More Fringe: Kaleidoscope, Every Film Ever Made, Fully Committed, Intimate Apparel

Other committments have made it hard for me to see as many Fringe shows this year as I've wanted to; not have I seen much outside the Performance category, save for a few pieces here and there. But enough excuses: more reviews!


The delightful performance/installation piece, KALEIDOSCOPE, is an exercise in memory and inspiration; rough around the edges but touching and effective. One or two at a time, the audience are taken through a series of vignettes presented by six different actors, beginning with the hum-drum daily life of Ben, an office worker. After another mundane, mechanical day, Ben arrives home to discover a package from mum, containing an old childhood toy which sparks a personal epiphany.

Thereafter, scene by scene, we play out Ben's memories, becoming Ben, in fact; assisted by actors who play Ben-as-a-child (played by a child actor who passes us a note to read that young Ben has written to his future, grown-up self); Ben's childhood love; a favourite uncle, and so on. A sequence in which we're reminded of the unique perspective of a child's imagination by being taken on a flight of fancy among the clouds (pictured above, photo nicked from festival sponsor The Age) is particularly wonderful; and put me back in touch with that child-like sense of wonder which is all too easily repressed by the rules and rituals of adult life. Simple yet superb.

Kaleidoscope: Three and half stars
North Melbourne Town Hall until Saturday October 13


EVERY FILM EVER MADE is an inspired, irreverent and utterly hilarious comedy show that attempts to cover over a century of cinema in 55 minutes. Along the way it takes the piss out of the special effects in The Lord of the Rings, mocks the pretentiousness of The Matrix, lays the boot into Nicole Kidman (a tempting taget if ever there was one) and much, much more. Seemed to run out of steam a little in the last 10 minutes of the show, but overall, wonderfully engaging performances that segue with ease from genre to genre and scene to scene. You don't have to be a film buff to enjoy this show, but those with a love of cinema will take special delight in spotting the barrage of references that come flying at you like Bruce Lee's fists right from the opening titles of this very funny show.

Every Film Ever Made: Three and a half stars
North Melbourne Town Hall until Saturday October 13


FULLY COMMITTED is a one-man show produced and performed by local actor Spencer McLaren which has had great success on Broadway and in the UK. I can sort of see why: it's a frenetic, bland crowd-pleaser that allows its star to showcase their comic timing, their versatility and skill, which McLaren certain does with aplomb over the show's 80-minute run time. It's also, frankly, dramatically boring, with no real narrative and a pissweak denoument.

The 40-odd characters which populate the piece, set in one of New York's most exclusive restaurants, are utterly two-dimensional. Within the first five minutes of the show, my heart sunk and I lowered my expectations to floor-level. I like Spencer, but I don't think this was a good vehicle for him, and while his performance was strong, overall I disliked this show intensely.

Fully Committed: Two stars
The Athenaeum Theatre until Sunday October 14


INTIMATE APPAREL is a sparklingly savage satire of the arts and artistic pretention, in which 'Kevin' and 'Kevin', washed-up artists who've milked every trend in the performance sector over 30 years, bemoan their fate and consider their (no) future. Opening with a mock-solemn invocation to the stage, in which the artistes become the audience, and vice versa, this show takes no prisoners as it flays erotic cabaret, queer performance art, community theatre and other pretentions to the bone. Like Every Movie Ever Made, you'll get even more out of this show if you've ever worked in the arts sector as either artist or arts administrator, but it's simultaneously accessible to all, as my plus one last night observed after the show. Wicked, witty and wonderfully funny.

Intimate Apparel: Four stars
Dante's Fitzroy until Sunday October 14


Disclaimer: the views expressed in this review are made in an individual capacity and do do not represent those of the Board of Melbourne Fringe. Just thought I should say that to be on the safe side, given that I'm the Chair and all...