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Fringe 2008 Reviews (44)
By the Way
By Noëlle Renaude, translated by Clare Finburgh
ChoppedLogic
Pleasance Courtyard
*
This two-hander features a couple of lads suffering from minor existential
angst while on a road trip through France. The loose thread linking
their encounters is dead mothers, past, present and future.
On and on they go, receiving legitimate and sometimes strange advice
from their sexy if rather inane SatNav as they plough on waiting for
something to happen.
Regrettably for this reviewer, they recreated the tedium of an interminable
drive far too efficiently.
Philip Fisher
Arirang Party
Part of the InvAsian Festival
Lunatic Company
clubWEST @ The Royal College of Surgeons
***(*)
Arirang Party, part of the InvAsian Festival (I have hopes that
clubWEST will pick up the ball dropped several years ago by the Garage)
features Korean percussionist Choi So-Ri. Even to the unschooled, there
seems to be a great deal of differences in the training, style, and
execution of taiko drums from the different Asian culture. There always
seems to be a central performer that the event revolves around.
Choi So-Ri is a charismatic, mesmerizing drummer, musician and performer.
He is passionate and polished. I would be happy watching him and his
fellow musicians, Byun Jai-Young and Kim Mi-So, for the evening.
The dancers, Seo Song-I, Shin Youn-Joo and Kim La-Jung, are powerful
in their fragility. Beautiful and beautifully costumed in gossamer dresses,
their choreography is suited to the music. All the costumes are perfect.
They, too, could command an evening.
The Martial artists Kang Heung-Jin, Lee Yu-Hoon and Kim Doo-Hong are
skilled and funny. An entire evening could be devoted to showing off
their mastery of their skills and playfulness.
But Choi Sori, who directed all the aspects of the performance, tries
to accomplish too much. The opening video clip is not needed; the lights
at times work against the performance. The evening is chopped up into
pieces of music/dance, some funny Martial art stunts and tied up with
an idea of the evening as an "Audition". (The dance and Martial
arts moves have a natural counterpoint to the fluid dance; we don't
need the set up.) The balloon gimmick is transparent and detracts from
the beauty of the music, dance, and the performers themselves.
When the music/drums, choreography and performers work together, it's
awesome. This is an audience pleaser; good for families.
I hope that clubWEST will continue to woo and host the Asian Community.
Catherine Lamm
Aequus
Jean Abreu
Zoo Southside
*****
Choreographer Jean Abreu was inspired to create this particular piece
by the rain forests of his native Brazil. According to Abreau it is
an 'homage to nature and its mysteries and through my body I translate
these indescribable sensations and important messages'. And indeed,
the piece is earthy and full of resonances from natural and primal forces.
The dancers are dressed in earthy colours and transform again and again
into creatures that crawl and climb and spring and swirl with natural
grace and agility. They embody a Nature fluid and raw, but above all
at ease with itself.
The stage is set with 50 wooden boxes, bathed in a metallic light and
tinged with blue. Music like a distant rumbling in the earth reverberates
through the theatre. Throughout the performance, simple, yet atmospheric
lighting enhances the mood and the music fills the space with a thrilling
mixture of sounds and rhythms. Partly pre-recorded, partly performed
live on stage by Anselmo Netto and Felipe Karan, the music alone was
mesmerizing.
At 11.25 in the morning, this is a wonderful show to start a good day
on the Fringe.
Jackie Fletcher
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