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Fringe 2007 Reviews (91)
Rock 'n' Roll Penguin
Gamarjobat
E4 Udderbelly
*****
Dear rock n' roll penguins,
I love you and I want to marry you both and lay your eggs....
Dear Gamarjobat,
You made me laugh so much for a whole hour I almost wet my knickers….
I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that Gamarjobat have fan
clubs and groupies all over the world. These two diminutive Japanese
comedians are so cute, so talented, so funny, so physical, so appealingly,
absurdly silly that you can't help but love them both to bits. They
should be put into the Comedy Hall of Fame next to Charlie Chaplin,
the Marx Brothers and Bugs Bunny.
They take the audience by the hand on a journey to laughter-land from
the very beginning of the show, handing out chocolate bars to audience
members who happily play their stooges. Dressed in black suits and dicky
bows with rubber flippers and penguin bonnets, they play a mean electric
guitar. With their cheesey grins and energetic antics, colourful Mohicans
and fluffy animals, they have invented a new international language
from a blend of commedia dell'arte, musical hall slapstick, magic
tricks and making silly but meaningful noises. They are comic geniuses.
Most of their gags centre around new and innovative ways to play old
tricks and that is part of the fun, the surprise, the admiration, when
they transform an old cliché into something fresh and alive and
vitally funny and keep on going, and going, on and on, inventing new
twists and variations until I was lame with laughter.
If there isn't already a Gamarjobat International Fan Club, I think
I'll have to start one.
Jackie Fletcher
Romeo & Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Globe Touring Company
Hopetoun House, Edinburgh (and touring)
****
Not your typical Fringe experience, this production of Romeo &
Juliet, which takes place outside one of Scotland's finest estate
houses, was a real treat for a bedraggled Fringe-goer looking for something
a bit different. While it might have been a good idea for the company
to make some kind of provision for those travelling in from Edinburgh
(given that it was advertised as part of the Fringe) rather than forcing
car-less audience members to either negotiate the train-and-bus route
(which ends in a 40-minute walk) or else plead with friends for a lift,
in the end the struggle to get there was well rewarded.
Cast members give spot-on performances in each of their roles, with
casting doubled for a number of characters but distinctions between
personalities always made clear. RSAMD's Richard Madden is a fine Romeo,
and Ellie Piercy's Juliet is highly watchable. The two do an excellent
job of providing the core of the performance. Julian Stolzenberg, as
both Benvolio and Paris, gives crisp, imposing performances for the
latter and knowledgeable warmth during his time as the former. As Juliet's
mother, Tyne Rafaeli is airy and commanding; some of the funnier moments
of the play take shape around her fawning over Paris.
As only the Globe can, the production made Shakespeare's text funny
and accessible. I was delighted to hear one audience member's opinion
during the interval - while he normally admitted to being turned off
by Shakespeare, he was 'really enjoying this one' and commented on how
it felt completely different from any other production he'd seen. For
audiences outside London, who don't have the opportunity to witness
the magic the Globe makes on their stage there, this access to the Globe's
philosophy of accessible and engaging Elizabethan drama is an important
and exciting opportunity.
Staged on platform under minimal lighting, with a Scooby-doo-esque
van providing the only on-and-off-stage area, Romeo & Juliet
may be the first Globe tour in hundreds of years - but here's hoping
it won't be the last.
Rachel Lynn Brody
Russell Howard: Wandering
By Russell Howard
Pleasance Courtyard
****
After multiple attempts to get in to see Russell Howard's show, my
persistence was rewarded: he has gained focus (as far as can be expected,
given his trademark rambling style) and an edge since his show last
year.
His comedy references newspapers, suicide, Harry Potter, and marbles
being pushed up his siblings' bums. The lead-in is strong, with Howard
happily chatting to audience members, and the end left the audience
in stitches. There were points in the middle of the show where it was
hard to tie Howard's chatty humour back to the main theme, but in the
end a comedian who bills himself as being prone to suggestions by 'ideas
dressed as jokes,' dancing around his head and insisting he try them
out on the audience leaves himself open to this kind of comment. Howard's
shows are more enjoyable for the audience thanks to his willingness
to be open with us, and his ability to tease a laugh from almost any
topic (as well as make even the darkest subject matter seem lighter)
is part of why his performance is so much fun to watch.
Rachel Lynn Brody
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