Drop and Roll
Another of the free (FREE!) events on at Fed Square as part of Fringe, this family-friendly show is a collaboration between one of Australia's leading parkour and free-running companies, Trace Elements, and South Morang's First Impressions Youth Theatre. The result is a fascinating display of athleticism and community cultural development presented by a combination of professional traceurs and amateur traceurs and traceuses, with video used to tell the story behind the show. While not quite as tight as the show by Team Loco which it follows up, in some ways Drop and Roll is even more engaging, as it shows that the skills on display can be cultivated by anyone, given time and dedication.
Three whoops of awed delight out of five.
The Kindness of Stranglers
Written and produced by Rebecca Cook, this show about an office drone at an ad agency who decides to try devoting his life to doing good unfortunately failed to engage or entertain me. The narrative was confusing, and its dramatic tone varied wildly; while the occasional moments where the cast burst suddenly into song struck me less as awkward and rather forced. Maybe you have to be a dog person to really like this show...
Two occasional chuckles out of five.
Deceased Estate
The creators of this show, Will Tait and Jodie Ahrens, have won plaudits and praise in recent years for developing a performance style which utilises all the senses, not just sight and sound. Having missed their previous show, Source/Sauce, I was extremely eager to catch their new Fringe show, which is staged in the garden of their own home. And god I'm glad I did. While there were some minor dramaturgical problems with the work the night I saw it, these are sure to be overcome as the season gets underway and the show itself gets tighter. In essence, Deceased Estate is the story of a house, as presented by the house itself. Instead of a straight-forward narrative, the show consists of fragments and impressions of memories, evoked using sound (hammering and sawing as the house is built), scent (Dettol), touch (a silk sheet) and by brief encounters with the men, women and children who once lived on the premises. Vivid and delightful; a triumph of imagination and emotional resonance.
Four ear-to-ear grins out of five.
Disclaimer: the views expressed in these reviews are personal, and not those of the Fringe Board or staff.
No comments:
Post a Comment