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Fringe 2006 Reviews (40)
The Third from the Left
By Jean Colonomos
Playwrights' Arena
C Central
***
Five dancers rehearse a revival of Martha Graham's Primitive Mysteries,
a notoriously difficult and demanding work. We follow the physical agonies
they go through, the mental stress of trying to reach Graham's high
standards and, for some, the hope to get into her company on a full-time
basis, their personal problems and their relationships with each other.
It's a variation on the timeless theme of people under stress in a
claustrophobic situation, with the added frisson of glimpses
of a dance genius through the characters' eyes, but the problem is that
the cast don't convince as dancers. Not that they have to dance - except
for one very short piece which is repeated on a number of occasions
- but there is a dancers's body language which is missing, a bodily
tension which we see even in sketching out moves and in warm-ups. These
are obviously actors, not dancers.
As for the play itself, it is a little unfocused, with our attention
being switched from dancing concerns to relationships in the cast to
personal problems. This lack of focus means that dramatic tension is
not sustained.
Peter Lathan
Jump
YeGam Inc
Assembly Hall
*****
Back after last years sell-out run, Jump was a show that was
top of my list for this years Festival, and man alive, I was not disappointed!
Jump tells the story of a Korean family who are ruled by their
strict grandfather, who works and trains them from dusk till dawn. With
a new marriage proposal and two unexpected guests the family and their
home are in for one wild night.
The stand out difference from Jump and other Fringe shows is
not the Martial Arts, acrobatics or even the skilful weaponry but the
fact it is a non-verbal piece.
The amazing cast don’t let us down in storytelling as they let
their bodies do the talking, showing that physical comedy is a universal
language. Not only does their bodies deliver comedy but some spectacular
Martial Arts that will make your jaw drop, showing just how amazing
the human body can be!
Jump is to theatre what Hong Kong star and director Stephen
Chow is to film, an Asian comedy treat! Chow has had hits with the likes
of Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, so lets hope YeGam
Inc follow up with many more top quality hits! What else can be said
apart from Jump is just simply fantastic! Don’t believe
me? Go see for yourself and be proven wrong!
Wayne Miller
The Pool
Leaves on the Track
Gilded Balloon Teviot
*****
Choosing shows on the Fringe often feels like kissing a lot frogs.
The Pool is a prince of a play and production. What is often
referred to as a sleeper.
David finds Tina in a local betting shop, they strike up a friendship,
and spend the rest of the day together. They share their histories and
dreams; they seem well suited and "he saw her and loved her all
at once, swore he'd marry her if she gave him the chance."
Leaves on the Track company member James Brough plays David and Helen
Elizabeth plays Tina. Both are walking wounded who have found a way
to survive without self-pity.
It would appear that this is a play written and workshoped by founders,
Gaby Crewe-Read and James Brough. All the monologues in rhyme and the
dialogues in prose are unselfconscious and fluid. This play is wonderfully
written, delicately acted, and flawlessly staged.
Catherine Lamm
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