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Fringe 2006 Reviews (45)
Young Macbeth
Castle Theatre Company
C Too
*****
Shakespeare has survived the multiple blows taken at him again this
year!
Most of the Shakespeare presented on the Fringe seem to be attempts
at adaptation for the sake of being innovative or unique. Most fail
and mostly because the text won't support the concepts or the actors
are just bad or both.
Castle Theatre Company should give Shakespeare hope. Fiona Clift has
choreographed and directed Mark Quartley's amazing adaptation of Macbeth.
Mr. Quartley plays Macbeth and Jonny Scott and Naomi Cranstoun take
on all the other roles required to move the plot forward. They prove
that you can rely on the very basic and minimal props and costume pieces
to make the production work. My only real complaint was that the sound
was too loud and distracted.
This is one of the most intellegent and honest attempts at a rework
of any Shakespeare this year. Castle Theatre Company should be proud
of this ensemble work.
Catherine Lamm
The Irish Curse
By Martin Casella
Smirnoff Underbelly
***
I confess to being one of the ignorant who did not know that the "curse"
of the Irish was a genetically small, eh.... Yes! The Irish Curse
is about a support group who feel that this is important. Not that anyone
should question the importance to those who suffer. These five men reveal
what it means to them and how it affects their relationships. Ricky
poses as a womanizer. Joseph is married with two children. Stephan is
a very buff and gay New York cop. Father Kevin hosts the group while
admitting the same shortcomings (Pardon.) Kiernan is the newest addition
to the group. He confesses that, while still a virgin, he will be married
the following Saturday and is very worried about how this will affect
his marriage.
David Haydn, Jason Kavanagh, Daniel Kerr, Michael Lindall, and Timothy
Morand do an excellent job in Stephen Henry's necessarily sparse direction.
The focus is on the script by Martin Casella, the characters, the relationship
and the action.
Catherine Lamm
Iliad: fall of Troy
Written and Directed by Mary Tate
Livewire Theatre Group
Venue 45
*****
The Iliad, one of the greatest tales ever recorded. A song of
bravery and renown, a song of the wrath of Achilles and the death of
Hector: tamer of horses brought to the stage by the company who previously
gave us The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
With a production such as this, there are several questions, which
inevitably arise, can it be true to the source? Does it go further than
the book? Are these Homer's characters at all?
The answers are less simplistic, as the narrative follows a meandering
route through the Iliad and the openings of the Odyssey
and Aeneid. However, Mary Tate has also pulled apart the ancient
poems and reassembled the tale with a new slant filled with tragedy
and wasted lives. Harvesting the wealth of further story from other
Greek tragedies, she fills the play, from the start, with a deep foreshadowing
and never lets the harsh realities of the tale slip from focus, meanwhile
exploding the quintessential fallacy of the "epic hero". The
tale told largely from the point of view of the women behind these men
of renown.
The cast, although large in number, never confuses, or becomes muddled,
despite being in such a small venue with so many voices in play. With
nary a missed note, or cue, the actors relish in their every part, from
Odysseus' resigned and weary politician to Achilles the overconfident
and unconcerned warrior, each is as archetypal as they are a cliché.
And nothing is held back emotionally as the tragedy unfolds. Nor is
the action skimped on as the cast hack at each other in choreographed
madness with sword, axe and spear. A strong and honest piece of theatre,
soaked in sweat and tears. For me this has been one of the absolute
highlights of this year's festival.
Graeme Strachan
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