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Fringe 2006 Reviews (81)
G-City Monologues
Firefly Productions
Roman Eagle Lodge
****
What would happen if Batman one day upped and left? That is the central
conceit of G-City Monologues; a series of speeches from a quartet
of Supervillains, neatly avoiding copyright issues by using assumed
names, who have all retired from their criminal lives and have formed
a travelling road show touring between towns.
As they tell about their new lives they lament on his disappearance
and wax fondly in an ironic style about the comic book lifestyle.
The production is amusingly fun and there is a real sense of affection
for the material by all involved. The descriptions of the Dark Knight's
downfall after being caught in a compromising situation with a villainess
and the following bureaucratic fallout which took away the familiar
aspects of the world, is realised with no small amount of humour.
The actors do a fabulous job in representing the characters without
ever caricaturing them. The playful fun poked at the constant escapes
from asylums and prisons and the simple childish nature of it all adds
to a nostalgia portrayed in every aspect of the acting. As one at a
time, they each admit how much they miss their arch nemesis and the
simple lives they had, the message runs even deeper.
Grame Strachan
Up Script Creek
Watchthis
Underbelly
***
This improvised play was created entirely from suggestions from members
of the audience left in a golden handbag. The story was then devised
on the spot by the cast, trying to include as many suggestions as they
could.
With such delights as the mass-murdering sentient washing machine looking
for his student father and the screwball scientist struggling to save
the world from a broken sponge factory, it was anyone's guess what would
happen next.
The four cast members were quick thinking and in good spirits, keeping
the audience laughing as best they could, and although some of the moments
fell flat but the majority of the show was good honest simple fun.
Graeme Strachan
Innocence
By Philip Monks
Karisma Productions
C Central
****
The youngest single performance at the Fringe, so the programme purports.
And at 13, Helen Monks is an absolute revelation; her portrayal of Innocence,
a disturbed and confused young child, wanders the fine line between
sanity and madness with a complete conviction that is at times both
mesmerising and chilling. She leads the audience through a journey of
overheard voices, half-remembered arguments and dreams, which slowly
fill the gaps in the story until the full horror is apparent.
The succession of pre-recorded voices and the eerie ambient music add
to the overall effect of the play, with the voice acting on a par with
Monks' own precocious abilities; and professionalism which is far beyond
her years.
The story is also an attractively simple affair, the initial thoughts
about the child and her situation are led astray through a series of
misleading red herrings all of which serve to add to the audience's
hunger for the truth right until the last moment.
Graeme Strachan
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