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Fringe 2009 Reviews (6)
Time Out Of Joint
By Frank Bramwell
Heart Productions & Not/Applicable
C soco
**
Presenting a long, hour and half show dramatising what author Frank
Bramwell imagines to be the birth of Shakespeare's inspiration for Hamlet,
this piece becomes something of a pantomime. Caught between Isabella,
his excessively flamboyant French mistress (Maresa Schick), and the
return of his supposedly dead first love, Katherine (Clare Willis),
a struggling Will (Peter Ormond) deliberates over the 'too many words'
of arguably his greatest work. However if the great playwright really
did write amid this farcical atmosphere of screeching, squabbling, pillow-fighting
women, it is little wonder the work is full of madness. While the actors
are committed to their roles and present nothing but a commendable gusto,
the piece is an unneccessary attempt to add yet more writing to the
Shakespeare myths, without orginality.
Sacha Voit
Words with AL Kennedy
A.L. Kennedy
Assembly @ George Street
**
Writer A.L. Kennedy presents her meditation on why words are her true
love and their power in our lives. This is lucky, she says, because
she professes not to be doing well in the search for a boyfriend and
spends her life in fear of the paranoid words which fill her with dread
at not being able to live up to the Costa award she worn for her previous
work. Taking us on a journey from her own very first words to her final,
devout sermon on the use of words today, she asks the audience to put
their fingers in the air and ghost write the words 'I Love You' (she
helpfully writes it backwards up in the air on the stage, so you've
something to copy), encouraging you to think of someone you love. This
well meant monologue will please fans of the author's writings, but
lacks much exceptional stuffing for others.
Sacha Voit
21 Girlfriends
By Alan Bayley
Practical Magic Theatre
Sweet ECA
****
A hugely enjoyable two-hander, wittily written by Alan Bayley, but
most notably, brilliantly and joyfully acted by the performers. Graeme
Hardie is the presenter of a new gameshow (called '21 Boxes') and he's
just been stabbed in the chest by a deranged fan. Lying in his hospital
bed he finds himself dreaming of his work, and as his heart fights for
survival his mind plays a game of '21 Girlfriends', ranging through
all his past love affairs. Iain Campbell is perfect as the slightly
sleazy, hubristic gameshow host but Yvonne Waring is outstanding in
a succession of wigs and quick changes, portraying the multiple girlfriends
with an infallible range of accents. Coping with technical difficulties
on the day I saw it, this was still a thoroughly entertaining show,
to be seen and to be recommended.
Sacha Voit
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