhat helpless to fight against his fate. At times however, this did not seem to leave space for the thought processes behind the text to be apparent or the reality of the decisions to be felt, particularly in some of the lengthier, well-known soliloquies.

Bebe Sanders was magnificent as Lady Macbeth. Her portrayal of a strong, ambitious woman, sure of herself and her deeds, managed to make her actions seem, if not justifiable, at least understandable. Compton’s direction was particularly inspired in this area, with the traditional scene of madness exchanged for a quieter final decent, and suggestions of a blacker power governing her actions adding another side to the character. In their multiple roles, Hayden Wood and James Marlow provide sound support, with Wood’s Banquo possessing a calmness that contrasted nicely with Macbeth.

This is a wonderfully creepy version of a widely read, performed and studied script. The choices that have been made with regards to editing are judicial, the interpretation and delivery original and often inspired, the acting commanding, and the design evocative.

Kryztoff Rating: 4K

Feb 19

FRINGE – Folly – 4K

Folly is a forlorn tale of travel, lucid poetry describing the trials and tribulations of being a first world traveller in the second and third worlds. The show has the feel of picking up a travel journal half way through and peering deeply into another travellers mind. The performance was warm and cosy, the performers genuine and enthralling. There is a visceral sense of authenticity which draws the listeners further into the world being described to them.

The show is a culmination of the spoken word poetry of Sally Jenkinson and the soft blues guitar of Nuala Honan. Emotions run wild as the audience follows Jenkinson’s tale of traversing foreign shores. Jenkinson’s soft voice and beautiful accent heightened the audience’s attentions.  Jenkinson speaks with emotion but at points seems erratic and anxious. The anxiety was clearly a portion of the role but at times seemed overdone.

Honan’s exemplary voice and melodies coupled Jenkinson’s emotive phrases. Her adroit strumming and resonant voice captured the emotions of Jenkinson’s spoken words. Honan’s tunes harmonised with Jenkinson’s poetry to create a moving atmosphere.

The soothing guitar and soft spoken words inspired a diverse range of poignant emotions; from the erratic unease of boarding the initial flight to the light-hearted humour and intense affection of a holiday romance.

The show accurately portrays the diverse array of emotions one is subject to when travelling, particularly when travelling alone. The language is eloquent and the delivery is affecting. The show leaves you feeling calm, almost meditative, but also with  a prominent desire to travel.  Anyone who has travelled the world can relate to the apprehension and uncertainty; to be home among the places you recognise and the people you love.

Kryztoff Rating  4K

Feb 19

FRINGE – Now We Can Talk – Adina Grand Treasury – 4K

By torch-light, five individuals slowly wake up. In shadow you see another snippet of their stories. Devoid of sight, you are encouraged to meditate on the lives being lived above your head. Now it is time to talk, to share your own thoughts on various topics with one of these characters and, finally, to take a journey, literally, to somewhere that will bring it all together.

The structure of the show is very important and is what makes it work. The opening sequences allow you to gently ease into the intimacy of the experience.  The relevance of these scenes become apparent later and when they do it lends a pleasing completeness to the piece. The space, underground vaults beneath the old treasury building, creates a charming atmosphere which contrasts nicely with the bustle of the city. The technology utilised for the final sequence is also impressive.

The individualisation of the latter two thirds of the show means that the experience will be varied for different “audience” members, even at the same performance. Due to the conversational style of this major section of the show, it can be strongly affected by the willingness of audience members to engage. The onus is very heavily on the actors, to truly inhabit their characters and make the interaction feel genuine while also steering the conversation in the necessary direction for the remainder of the show to work. They appear to meet this challenge.

This also means that you could return again and again, and have a different experience each time. Indeed, the glimpses of the other characters that you get in the opening scenes leave you wondering what their stories might be. If you go with a friend, you might be lucky enough to find out what another of these was. However, the unknown seems to be the ultimate point of this piece – that there are so many stories going on around us every day that we don’t take notice of, which we won’t ever appreciate or understand.

Now We Can Talk provides an intriguing, stimulating, fun encounter for those who are willing to give themselves over to an experience.

Kryztoff Rating: 4K

Feb 18

FRINGE – Nunopoly 2 – 4.5K

Nunopoly 2 is an absolute delight. From the instant you enter the intimate venue James McCann’s quick wit and friendly nature places a smile on your face. As you enter you find McCann adroitly playing the piano accordion, dressed in a nun’s garb. Do not be fooled by this seemingly ostentatious opening, McCann drives the performance with humility and comedy.

Nunopoly 2 tells an auspicious fable of the creator of Monopoly. McCann is a natural orator, who regales the audience with an unbelievable tale of success and hilarious tragedy. His inexorable cheer drives the performance, grasping every inch of attention in the tiny venue. As the story unfolds the audience is gripped, hanging at the end of each sentence. The show ends, as all good ones do, with a performance on the piano accordion.

McCann performs without error, no awkward pauses and no missed opportunities. His humour is adeptly malleable; altering with the audience and atmosphere. His intellect is prominent through the show, his use of language and theatrics is astounding. This entire performance is augmented by McCann’s meticulous knowledge of the Monopoly board game.

The venue is simple with basic lighting and a single microphone and amplifier. McCann’s narration takes you beyond the ‘tiny cupboard’ in which he performs into the world of the greatest Monopoly player to ever live.

Stop reading this review and go and book your ticket. You MUST see this show.

 

4.5K

Feb 18

FRINGE – The Bryce is Right – The Prom – 4K

1461633_458529300936642_1117669586_nBy Peter Maddern

Sometimes amidst the onslaught of interstate comedians with their boof head routines, one can still find at the Fringe a pearl that might be on the cusp of something great. Bryce Halliday may be this year’s bright shiny object.

His show, The Bryce is Right, his debut cabaret act on its opening night, 1000 kms from home, was to be sure crazy courageous, featuring Bryce singing, Bryce playing, Bryce the lyricist and composer and Bryce delivering the patter. His topic, the fate of those obsessed with their own beliefs, started with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and finished, well, with Bryce.

Before a small and spread middle-aged audience at the Prom, the boy Bryce may well have died and inflicted a thousand on-stage deaths with such material. But he didn’t and as the show went on there was one thing that truly was holding it all together – Bryce can sing! And I mean really sing.

This is a cabaret star in the making with a strength of voice, obvious chutzpah and a song writing ability that produces tunes that sound eerily of Sondheim and his like.

Bryce, I think you made this harder than it needed be. Having a second person on stage with you to handle the looping synthesizer and its myriad of sounds and voices would have helped focus more attention on your assets rather than distracted from them. Still, I get it, there is hardly a lot of change to come from a show with a participation rate that barely broke into double figures.

Please, dear cabaret fan, be intrigued by this review and see what remains of his season – tomorrow (Wednesday) again at the Prom, then two nights at the Stamford Grand. Then, put this name, Bryce Halliday, in your little black book as a star in the making.  

Kryztoff Rating   4K

Feb 18

FRINGE – Miles Away – 3K

Image

By Anthony Nguyen

 

Set with only a bicycle stand upon a cloud-paneled backdrop, Miles Away tells the story of a woman’s struggles with past demons as she travels upon a road to self-discovery in the Australian outback.

Consisting entirely of one actress, Renee Gentle plays the character Alex, who embarks upon a journey with her bike named Gus, riding the road to Alice Springs. On her long-winded trip, she encounters many different and colourful characters from the outback whose backstories display the different comedic natures of outback Australians.

Accompanied only with keyboardist, Ting Yun, Gentle solely portrays all the characters, cleverly taking on different personalities and personas through shifts in posture and accents. Acting 16 distinct characters, Gentle gives a few good laughs through notable character portrayals including Walter, a smoking pubgoer and Spog, the hilarious outback pub cook.

Though some stories told by side characters were somewhat tedious and did not serve much purpose to the main storyline, it provided the audience with a few giggles before refocusing the story on Alex.

Miles Away displays the haunting effects that one can have from a closed past, and the story comes in a full circle which leaves audience members enlightened through the character’s triumph over her emotional and physical struggles.

Remaining shows continue every night at 9pm until February 22nd at the Bakehouse Theatre, so be sure to get in before the show pedals away.

 

Kryztoff Rating: 3K

Feb 17

FRINGE – Circus – Trash Test Dummies – 4K and Luminous – 4K

1487348_473511252764921_75482933_nBy Peter Maddern

Boiled down to its constituent elements, circus shows include some gymnastics, a strong man or two, ball juggling, pin tossing and an element of fun. What separates them is how this routine is delivered. There will not be two more extreme, and I hasten to add enjoyable, examples this Fringe than Trash Test Dummies and Luminous, both on Gluttony.

The Dummies are three likely lads who smash the crap out of wheelie bins in a rollicking sixty minutes of mayhem, ideal for both children as well as adults. The squeals of delight from the kids signal they are delivering on the colour and movement with balls and smiley faces and hats strewn everywhere. But the judicious use of popular music – everything from Vangelis and Frank Sinatra to the Nutcracker and 2001 A Space Odyssey – means the older members of the audience can have their own laughs too. Indeed, while the 5.30pm timeslot makes it suitable as the last fling for the day for young ones, the Trash Test Dummies will also prove an excellent way to kick off a night of Fringeing for others not so burdened.

While some of their catching occasionally reminded one of the efforts of English cricketer Michael Carberry, the big test for their continuous run til March 2, is whether they can collect all their props and repair the bins in time for the next show.

1528644_10151974077094915_1773049055_nLuminous takes circus much later into the night with a total emphasis on ultra-violet light and its effects on paint applied to the bodies of the four performers. The opening scene sets up the show wonderfully with one of them being painted up as the rhythmical and at time pounding music sets the tone of the hour. After a while, one forgets there are humans involved and you get transfixed by the moving shapes and colours.

All the aforementioned circus elements are there and while the catching of the pins also had a touch of the Carberrys about it, the cylinder on the string act towards the end was totally engrossing, so much did all the subtle and sweeping movements of all three elements of that effort seem to float and vibrate without obvious initiating force.

Luminous is sure to be one of the highlights of the 2014 Fringe circus acts and as it’s in a small venue, be sure to book ahead to avoid disappointment.

Kryztoff Ratings   Trash Test Dummies – 4K      Luminous – 4K

Feb 17

FRINGE – Pirate Pantomonium on the Popeye – Presented by On the Fly Impro

The captain and JemimaBy Camilla Youels

Join this swashbuckling adventure on the Pirate Popeye where you will enjoy an hour of adventure, story telling and frivolity on the River Torrens.

We begin our scallywags tale on the banks of the Torrens where you will be greeted by the scurvy crew that will take you on board the characteristically decked out Popeye and from there you will be emersed in a tale about a young lass called Jemima, and her desire to attend her friends Pirate party the next day. But there is a problem. She has come down ill and is sent to bed by her father only to awake on a ship with a rather demanding captain who has decided she is a stowaway and must wait on him hand and foot.

Jemima scrubbingHowever to her unexpected pleasure, along comes a pirate and together they are able to decipher her Pirate Map and locate the tressure …but not without the interference of the captain!!

This high seas adventure is appropriate for children aged between 3-9 and they are encouraged to dress up as pirates and sailors for this interactive experience. Come sing some familiar tunes, make a pirate hat and be drawn into a world of Pirates, treasure maps and fun for both kids and parents alike.

The Popeye

River Torrens Elder Park

11am

Feb 16, 19, 22-23, 26 and March 1-2, 5, 8-9

All tix $17 Family $52

Feb 17

FRINGE – Bitch Boxer – Holden Street Theatres – 4.5K

When we first meet Chloe Jackson (Holly Augustine), she’s managed to lock herself out of the house. This is particularly bad considering she was already running late and can’t risk her Dad finding out that she’s been slacking off all weekend with her new boyfriend, Jamie.  Bitch Boxer is all go from the very first, as Chloe hurdles fences and comes up with MacGyver-like manoeuvres to get back into her house, and director Bryony Shanahan manages to keep the energy and pace throughout.

As she tries to deal with both the emotional and practical impact of a major life-changing event, Chloe works harder and harder to maintain the momentum needed to achieve her ultimate goal: a place on the 2012 Olympic team.

Within the confines of the chalked out square of a boxing ring, Augustine bounces about, revealing the thoughts and feelings of Chloe, while also occasionally slipping into the personas of supporting character such as Jamie, each of her parents and her coach. Each of these characters is entertaining and well defined. Props appear from Chloe’s sports bag, allowing small physical connections to settings otherwise only brought to mind by the deft writing of Charlotte Josephine, and colourful delivery of Augustine.

The only detraction from the show was that the music sometimes drowned out the dialogue. While this may have been appropriate for some scenes, such as those set in a club, a better balance needs to be achieved so as to create the atmosphere but still allow the audience to hear everything that is being said. Every word of Josephine’s script and Augustine’s energetic performance deserves to be heard.

Kryztoff Rating: 4.5K