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Fringe 2005 Reviews (30)
Breakfast At Audrey's
Written and Directed by John Binnie
Gilded Balloon Teviot
**
The Audrey here is Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast At Audrey's
is John Binnie's intensive on one aspect of her life and the relationship
with her mother.
One is taken, first, by the unusual set; a ladder, utilized mostly
by Audrey's mother, and circus trapeze/hoop hanging from the pipes above,
exclusively Audrey's territory. The ladder represents the stage mother's
climb or the social and theatrical ladder on behalf of her daughter
and the hoop which Audrey "jumps through", tumbling and twirling
as if a aerialist trying to perform for her mother and the world.
Cara Kelly as Audrey and Philippa Vafadari as her mother are capable.
Kelly has a affinity for the trapeze and is mesmerizing to watch.
Binnie, unquestionably, has a talent for writing and creating cutting
edge theatre. But the clarity and depth of characters and their relationship
that John Binnie mined in Accustomed To Her Face has not been
realized here. It has the feeling of being more a étude
than a play.
Breakfast At Audrey's is, nonetheless, an interesting insight
into one narrow aspect of Hepburn's relationship with her mother specifically,
and with the world in general.
Catherine Lamm
Balagan
Directed by Sebastiano Toma
Assembly@St. George's West
*****
This is the Fringe at it's best! Before a performer hits the stage,
we realize we are in for a multimedia show. Here is everything. Musicians,
acrobats, singers, and clowns. It is a sensory overload.
The music is by Mark Chaet (violin) and Sergej Sweschinskij (bass violin
and electric bass), performed by Adam Tomaszewski on percussion, Svetoslav
Karparov on Piano, Dmitry Geller and Pavel Kurdokov on trumpet, Anke
Lucks on trombone, and fragile-sweet vocals by Momo Kohlschmidt would
complete a wonderful theatrical evening. But Toma has added the amazing,
awesome duo of Nataliya and Viktor Nebrat whose beautiful and hypnotic
dance/acrobatics just cannot be adequately discribed. The acrobatics
of brothers Oktay and Telman Novruzov are equally flawless and added
a not small dose of humor. Rimma Krilova's mastery of the metal hoops
is amazing. Igor Vasiliev proves that the Russians have a lock on the
clown industry.
These are all extemely well-trained and seasoned professionals in their
own right, and respect and work well with each other. Sweschinskiu is
as diabolical looking as Tomaszewski is euphoric. The Nebrats and the
Novruzovs are amazing, awesome, unbelievable.
Any one of these acts would make an evening. But Toma has given us
a tight and seamless evening's entertainment. There is so much going
on - where to look? One almost forgets that there is a slide show going
on behind all of this. This is as good as it gets! A must see!
Catherine Lamm
Basic Training
Gilded Balloon Teviot
***
Kalil Ashanti joins a stellar list of comedians who can tell the story
of their life. As a young man who lived with his abusive stepfather
and abused mother, his enlistment in the Air Force was the catalyst
for his coming of age.
Ashanti protrays his father, stepfather, mother, uncle, training instructor,
and a multitude of other characters, all clearly defined.
He commands the stage and displays with raw passion his take on the
world around him. He is an energetic and entertaining performer but
his humour indulges in characters and plots that wander only slightly
off the focus. We are most touched by his relationship with his mother
and reunion with his father. This is where Ashanti does not need to
exaggerate to be both funny and poignant.
Catherine Lamm
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