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Fringe 2006 Reviews (51)
The Laramie Project
Compiled from Real Interviews
Theatre Omnibus
Sweet ECA
***
Being more of a documentary than a narrative, The Laramie Project
seeks more to educate its audience than to entertain them. The project
was created after the death of Matthew Shepherd, a gay student at the
University of Wyoming. It aims to provide a look at how the hate killing
affected the community of his town and to tell the story of the events
that transpired.
The performance is broken into individual monologues for the most part,
other than when the interviews are better served by the interplay.
The acting was so impassioned and convincing that it was entirely plausible
to suspend all belief and allow that these were the real interviewers
performing.
However, the production itself lacks urgency, with the outcome mentioned
early on, the events never seem in any doubt, the revelations seem obvious
rather than surprising, and the as a result the players look naïve
rather than shocked. This is partly due to the lack of any real mystery
as to the identity of the culprits, and their guilt.
There is also distinct one-sidedness to the entire affair, which comes
across as slightly preaching and sanctimonious, going some way towards
undermining the depth of feeling for the terrible crime committed. It
is a given that Matthew Shepherd had many friends in the gay community
and it is to them that the interviewers turned foremost, but this is
contrasted with the religious bigotry of zealot priests and the dubious
words of the killers themselves. This all-too-real duality leaves a
lack of fulfilment highlighted by the solitary reasonable voice that
questions his near-angelic status.
Perhaps a more judicious edification of the original materials would
have made for a more interesting and thought provoking piece.
Graeme Strachan
Twinkle Little Star
By Philip Meeks
Gilded Balloon Productions
Gilded Balloon Teviot
****
In his first Edinburgh outing Emmerdale writer Philip Meeks
gives us a tale of pantomime legend Harold Thropp, a classic Dame of
theatre and life. Harold must look at his past and make a choice for
the future as he heads into another season as the great Widow Twankey.
Set in the dreaded demoted closet that is dressing room five, the flea-ridden
and stained sofa, unplumbed sink and oh my, the decoration from times
gone by do help you feel the doom and gloom that such a room has to
offer. A perfect setting to set off any bitter Queen!
Writer Philip Meeks knows this world inside out and excels in showing
the strange and wonderful world of pantomime, something now littered
with pre-Madonnas, Australian Soap Stars and TV reality dead beats!
The script is packed with humour both light and dark and is so very
truthful.
Playing hero Harold is one of my hero's of TV and Theatre, veteran
actor Tim Healy, after stepping into Twinkle when original star
Chris Biggins left the project. He comes in to make such a wonderful
bitter Dame. Having starred in Panto himself Healy will know a Harold
Tropp and will know Harold's world so well. He was such a joy to watch,
bringing to life such a wonderful character - let's just hope he steps
back into a frock sometime soon!
If you don't know theatre and the pantomime world you may be lost on
a lot of the jokes and references, but you may also have you eyes and
mind opened to this well loved theatre art! Twinkle Little Star
does Twinkle - it's truthful, touching and very funny.
Wayne Miller
Elegies for Angels, Punks
and Raging Queens
By Bill Russell: music by Janet Hood
RSAMD Musical Theatre
Augustine's Sanctuary
***
Not quite a play, not really a musical, Elegies for Angels, Punks
and Raging Queens is more of a theatrical celebration of life, pieced
together like a collage of poetry, free verse, monologues, song and
choreography. This piecing together was inspired by the Names Quilt
Project, a symbol of love and commemoration for people who have died
from AIDS. Bill Russell, the American lyricist, playwright, and theatre
director, was keen to create something that would illustrate the different
type of people affected by Aids and to raise awareness of all the different
ways the disease may be caught.
The first production was staged in 1989 in an Off-Off Broadway theatre.
Since then has been performed all around the world. The secret to its
popularity is that the production illustrates a very sad fact in a very
humble and often light-hearted way: AIDS Can Kill Anyone. It's one of
those home truths that can never be repeated enough and if the numbers
on seats is anything to go by, people still want to hear it.
Director Iain Davie ensured that each monologue was not a separate
experience, by overlapping and feeding one story into another. This
definitely helped to develop each of the vignettes and contribute to
the consistency of the narrative. However with over thirty-two different
monologues and around ten songs, it did all get a bit much and towards
the end the actors were looking rushed and tired. Saying that, there
were some star performances by Scott Garnham who played Paul, Sabrina
Carte, who played Grace and Claudia, and Erin Breen who played Christine,
Helen and Joanne.
There is many a word of wisdom to be had in the musical numbers, which
Bill Russell explains as representing the, "present tense […]
expressions of those left alive in the face of this tragedy," but
my favourite is "To love life with courage" - the Finale song.
Here I cried and I know I was not the only one.
Lennie Varvarides
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