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Fringe 2005 Reviews (3)
Absence and Presence
Andrew Dawson
Aurora Nova@ St Stephens
****
Andrew Dawson was working in theatre in New York when his father's
body was discovered ten days after his death. Absence and Presence
is an eloquent and moving reflection on the life and death of a man
who lived an average life with modest desires and a gentle disposition.
Dawson is at his best when transforming himself into the father figure.
This is a tender and sometimes humorous portrayal as well as a belated
exploration of a relationship between father and son. The movement is
superbly understated and a language more eloquent than words to describe
love, loss and grief. Dawson's other strengths lie in the visual components
and the integration of music to enhance those emotions men all too often
fear to express.
The stage is simple, pleasingly bare except for a television monitor,
three folding chairs on one of which is seated a slumped figure constructed
entirely of chicken wire. From the ceiling naked light bulbs dangle.
Dawson uses these visuals, along with the music, to pace the show. At
moments there is room for quiet pondering, at others scope for laughter
and there is an elegiac quality that is deeply touching. A recurrent
metaphor for the transient nature of human existence lies in the image
of a moth drawn buzzing to the naked light only to perish before its
time. Dawson creates suchlike metaphors without any pretension. Towards
the end a hand-held light projects the mesh figure in larger than life
proportions on the back screen, seeking out every nook and cranny, bringing
it to life, rendering it an endearing and wonderous human presence.
This is an image of long-lasting impact, and as with the death of all
those close to us we are touched with the recognition of our own frailty.
Dawson has given us a show of such sweet simplicity and such complex
emotional pith that I was surprised to find tears in my eyes.
Jackie Fletcher
Snuff
By Davey Anderson
Arches Theatre Company
Traverse Theatre (2)
***
Snuff is a politically aware dark comedy about two friends,
one (Steven Ritchie as Billy) just back from Iraq and the other (Brian
Ferguson as Kevin) convinced he's fighting a war against foreigners
on his home soil. Kevin has an obsession with his video camera, and
has been making films, although aside from clips we see of a film which
he made of his sister, we can't be a hundred percent sure of their content.
In addition to its treatment of political subjects, Snuff is
also a play about lies and double-bluffs between friends, with the relationship
between the two male characters taking centre stage.
The script contains a lot of witty dialogue as Kevin and Billy discuss
their lives, but it's hard to tell exactly what points are being raised,
and what questions Anderson is trying to ask (or answer). Is Snuff
a case of simply turning a camera, so to speak, on a section of society
and illuminating their situations? Or is there any room for solutions
to be offered with the close of the piece? Its ambiguous ending leaves
one hanging, but where the characters might go next is anyone's guess.
The production is well-staged, taking advantage of the unique space
offered by Traverse 2. Designer Will Holt has created a claustrophobic
but naturalistic home for Kevin, and LX/Sound designer Graham Sutherland
uses music and soundscapes well, enhancing the effects of Holt's set.
The performances of both actors are also compelling and draw the audience
in; it's a credit to both Ferguson and Ritchie that they're able to
make the audience sympathize with two characters who are this screwed
up.
Rachel Lynn Brody
Hospitals and Other Buildings
that Catch Fire
By Phil King
Theatre Royal Holloway
Smirnoff White Belly
****(*)
Hours after leaving this haunting production, the melancholic hope
inspired by Hospitals and Other Buildings that Catch Fire will
remain with the audience. This is a painfully sweet and nostalgic work,
examining tragedy and love in a modern city setting.
The plot is a touch convoluted, with the intention (as stated in the
programme, which also contains a copy of the script) being for audience
members to follow the journey of Tom and Katie, a couple with a desperately
ill child. The wounds borne by the two parents are reflected in a number
of stories the company tells the audience as they lead their viewers
through the struggles of characters who drift in and out of the city's
spheres.
What could be a bleak and depressing experience is transformed into
a modern-day fairy tale, despite the difficult and dark subjects handled.
This is due in no small part to the actors' efforts to involve and acknowledge
the audience, drawing us gently into writer Phil King's world. Under
the direction of Simon Pittman, the entire cast, particularly Annabelle
Morgan, infuse the production with warmth and care from the moment the
doors are opened.
Upon examination of the script, it's clear that there is a spirit of
genuine creativity and generosity suffusing Hospitals. It begins
with the script but is also evident in the physical and puppeteering
work done by the company. The various forms of theatre used in this
production highlight and support King's lyrical text.
This allows audience to become involved in the piece without feeling
threatened, as one often can when forced to perform in a theatrical
piece, and makes Hospitals one of the warmest pieces of theatre
I've seen so far at the 2005 Fringe.
Rachel Lynn Brody
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