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Fringe 2008 Reviews (67)
Rex Futurus
Emmet Brown Productions
Zoo Southside
*
Attempting to create a version of the King Arthur myth whilst keeping
it contemporary and relevant is a difficult thing and in some ways evidently
proved too much for this company. In re-telling the myth, mixing and
matching from pretty much every source and reconstructing it in their
own fashion, Emmet Brown productions deserve credit for the scope of
the production, but the construction of this lengthy piece is where
the whole falls apart.
Beginning the tale with the discovery of Lancelot and Guinevere's affair
is a sound principle, but instead of trying to humanise the characters
plausibly, they opt to either vilify or ridicule each and every character
until the Knights of the Round Table look like a set of baffled old
men, Merlin a meddling rapist and the women of the story conniving and
vindictive psychotics.
If there were some deeper message here, it must have become lost in
the nonsensical and utterly confusing flashbacks. Continually jumping
in time with no indication of the story of the sword in the stone caused
further problems as the same actor was playing Mordred and the young
Arthur, leading to an inspired moment of utter bafflement where a scene
began with no clear indication if we were looking at one or the other.
The sudden gasp of surprise from the audience upon learning which it
was only went to prove that they had misunderstood what was happening
as much as I had.
Thankfully the cast must have realised they were losing the audience
as they threw in an inspired moment of Monty Pythonesque cross dressing
towards the end, which resulted inexplicably in a moment of comedy which
lingered on until the final error of stage direction left King Arthur's
funeral bier having to be put down because no-one remembered to open
the stage door. The one member of the audience who seemed to love the
entire spectacle was an elderly man, who proceeded to take photographs
all the way through the play, then joke with his wife about it and laugh
over proceedings. Perhaps he knew something I didn't; forewarned I might
have done the same.
Graeme Strachan
Bombay to Beijing by Bicycle
Squeaky Board Theatre
Gilded Balloon Teviot
****
"Congratulations! You are having the Malaria," the Indian
doctor tells ambitious Australian cyclist Morris. This one man show
is based on Russel McGilton's true adventure setting out from Bombay
(aka Mumbai) to cycle all the way to Beijing in five months. Or eight
months if he stops for tea breaks as he helpfully calculates.
Morris narrates the action through the character of his diary with
a fantastic characterisation of an old school army general who berates
and martials Morris at every turn. In Morris' Malaria-driven, feverish
imaginings, he plays a host of characters from his girlfriend Rachel,
his unforgiving Father, the children who continually ask for "One
school pen" right down to the mosquitoes who dive-bomb his bald
head at night.
When he acts out his lower intestine's reaction to the hot Indian
food you'll see more laugh-out-loud physical theatre in twenty seconds
than in many other advertised productions. This is a witty, energy driven,
free wheeling farce of a show, great fun for all who appreciate long
distance treks and adventures abroad.
Cecily Boys
Bully
Richard Fry
Gilded Balloon Teviot
*****
If it were possible to just write "See this now" as a review
for this show I would. It seems strange to try find words to describe
an experience that leaves you shaking afterwards. Richard Fry is such
a mesmerising performer that you feel like you've just read his diary
and re-experienced the emotion he felt writing it.
He plays a young man, recounting the neglect of his childhood, his
awakening realisation that he is gay and the torment and victimisation
that he suffered throughout. This is all recounted in verse, with both
cutting humour and mind-rocking humiliations. The beauty of the writing
is such that you hardly notice that Fry is speaking in rhyme and, when
you do, it adds such a powerful dimension of honesty and thought that
it's spellbinding. And the spell's never broken with Fry's phenomenal
performance.
An unparalleled experience of which it is only worth saying "See
this now".
Cecily Boys
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