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Fringe 2006 Reviews (71)
Nora
By Deborah Westrup
Ether
Hill Street Theatre
**
Occasionally one happens across a play that takes a fairly uninspiring
concept and makes from it a piece of fabulous theatre. Employing only
one speaking part onstage; playing against a succession of answering
machine messages and an anthropomorphised id figure, Nora tries
to be just that. Unfortunately it lacks the scope and breadth to manage
that.
The production flounders from the outset with the lead, played by Westrup,
sounding stilted and pronouncing each line in an over-clarified manner.
The effect is rather soulless and unrealistic. Then occasionally the
inexplicably nimble capoeiran-dancing figure, which shares the stage,
peering out of a mirror, dances at her for little apparent reason.
The real problem is that there is little of anything for an audience
to feel about the character, other than a lack of interest in her self-obsession
and facile emotion worries.
This depressingly bland and tiresome event is based in part on Ibsen's
The Doll House. However the very real social confines of Ibsen's
time are not transported with the adaptation, leaving the story flat
and pointless.
Graeme Strachan
Finnegan's Wake: The Tale
of Shem the Penman
Adam Harvey
C Cubed
****
James Joyce's much famed final novel has never been a simple matter
to understand. There is no discernible plot that manifests itself throughout,
only vague and tenuous themes that carry over certain passages. Adam
Harvey has studied its intricacies for over thirteen years now, his
stage play, The Tale of Shem the Penman, is a verbatim re-enactment
of the entirety of the seventh chapter.
The darkened stage opens upon two chairs and Harvey himself, in a curiously
idealised form of period dress. He then proceeds to wildly rant and
rave about a boorish man named Shem, occasionally speaking directly
to him, or his hat, at other times to the audience. As it is never clear
exactly what is going on, nor who is who and what further situations
this all pertains to, the performance at times becomes unclear and confusing:
however its an incredibly impassioned performance all the same.
Harvey manages to succinctly emote an entire hour of non-standard dialogue,
flitting seamlessly between languages and differing speech patterns,
all the while posing and gesticulating in a manner that adds some much
needed clarity to the stream of consciousness pouring from his lips.
Whilst this might not appeal to everyone, the show is something of
a unique experience, not to be missed by anyone who has an interest
in Joyce's work or in avant-garde theatre.
Graeme Strachan
The Gruffalo and Friends
Julia and Malcolm Donaldson
The Assembly Rooms
****
Heading into a room filled with small children and their parents, I
prepared to be patronised and bored senseless for an hour. Luckily this
wasn't the case: even though Julia Donaldson's books are aimed at children,
the infectious sense of fun in this show made it enjoyable for everyone.
Julia narrated several of her stories, along with pint-sized helpers
from the audience in almost singing kettle-like atmosphere. Helped along
with Malcolm's accompaniment on guitar and in song, the entire audience
were soon filling in the choruses, and even pretending to be an entire
host of butterfly larvae, making this first rate children's entertainment.
They entertained the children as well as the many Mums and Dads attending.
The mugging and amusing lines were well appreciated and the whole crowd
roared and chattered along with them, many knowing the stories inside
out already. From the lesser-known books to the titular Gruffalo,
there were small smiles as far as the eye could see.
Graeme Strachan
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