|
|
|
The
Edinburgh Fringe
|
|
|
|
Fringe 2005 Reviews (7)Cage The cage of the title is a dysfunctional family in which dad beats mum but cherishes daughter and daughter is torn in half by the situation. It is an incredibly violent piece with the savage beatings been carried out on a pig's carcasse hanging centre stage, with mother reacting. The daughter (played with extreme anguish by Saskia Schuck) never looks at the others but sits facing the audience throughout. In fact, most of the time all three characters face the audience, except what father is beating the mother and she is writhing on the ground. Physical contact - but not eye contact - is only made when father takes mother from behind. This is a relentless, painful piece. The words are delivered with as much violence as the action and the audience was stunned at the end. Someone did try to applaud, but it tailed away and we left the theatre in total silence. In his programme note, Steve Lambert (who not only wrote the piece but directed and played the father) explains that Badac's aim is to try to find the essence of the violence which is "as vital to the human existence as the air we breathe". In this they succeed. Cage is harrowing, brutal and intensely painful. Not only is its depiction of the violence graphic, so is its exploration of the psyche of both abuser and abused. And the violence is not only physical: the daughter, supposedly the father's "princess", is as abused as the mother, but in her case the abuse is emotional and spiritual. However there is a point at which the unrelenting nature of the action begins to lose its effect. Cage is, perhaps, a little too long, a little too repetitive, to make it into the five star bracket, but you will certainly not find a pla which is more emotionally demanding - even draining - on the Fringe this year. Peter Lathan Apocalypse - The Musical The music is catchy, the cast's voices are captivating, and Samantha Armsby's ingenius choreography is spot-on, highlighting Director Heather Newton's witty and inventive lyrics. Apocalypse - The Musical is a delightful bit of late-night entertainment, drawing on all the comedic possibilities offered by whores, nuns, milkmen, God, Satan, and Holy Cows. In sharp contrast to many Fringe performers, this cast has what it takes to pull an audience into a story that lasts nearly an hour and a half and is as improbable as it is hysterical. Satirically speaking, Apocalypse owes much to shows like Batboy, but as Mark Stanford's wide-eyed and innocent Charlie the Milkman serenades Sarah Lambie's Wendy the Whore, audiences may find they're laughing too hard to concentrate on the show's probable musical ancestry. The best thing about this play is how consummately professional and well-played are each of the actors' parts. From the uber-expressive Daisy the Cow (Christian Carter) to the biblical deity with the voice of a Baptist preacher (Dom Carter) and the wickedly delightful (and delighted!) Satan (Fongfu Tran), each performer hits their marks and endears themselves to the audience at the same time. Finally, the technical side of this performance is flawless, with everything from Ernest Merry's score to Rosaleen Newton and Cora Bates' costumes contributing exactly what's required to bring out the best of what's in Newton's script. To top it all off, Apocalypse isn't just fluff - there's a political message about apathy and understanding tucked carefully in at the end. But it's done so skilfully, and so well marked out in the script, that unlike other shows that try to urge audiences to care a bit more about the world they live in, Apocalypse doesn't bash anyone over the head with its agenda and audiences that really want to can enjoy it just for its story. Apocalypse will no doubt piss off the fundamentalists and conservatives who were insulted by the BBC's broadcasting of Jerry Springer: The Musical, but if you're even vaguely left of centre, it's probably the best musical laugh you'll get on the Fringe. Rachel Lynn Brody Laurel and Laurel
Bob Kingdom is one of Edinburgh's masters of the one-man show. He has portrayed Dylan Thomas (he makes a final return on 22nd August), Truman Capote, Elsa Maxwell, J.Edgar Hoover and now added to that eclectic mix is Stan Jefferson, an ordinary English acting type who achieved fame after taking the name of a wreath. In a grey night-shirt, Kingdom looks and sounds very much like his subject, especially when going for the goofy smile and the tearful facial collapse. In an hour, we hear of Laurel's film career, get a few of the gags and also find out about the personal relationships of a contrasting pair of legendary comedians. Babe Hardy, as he was known offstage, was happier working 9-5 and retiring to the golf course but while the two men led separate lives away from the silver screen, there was a real affection that is exemplified by Laurel's reaction to his partner's death. Laurel himself was a more complex man than he appeared, as eight marriages to four women might hint. He seemed simple but as he points out in character, it was Ollie that ended up bashed on the head and falling down holes. The slim man also became a model for the next generation of comedians including Jerry Lewis and a not too grateful Peter Sellers. This is a good Kingdom bio-play that takes us behind the silver screen. The writer also acts and at the performance under review was not at his normal, fluent best. Philip Fisher |
|
|