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The
Edinburgh Fringe
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Fringe 2001 Reviews (8)Distant Sun This is unusual: three of the stars of a major long-running TV series appearing on the Fringe in a new play by a largely unknown writer, and not in one of the "big" venues. The series is Heartbeat and the actors Derek Fowlds (Oscar Blaketon in the series), David Lonsdale (David) and Tricia Penrose (Gina). The project - to stage a play with regulars from the series' cast - is the brainchild of Heartbeat Stage Manager Ann Harland, who directs. David Farn's play takes a common enough dramatic situation, a son returning to his family after an absence of years and the subsequent revelation of old tensions, leading to a sort of resolution, a resolution which involves a reversal of roles in the children. Common though the situation may be - and there is nothing new under the sun in drama: we have seen it all before - Farn creates strong characters and we are soon drawn into the conflict with our sympathies being drawn first one way, then another, until the final reversal creeps up on us. Alan (Lonsdale) is the prodigal son, who has been away in London working as a stand-up comedian (and here Farn uses his own exerience in stand-up, both to flesh out the character and, by showing bits of his act, providing punctation marks in the development of the plot), leaving behind father George (Fowlds) and sister Ralda (Penrose). The first night performance (it is only running for a week) had a few moments of unsteadiness - a little searching for lines here and there and some slowness in scene-changing - but all the elements of a fine performance are there. Raw Raw is the second of Chris Connell's trilogy of plays which began with Car, which also played at the Pleasance in the 1999 Fringe, before going on a national and international tour thoughout 2000. Like Car, it is directed by Mark Babych, artistic director of the Bolton Octagon. "No one controls me. I am uncontrollable," says Lex, the play's central character, a violent and frighteningly aggressive young woman (late teens/early twenties). At the beginning of the play we see her beat a young man (probably to death), for no obvious reason. We are definitely in O'Connell country: the world of the totally alienated, a world of smouldering aggression and explosive violence, a world in which the psychotic Lex dominates her gang (two other girls, Trainers and Lorna, and one man, Addy) through a combination of fascination and fear. Into this world comes Reuben, who works at a youth centre and has a strangely ambivalent reaction towards Lex and her life. At first he seems to be the archetypal do-gooder, but there is a lack in his life which he feels Lex will meet: "I though maybe I should care for you," he tells her. "Why shouldn't I have someone to care for?" She, however, rejects him: "You want to take me apart and fit some fucking scheme." The seemingly simple situation gradually reveals layers of complexity as the play progresses to its unexpected conclusion. This is a high energy production which with what is almost sensory overload. The play is due to tour throughout 2002. See it if you can. Weekend in Rio Tambar Productions has turned the entire space into an aircraft: at one end, as we enter, is the economy class cabin, and at the other, the business class bar. The two are linked by a walkway running the length of the theatre, which is itself bisected by another walkway at the halfway mark running at right-angles to two toilets. The audience sits on chairs along the two sides or on stools between the walkways. Each set is, in fact, on a revolve, giving us another two scenes. This is the most exciting thing about the show. In Act I we learn that Sugar, a rather over-the-top motormouth of a woman who is "in children's shoes", is flying to Rio because her son has stolen money from the family company to take two girlfriends on a holiday. She is in pursuit. She drives the other passengers to distraction, forcing two to hide in the toilts for the entire flight and another to shell out to upgrade. Acts II show us the return flight. It's funny, yes, but not entirely free from that less attractive trait of some American comedy which equates loudness with humour. There are some good ideas - having Chester, the son, played by a mannequin was a nice touch, and the increasing desperation of the other passengers worked well - and there is nothing to complain about in the performances - these are excellent actors - but I felt that the setting was just a way of bolstering up a rather ordinary script. There's a place for undemanding light comedy, but it's not my scene. Next page - - - Index |
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