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Fringe 2009 Reviews (89)
My Queer Valentine
Rick Lau (Accompanied by Warren Wills) - Hong Kong
Universal Arts@St. George's West
****
Rick Lau is gay. And he sings "twelve songs which are totally
unrelated to each other except that they were all written by homosexuals".
So it's not really theatre. And as cabaret we are already a little uncomfortable
that it will pull together. And, because the are unrelated, they really
don't come together as any kind of performance.
Except. . . .
Rick Lau has a voice that is very easy to listen to and Warren Wills
on piano provides perfect accompaniment. And…strangely, Mr. Lau
has manage to uncover twelve fairly or totally unknown songs which work
well under the general theme of being gay.
He does the requisite throw-away songs like "The Boy From Fire
Island" (not girl and not Ipanema), "He's Looking At Me",
and "And the Ship Sails On".
And he effortlessly tugs on our hearts with "Yard Sale" and
"Dear Dad".
But then he knocks us out with flawless renditions of "The Art
Teacher" and "Quiet Love". It's worth the price of admission
to see Lau do these two songs.
Not to take anything away from him, he would have walked away with
all of the accolades had he found segue material to pull it all together
under one theme.
Catherine Lamm
Heroin(e) For Breakfast
By Philip Stokes
Horizon Arts
Underbelly
*****
Heroin(e) For Breakfast tries too hard to be all things to all
men but even so, the result is a sparkling piece of theatre that mixes
broad comedy with a harsh warning about hard drugs and a wry look at
the state of the nation.
Writer Philip Stokes directs a strong cast who show real talent and
commitment. The central character is Northern wit Tommy, a proud English
Jack the Lad brimming with self-confidence and opinions that he loves
to share across the fourth wall.
Craig McArdle has all of the talents of an actor but also the confidence
of a stand-up comedian, as he assails the audience with un-PC views
of society today and the ménage a trois that he has created.
His girl is Kate Daley's blonde Edie, still in Sixth Form College but
in thrall to someone who knows that he is God's gift to women.
Her rival is Tommy's cynical flatmate Chloe (Kirsty Green). She sees
through Tommy's charms and braggadocio to the underlying loser who is
waiting to emerge but sadly, is too far gone to be able to save Edie
or herself.
The play becomes surreal when Tommy brings in a glamorous new friend
in a Marilyn Monroe dress with accent to match. This is Hayley Shillito
playing the Heroin(e), a seductive drug for all seasons.
Her attractions are obvious but it is only with Tommy's help that the
two girls succumb to the blonde beauty and in doing so, become addicted,
thus sharing Tommy's death wish.
The writing is sparking and the invention second to none, supported
by fine acting all around. If there is a fault, it lies in Stokes' attempts
to address far too many issues for a 70 minute running time. Even so,
Heroin(e) For Breakfast is a breath of fresh air amongst far
too many bland solo shows.
Philip Fisher
Trilogy
By Nic Green
The Arches at St Stephens
****
Nic Green, under the auspices of the Arches Theatre from Glasgow, has
put together a 2¾ hour paean to feminism that celebrates womanhood
and herstory through some very beautiful physical theatre and dance,
plus text and dialogue.
In the city of the one hour show, it is a major achievement to hold
an audience for nearly three times that duration, especially with a
(relatively) serious exploration of a political topic but Ms Green and
her main collaborator Laura Bradshaw do so with ease and grace.
They also enlist the help of teams of local women each night and also
audience members, primarily females.
The first part lasts a mere 20 minutes and sets the scene, looking
to empower women and allow them to see means of escape from masculine
subordination. It ends with the two creators and 15 other young women,
primarily local volunteers celebrating freedom is a dance without clothing.
Part Two re-enacts in dance, movement and speech a legendary 1971 New
York City debate about feminism. This featured a strident Jill Johnston,
a more measured Germaine Greer (a Nic Green role model) and was inexplicably
chaired by Norman Mailer. Quite why a grouchy misogynist should have
been selected for the role will always be a mystery.
The final section celebrates herstory but more particularly a song
that few nowadays realise was used as a hymn to equality in suffragette
days, William Blake's Jerusalem in Hubert Parry's musical arrangement.
After a little Jerusalem history, the finale features the performers
plus female volunteers singing the song, once again freed of clothing,
supported by other singers.
This all sounds like one of those 1960s happenings and probably is.
The surprise is that it achieves its goal, as by the end even a man
can see that the women singing Jerusalem have achieved both a feeling
of community and self worth. As such Trilogy, which sounds earnest
but contains much humour, has already won a Herald Angel and must be
seen as something rather special.
Philip Fisher
Rebel Cell
SPL
Udderbelly Hullabaloo
****
If energy is your bag, this raptastic dystopian tale, delivered in
a circus tent on George Square, would be hard to beat. Set in 2013 after
the Olympic bombings (remember those?) when the BNPBC is the state broadcaster,
the show focuses on two former rapping buddies who have separated for
ideological reasons.
Dizraeli (sic) has set up an anarchistic cell whose main goal is ostensibly
to Bomb Tesco's. His Canadian ex-compadre, Baba Brinkman, has gone straight,
rapping for the powers that be.
The tension that this creates drives the dramatic element of a show
that is at least as much about the magnificent performances of the two
rappers and their DJ as it is a story that peters out some time before
the end.
The plot initially focuses on Dizraeli who is sent to prison for numerous
life sentences and then tracks back to 2009, when he and Baba were smash
hits in Glastonbury and then Edinburgh.
Up to a point the story works and with better development, this could
have been a stand-out production. As it is, visitors will be wowed by
the rapping virtuosity but only gently amused by the rebellion story.
Philip Fisher
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