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The
Edinburgh Fringe
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Fringe 2009 Reviews (90)Pythonesque Every year, the Fringe plays host to a number of shows that attempt to capitalise on the lives and jokes of famous comedians of the past. This year, the big genre hit is Morecambe and it succeeds for the reasons that Pythonesque does not. The initial premise here is that in order for Chris Polick's Graham Chapman to get into heaven, he must entertain the janitor with the story of Monty Python, which unbelievably first saw the light of day 40 years ago. For a little over an hour, four actors (two doubling parts) relate the history of the Pythons in their style, rather like a game from I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. The problem is that despite the efforts of director Michael Kingsbury and his cast, Roy Smiles' script is not nearly as funny as the original. Where these shows usually succeed is in using the greatest hits of the chosen comics and interweaving these with a bit of history. Pythonesque, claiming that the Python lawyers prevent it, does not tap into the guaranteed laughs and, as a result, is rarely better than mildly amusing, although James Lance does deliver one fine sub-Eric Idle rant. Philip Fisher After Magritte While Thelma and Reginald argue about a one legged, blind ex-footballer, Mother wants to practice the tuba and there's a policeman peering in through the window. Stoppard's delightful farce is presented with rapid delivery by this student company and cast of five. Inspector Foot arrives and he's 'sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for everything'. Playing with surrealist art images and interrogating language, Stoppard depicts the fevered and treacherous imagination as the characters each give their eye witness accounts to ultimately discover their false reconstruction. This is an enjoyable production to first time viewers of Stoppard's classic mental mayhem, but not enough emphasis on clear diction and accurate pacing left some of the audience struggling to keep up. Sacha Voit Stars on the Ceiling Having played to sell out audiences in Scandinavia, Theatre Fredag brings their teenage tale of Jenna and her dying mother to Edinburgh. Jenna is thirteen, has a best friend called Susan, feels intimidated by the popular girl Maggie in her class, worries about the size of her breasts and has a crush on Zak, a boy two years older than her. All the normal teenage trials, but this story is different because Jenna deals with her mother's deterioration due to cancer every day and must balance facing school life outside and slow death at home. Brilliantly acted by every cast member, this is a superbly told story. Interspersed with narration and cleverly using the multiple levels of their two benches and tables, Theatre Fredag create an easily accessible narrative with great pace and humour. However, sadly it will only appeal to a limited audience because this is a tale for teenagers, presented without any further sophistication. Ultimately this feels more like a TIE piece rather than a sensational Fringe production. Sacha Voit |
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