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Fringe 2006 Reviews (53)
Gizmo Love
By John Kolvenbach
ATC
Assembly @ George Street
****
This plot-driven story about a young screenwriter whose dreams of making
the film he's been writing all his life is an enjoyable afternoon's
entertainment. The performances are satisfying and the emotional journey
of the characters are entirely believable. One element that didn't make
much sense, and which distracted from the story, was a giant Gone
With the Wind film poster; whatever designer Lisa Lillywhite intended
for this element of her set to communicate, it set up expectations for
a story slightly more epic than the one we actually watched.
Kolvenbach's script is well paced, although at times the character
seem hastily drawn. On the other hand, as Manny (Peter Polycarpou) tells
Ralph (Toby Dantzic), sometimes there are motivations behind a character's
actions that the audience can't see, and must simply accept. Given that
the rest of Gizmo Love is such an enjoyable experience, this
is perfectly fine.
Rachel Lynn Brody
One Set to Love
By Matt Devere, Paul Hunter and Mike Kelly
Assembly @ St George's West
***
Morecambe and Wise used to create work like this, lampooning drawing
room comedies and murder mysteries. However, they stuck with fifteen
minute sketches while Madhouse pretty capably spin their devastating
story to five times that length.
This two hander (plus a frozen puppet) features around a dozen characters
played by two energetic actors, Matt Devere and Mike Kelly. In essence,
this is a story of the love that dared not speak its name on the country
house circuit in 1922, when the numerous flashbacks are set, nor ten
years later when Kenneth and Georgie eventually reach a happy ending.
In a very hot space, the pair constantly have to rush on and off stage,
changing costumes and are soon dripping with sweat, but that is the
charm of this style of acting.
They play a variety of roles and even swap places as the lugubrious
butler, Jessica, as required by the other parts. They also make fun
of themselves by introducing anachronisms and commenting on the impossibility
of some of the things that they are trying to achieve.
One Set to Love is directed by Told By An Idiot's Paul Hunter
and as one would expect, there is a plethora of comic ideas flying,
around many of which hit their targets.
Philip Fisher
Exotica
By Anushiye Yarnell
Zoo
**
Exotica is a performance art solo show with an element of dance.
It is performed by the creator, Anushiye Yarnell, who for an hour flexes
muscles and writhes around the stage space like a fish or cat.
Eventually, she sinks her head into a bowl of milk, tastes honey and
cleans her teeth before donning a fox fur stole.
The whole after a silent dressing scene is accompanied by discordant
music, frequently electric and on occasion apparently played backwards.
This can sometimes look seductively beautiful but defies any coherent
meaning.
Philip Fisher
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