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The
Edinburgh Fringe
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Fringe 1999 Reviews 8It's Not the End of the World In the midst of the intense, the experimental, the deeply serious, the erotic, the scatalogical, the demanding, the avant-gard, that make up the Edinburgh Fringe, it occasionally makes a refreshing change to see a well-made, reasonably conventional, undemanding light comedy. Richard Herring's It's Not the End of the World fits the bill perfectly. Don't misunderstand me: this is not a play which is going to be staple fare for amateur companies in the future, unless they're more adventurous than the majority. On the other hand, it's highly unlikely to play small fringe venues in London or elsewhere. It's the sort of show which will tour successfully to middle scale theatres throughout the country. This is not to denigrate it in any way, because it's a very good example of its type. Undemanding it certainly is, but it's very funny, often witty and clever. It's also very well done. It has a very experienced cast (Herring himelf, Paul Bown, Ruth Grey and Rebecca Lacey) who certainly get the best out of it. Although centring around a prophecy of Nostradamus that the world will end in July 1999, it's about relationships and how people try to manipulate others to get what they want, and its being set in a holiday situation (on the island of Fiji) means that the characters are closer to each other for longer than normal, and so emotions are nearer the surface.... East This is Berkoff's new 25th anniversary production which is playing the Fringe prior to the West End. The big question that everyone has been asking around Edinburgh, of course, is whether or not East has dated. Every reviewer asks it, and everyone comes up with a different answer, but all agree that, once we see it on the stage, it doesn't really matter. It doesn't. It retains its power through the sheer strength of the writing and the form. But of course it has dated to some extent, but only superficially - Dad, for instance, talks about marching with Oswald Mosely in 1938. Underlying human nature hasn't changed, however, nor have the motivations and passions which drive the characters. This production confirms East as a modern classic, a play which is essentially timeless and makes other attempts at portraying London's East End (EastEnders springs to mind!) pale in comparison. It also retains its power to shock. I'm not referring here to the "Oo! he said a naughty word!" kind of shock, but that which arises from the use of theatrical techniques and highly poetic language to reveal the real person. There were gasps from the audience at some points, gasps which signified a mixture of shock and delight. The characters strip themselves totally naked (emotionally and spiritually speaking, not literally) and force us to confront ourselves in them. As I have said elsewhere, this is an aspect of Berkoff's work which many productions of his plays have completely missed, particularly in student productions where fascination with the form seems to have totally blinded them to the real meat of the piece. This is a superb cast too. Their ability to burrow to the depths of their characters and their control of movement and voice squeeze out every last drop of the play's power and impact. For me, this is the best of the Fringe so far. And this is after 25 years.... Next page - - - Index |
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