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Fringe 2005 Reviews (5)
An Oak Tree
by Tim Crouch
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
****
Tim Crouch's latest play, An Oak Tree, is performed by the author
and one other actor, who is somebody different at each performance who
must never have seen or even read the play before. This could so easily
be just a gimmick - especially on the Fringe - but in Crouch's play
this concept goes right to the heart of the play's meaning.
Crouch, when not playing himself, plays a stage hypnotist, and the
actor is the father of a young girl that the hypnotist recently knocked
down and killed accidentally. The actor never has to improvise his or
her part; he or she is given lines and moves on pages of script or as
directions given by Crouch - sometimes audibly and sometimes discreetly
using a microphone and a pair of iPod headphones. Although there are
a few long pauses for direction to be given, this all happens fairly
smoothly and so the audience's attention is not allowed to wander.
This production is, however, much more than abstract performance art
or an acting exercise. There is a great deal of humour in Crouch's performance
as he banters with the audience and with his actor. The story deals
with one person's struggle to deal with the death of his child and another's
struggle to deal with having killed a child, despite having been found
innocent of blame. It is also about identity and playing roles, as the
father replaces his daughter with an oak tree, the hypnotist makes his
volunteers believe they are somebody else and Crouch manipulates his
actor into the role of the father.
Crouch and the actor slip between playing themselves and playing the
characters, and any confusion over this is entirely deliberate - when
we are not sure whether Crouch is instructing the actor or the hypnotist
is manipulating his subject, this actually deepens the themes of the
play. There are points when Crouch is telling the actor to relax and
asking him how he feels, and even here the actor's responses are scripted
and therefore entirely under Crouch's control. Even the audience is
instructed in the role it should play during the scenes.
The actor deserves a mention even though no one else will ever see
him play the role: his name is Sandy Grierson and he gave an extremely
good performance. He gave a long speech about how he transformed the
oak tree into his dead daughter in a very moving way, despite being
prompted line-by-line by Crouch through his headphones.
This is a fascinating concept that has been realised in an entertaining
and often very moving piece of theatre that will produce a very different
performance each night.
David Chadderton
Lysistrata's War: A Rock Opera
By David Hamilton and Mark D. Williams
Lake Tahoe Community College
C Too
**
This original rock opera is based on Aristophanes' play Lysistrata,
and tells the story of how the women of Athens and Sparta banded together
to end a war between their menfolk by denying said menfolk any action
in bed.
While the score isn't bad, the lyrics are far too loose and repetitive;
lines often feel inserted for the sake of rhythm rather than content.
Casting seems to have taken place without regard for each vocalist's
range, except in the case of Shannon Dolan as Lysistrata, though even
in her case it was a good 20 minutes into the show before she hit her
stride.
Rhona Keen is likeable as Calonice, giving an enthusiastic performance,
but many of the other cast members seem to fall into two groups: over-enthusiastic
and pantomiming, or else listless and unconvincing. Jeff Whitt oversees
one bright moment relishing the part of the evil magistrate, but this
is a brief appearance and his role as the face of the government is
soon taken over by Thomas Sanders as the Governor of Athens, who is
too wishy-washy to be taken seriously.
There are some interesting thematic ideas about war and the government's
relationship to the governed, and the juxtaposition of Williams' still
images with the millennia-old play are heavy-handed reminders of what
war means to those directly involved, but all in all this feels like
a workshop production for a musical still desperately in need of development.
Rachel Lynn Brody
The Butcher and the Thief
By Robert Stocks and Tommy Luther
Blank Sheet Productions
C Central
****
Robert Stocks and Tommy Luther take the stories of William Burke and
William Hare, Edinburgh's infamous serial murderers, and tell the story
of the lies and greed that brought them to dismal ends, using puppets,
paintings, drawings, and generous helpings of blood and gore.
Given that the show starts at half past midnight (when it's running
on time) and played to an audience of only about fifteen, it was remarkable
how much energy Stocks and Luther invested in their performances. Although
there are brief moments when the performances lose a bit of cohesion
or the script blinks out of coherence - mostly in the moments when murders
or character changes are taking place - overall this is a very, very
strong piece of work.
The Butcher and the Thief engages the audience on a multitude
of levels - there's the horror-film aspect brought in by all the blood
and guts, an historical/social commentary which begins with the first
moments on stage, when they manage to recreate the bustle of 1800s Edinburgh
city life, and emotional depth they bring to their roles. Because the
script allows the audience to see events from the perspective of both
men, the audience is also faced with the dilemma of whose version of
events can be trusted. Stocks and Luther begin by casting Burke as the
villain, but by the end of the show it's Hare who's shown up as the
one who can't be trusted, and Burke quickly gains our sympathy thanks
to some emotive and engaging acting.
The piece has a few minor shortcomings, but overall this is one late-night
show that's definitely worth staying up for.
Rachel Lynn Brody
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