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Fringe 2006 Reviews (58)
Hysteria
Inspector Sands and Stamping Ground Theatre
Aurora Nova
*****
As she laughed I was aware of becoming involved
in her laughter and being part of it
The opening lines of Hysteria by T S Eliot
A sexless character, a waiter by profession, counts its teeth slowly
and meticulously. The counting is carried out by a loud echoing voice,
as if we can hear an amplified inner voice, which fills the auditorium.
It is interrupted by a screechy female voice 'she was trying to eat
that banana' followed hysterical laughter. The mime is combined with
the sound of voices which provide the backdrop to a superb production
of a play inspired by TS. Elliot's Hysteria.
A man (Ben Lewis) and a woman (Giulia Innocenti) are on a dinner date
at what might be classed as a posh restaurant (judging by the waiter's
attention to detail). A semi-android and ghoulish waiter (Lucinka Eisler)
is at their service.
Innocenti's brilliant performance as an Event Manageress whose disarming
smiles gloss over neurotic fears and anxieties which are hilariously
articulated in astonishingly expressive and excessive arm and body movement
while peeling and devouring a banana - yes, a banana (she was literally
going bananas) whenever anxiety strikes. These panic attacks accompany
the temporary distraction of her companion when he communicates with
the audience or when he departs for the toilet in an attempt to control
his neurosis.
Lewis makes a convincing academic whose research into modern day neuroses
seems to touch his sanity. The audience are drawn in when attention
shifts to the front row where a member is directly addressed by the
'academic researcher'. He is asked to stand up and tell the audience
whether he can sense the back of his head. Short pause was followed
by the succinct reply: "Yes, I do". A second member of the
audience was asked the same question and this time the answer came:
"No, I don't". The researcher seems satisfied with the second
answer and without much ado rushes back to rejoin his companion at the
table. Light, music and partly audible conversation accompanied by mime
and movement shifts attention back to the centre stage, to the table
and couple at the restaurant. The audience by now may not be aware that
they are party not only to the research but also to the carefully drawn
physical space turgid with emotions they cannot lightly dismiss.
Eisler's performance as a waiter is astonishingly exquisite. Her face,
body movements and manners create a waiter you hope never to encounter
and yet transfix.
This is an extraordinary production brilliantly staged and performed.
Do not miss an opportunity to see it.
Rivka Jacobson
La Clique
La Clique
Spiegel Tent
****
A thrilling and well-polished evening of burlesque cabaret entertainment.
The Caesar Twins make an appearance, but it's the opening number, performed
by tangoing Argentinian brothers, which leaves the sharpest impression.
A terrific choice for an office night out.
Rachel Lynn Brody
Klepto
By Steve Tasane
Renaissance One
C Central
**
One wants to like Tasane in his one-man poetry showcase (I really wouldn't
call this a play), but the problem is that he hasn't got much charisma
as a performer. Still, his ruminations on capitalism and the liberation
of goods are interesting, and the personal atmosphere he attempts to
create means that 'boredom' isn't quite the right word for the mood
that takes over the audience as they're lulled into a passive viewing
mode.
Rachel Lynn Brody
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