Fringe day two

The house of vinyl

So, I watched this. I'm not sure what it was it was that I watched, though. Certainly something psychedelic. Certainly something with random weirdness. Perhaps something to experience with your reality a little altered?

I'm pretty sure that the action is a prolonged hallucination in the mind of the protagonist, but when all is said and done, I don't think that mattered. 

My best description of this hour is that if you imagine the production of Death of a Salesman that takes place in  Willow's dream in the Buffy TVS Espinosa, Restless, but turned into a musical about agoraphobia and self destructive drug cults, then you might come close.

while it was a strange and certainly not boring hour, I can't in good conscious recommend it to anyone but those who revel in true nonsense. 

Not recommended

Dario et la diablesse

This is a show that is not ready for performance. In the cycle of show development, I'd say it's at its preliminary workshop phase. The plot concerns a young woman, killed at Carnival, whose spirit hunts and kills men in revenge, and the son of a fisherman, with whom she eventually falls in love.  the story is certainly strong enough to carry a show, but the material as it stands needs some rework and dramaturgy. Some moments are brilliantly funny, others leave you scratching your head about what is going on. 

The show needs more music to move the plot along, and tighter direction and choreography. The singers, as well, need to project better, or to be miked.

This is a show I would love to see developed, but right now, I cannot suggest it.  

Not recommended.

Weird: the witches of MacBeth

I went into this production by Theare Arcturus expecting mostly circus work with a witchy theme. What it was, in fact, was a well crafted piece of theatre that used the physical expression of silks work to move meaningful plot and character lines forward.

The story concerns the three witches of MacBeth, and the text evokes Shakespeare, partly by borrowing from the original text. The result, however, is an interesting look at the motivations of the famous three witches: why do they appear to MacBeth, what are they hoping to achieve? 

Lindsay Bellaire, Sheelah Daly, and Emily Hughes as the witches handle the text and physical work with equal aplomb. Phyillip Psuktka's script and direction have made me think of the characters, and the art is silk in new ways. 

Eye opening, and enjoyable. 

Recommended. 

 

Fringe 2016 day one

A thousand kindnesses

As this was a show about kindness I will do my best not to be cruel. However, it is not a performance I can recommend. This is a one woman verbatim theatre performance based on interviews with people who have escaped conflict zones, and ostensibly exploring issues of asylum, migration, and acts of kindness in the worst circumstances. Unfortunately, the script and performance lacked cohesion, turning into more of a pastiche of unconnected monologue snippets without a clear drive. 

Performing in a single bright spot with stage wash, and house lights on, writer/performer Rachel Jury failed to connect to the audience or clearly differentiate the stories and characters being presented.  The overall experience felt long and unfocused. 

Not recommended

Absolute magic

I really enjoy magic shows and had fun at this one. The performence, mostly focused on card and other small-scale tricks, was solid enough to please. Magician Keith Brown is an engaging storyteller and strikes a balance between personal tale and magic performance that generally sits well. He displays a particularly strong ability to engage his audience, getting them involved in the tricks without engending the "lease don't pick me" vibe that you often see when audience participation is involved.

I feel the show could benefit greatly with a bit more variation in the pattern of each trick, which felt a bit repetitive after an hour, but not boring. Picking up his pace and patter would also aid in generally increasing the wow factor of each trick. 

That said, for the person who enjoys taking in the occasional magic performance, this is time enjoyably spent. 

Recommended for the one who wants a bit of magic in their life. 

Gnaw

The final show of my first day was Gnaw, a new play by Sean Meldrum. This script, a dark and gritty take on the story of Hansel and Gretel, places the action in a town whose order has fallen to anarchy as the result of a famine in the country. 

The script provides some engaging moments of drama, and explores the darker themes of the fairy tale, particularly giving consideration to the witch, who she is, and how she might have come to be.  The script is not without flaws: an argument between Edee ( the mother) and Bullpig (the father) runs longer than needed, and there are a couple pivotal moments that could have been stronger as subtext than spoken text. That aside, it satisfies more than it dissapoints, and I could see this being expanded post-fringe.

The cast is strong, with Audrey Sturino, Sean Meldrum, and Nathaniel Fried all meeting the challenges of the script. However, it is Mabelle Carvajel as Edee who impressed most, with moments of terrifyingly stunning intensity. 

An engaging take on a classic.

Recommended