Fringe Wrap: Wed Mar 9

They just keep on a-comin'

Clown Lights Stage
Holden Street Theatres – The Studio, Mon Feb 28
Alice Cooper is unable to attend tonight's performance ...enter her alter ego clown. An inquisitive, childlike eye on a breath of fresh air, Clown delves into a series of extraordinary possibilities triggered by found objects whose fantastic usefulness is discovered as the show unfolds. Amazing, amusing and inspiring herself and her audience, Clown takes possession of extra dimensions lurking within these commonplace articles and reshapes forever the meaning of train tickets. Alice Cooper is mobile and articulate, expressive and immaculately nuanced as she engages the observer in bending the shape of our momentarily shared reality. We would love to see her show populated with a larger audience because, if she can maintain such balance and flow in a house of six, the energy exchange in a full house must surely be awesome.

Final Word: Many-stringed
Kate Battersby and Ian Newton

When Harry Met Harry
Bakehouse Theatre – Main Stage, Tue Mar 1
Meet Harry. Obsessive-compulsive Senior Print Officer Harry lives for routine and efficiency but things go wrong when upstart junior officer Bradley arrives on the scene, breaking poor Harry’s routine. Prompting a performance review with the boss, an anxious Harry must choose. Attend the review or step in front of a car? Avoidance is clearly the best solution. Meet Rodney. Interpersonal-skills-workshop guru Rodney’s mantra is “confrontation good, avoidance bad”. We just know these two won’t get along. Allan Girod switches between characters smoothly and with some light audience participation, amuses us gently as we spend a little time in Harry’s world. An underlying message is that isolated children can become isolated adults like Harry. Ultimately we meet an improved Harry, armed with new skills, ready to take on the world. Best sit near the front, avoiders will be picked on!

Final Word: Mirthful
Carl Cranstone

Celtic Roots
South Australian Folk Centre, Tue Mar 1
Jewelled Mat are Matthew Lykos and Julia Norman, and together they present an intriguing hour of Celtic music that ranges across the ages and across cultures. Thankfully they avoid the dirge-like Celtic ballads that can be a real downer. Traditional material does feature but it’s arranged to give it contemporary relevance. There are a couple of unaccompanied tunes, both mostly it’s Matthew on gentle guitar and Julia switching between recorder and double bass. There are mistakes and some bum notes – due to some nervousness and perhaps youth – but also because they are aiming for complex arrangements that are hard to master. Yet this also keep things interesting. They are both lovely singers, but Matthew Lykos it must be said has an extraordinary voice and an engaging, odd-ball sense of humour. After a nervous start I really enjoyed this show.

Final Word: Entertaining
Michael Coghlan

The Cut By Mark Ravenhill
Bakehouse Theatre – Main Stage, Tue Mar 1
New local company Axe Soup takes a shot at Mark Ravenhill’s powerful play, The Cut. One man wrestles with both his conscience and the uneven-handedness of society. Ultimately, no one is innocent. Tony Busch is Paul, and he carries the role with some strength throughout the three stanzas of the performance. He is well supported by Luke Schubert, Emmy Warren, Ben Brooker and Sharon Malujlo, who help to paint a picture of a man rapidly descending into a living hell. Any issues I have about the plot and its resolution probably lie at the feet of the writer rather than the manner in which this tale is recounted; certainly there are aspects of the performance that could be more finely honed but all up this is a creditable effort. Director Ryan Ricci, his crew and the players can be happy with their work here. I hope to see Axe Soup again.

Final Word: Intense
David Robinson

The Cut By Mark Ravenhill continues at Bakehouse Theatre until Sat Mar 12.

Sound & Fury’s Spaceship Man
AC Arts – Main Theatre, Tue Mar 1
Reviewers Log: Star Date 1.3.2011AD. Tonight I ventured into AC Arts’ Main Theatre to see three ‘space cadets’ entertain the shorts off us! Boosters powered and engines firing, they took us on a mad ride that is something (or nothing) like Apocalypse Now – but on Mars. Messing with our minds and the space/time continuum, this was Sound & Fury’s version of the 1950s’ version of the year 2000, or the ‘future-post-past’! A few unconventional props, a couple of cheesy songs, some choice voice-overs, a ship called The Undertaking, a bucket-load of single and double entendres and a couple of risible Martian slugs and we witnessed one hysterical piece of mayhem. Initial words of nonsense made complete sense by the time we reached our final destination. There was no method in their madness, only madness in their method. Star Command, I see no need to exterminate these hilarious yet harmless creatures. Over and out!

Final Word: Scientrific
Catherine Blanch

Sound & Fury’s Spaceship Man continues at AC Arts – Main Theatre until Sat Mar 12.

Lila Gray
The Austral – The Bunka, Tue Mar 1
From the start of this show to the very end, there’s not a phrase, a look or a movement that isn’t well crafted to build this piece of cabaret. Emma plays the part of Lily Gray, the soul, the part of a human that has been reincarnated many times and the cabaret is built around the stories of her many past lives. This was a story-telling rampage through time: body, soul and mind. The audience were all sitting forward, hanging on every word of each song, tale and medley she performed. The keyboard provided a perfect accompaniment to her beautiful voice and the songs coloured the stories. It’s a lovely intimate venue too and the setting really suited this cabaret. It is a disturbingly dark story she weaves, leaving no stone unturned and no nuance of ‘death after death’ unexplored.

Final Word: Un-incarnated
Clayton Werner

Lila Gray continues at The Austral’s Bunka until Fri Mar 11.

Raw Comedy 2011
Arkaba – Top Of The Ark, Tue Mar 1
Raw Comedy is a competitive program, heats, semi-finals and a grand final – yet to come. Here they are – fresh meat, though not always young, comedians strutting their stuff for five minutes each. And while they may be raw, they can also be side-splittingly funny. While they might all be charged with bringing as many family and friends as possible (and many Fringe gigs feature this) – there is enough variety and genuine amusement to keep any and all audience members more than entertained. In fact sometimes some of the audience were damned funny too, or should that be simply weird beyond eccentric? The show was ably MCed by Mark Trenwith and hilariously capped off by Gordon Southern – who both showcased the art of stand-up very, very well.

Final Word: Necrolepsy?
Clayton Werner

Bred To Perfection
CitySoul, Tue Mar 1
Bred To Perfection is a series of vignettes based loosely around the character-displays of dogs and their owners. With such a title, I had vaguely anticipated science fiction; instead, happily, I got social commentary. Vital human co-existence themes unfurl, including hypocrisy, discrimination, self-actualisation and human integration. A gap in the play’s context could have been made clearer if the script had revealed a crucial social commentary scene earlier in the piece; this would have relieved the slightly-bemused but faithful audience even more than the dogs. Nevertheless, this is a clever, tight and brilliant production, full of thought-provoking truths. It’s just right with strong scripting layered happily with heavy concepts and physical comedy, pulling its audience along for a willing and very funny ride. Watch for a brilliantly smug suburbanite transition disintegrate from placatory zen to irate fury. You’ll never look at your local park in the same way.

Final Word: Biting
Jenny Smith

Bred To Perfection performs at CitySoul until Sat Mar 12.

Stonefield
The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Spiegeltent, Tue Mar 1
Close your eyes and you could be listening to ageing rock boys re-living their ‘70s glory days. Drums, bass, wah-wah guitar and Hammond organ. Wake up! There are four girls on stage, and they look too young for the music. Sisters ranging in age from 12 to 20, all long hair, headbands and hippie clothes. Where did this come from? They name-check Zappa, but their first of only two covers gives a better clue – Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love. First time in Adelaide, unused to a politely seated audience, they win us over and encore with Hendrix. They remind us why most bands don’t have singer/drummers – the singer’s personality largely lost behind the drum kit. No sign of teenage posturing, no novelty act. Old music given a refreshing new lease of life. You get the sense these girls are really in it for the music. We wish them well.

Final Word: Groovy
Adrian Miller

Award Winning British Comedian, Nik Coppin
The Austral - The Bunka, Sat Mar 5
Nik’s show is more like sitting down with an amusing mate rather than watching a comedian. Let’s face it – comics can be pretty predictable. They stand up, there’s a bit of chat and then they proceed to churn out the well-prepared, planned and practiced jokes they’ve been working on for months. While this show is probably no different, the conversational style and giggly nature of one of Adelaide’s more frequent visitors, really works a treat! While he may not win many awards, Nik takes you through the lesser-known accolades that have come to be in his possession – assured there’s always a funny story behind them. Great for a chuckle and a relaxed night, but if it’s a belly laugh you’re after, look elsewhere.

Final Word: Prizes!
Marija Filipovic

Nik Coppin at the Austral’s Bunka until Sun Mar 13.

DeAnne Smith: About Freakin’ Time!
Rhino Room Downstairs, Thu Mar 3
A little bit quirky, a little bit cute and very charming – DeAnne Smith’s new show doesn’t disappoint. As the miniscule comedian (or is it a nerdy Justin Bieber?) tackles the issues of passing time and the conundrums of being a lesbian, confusion and musical genius ensue. While the problems raised can be a little confronting and personal, Smith does a fantastic job of drawing laughs and lightening the mood. Plus, the ‘Six-And-A-Half-Minutes Of Bonus Hilarity’ allow for some great improv and audience participation. While it can be slow-moving at times and caters quite heavily for the gay/lesbian audiences, you’ll leave with a smile on your face... and a little gift!

Final Word: No-worries
Marija Filipovic

DeAnne Smith continues at Rhino Room until Sat Mar 12.

Dancescapes
The Garage International, Sat Mar 5
These students have come all the way from The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas to bring us Dancescapes, ‘An Exploration Of Movement’, though I couldn’t help questioning if it was really worth their while. Six short pieces comprise the performance, each with its own style and theme, though I use the word ‘theme’ here loosely (one contemporary dance was about plastic). While some of the ballet - a solo male homage to the swan, for example - could be seen as slightly hilarious, all of the choreography was devised by the university faculty, so the students are merely working with what they’ve been given. Think Christopher Guest doing a mockumentary of SYTYCD somewhere in the mid ‘90s and you wouldn’t be far off. Either these five young dancers’ talent is wasted in this performance, or they’d do well to give their faculty a major conceptual overhaul.

Final Word: Naff
Tessa Leon

Zack Adams - Love Songs For Future Girl
Tuxedo Cat, Sun Mar 6
Not knowing what to expect, I was immediately pulled in by Zack Adams' opener, a musical tour-diary that ended with a crashing break-up and all the lights dimming to reveal nothing except his stupefied face. What followed was a musical autobiography of lost loves that ranged from Beyonce-samplingly funny to devastatingly personal. Adams has a charming geekish honesty that's brilliantly offset on the rare occasions that he bursts into a stream of profanity, and this provided an easy transition between what would otherwise have been a few too many pop covers. It was disappointing that the lyrics weren't always audible - a problem I noticed at a previous musical act in the same venue - and it's worth sitting close so you can at least lip-read the wordiest parts. Altogether, Love Songs is a gently humorous and essentially optimistic show, and with a little trimming and better mixing it could be really excellent.

Final Word: Warm
Joe Miller

Zack Adams continues at Tuxedo Cat until Sun Mar 13.

The Axis Of Awesome: Songs In The Key Of Awesome
The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Deluxe, Sun Mar 6
It wasn’t surprising to find their YouTube video 4 Chord Song verges on 13 million hits, because the musical comedy act The Axis Of Awesome are, well, awesome! Jack Black doppelganger and lead singer Jordan, tall lean Lee with his guitar Damien and John Safran look-alike singer, axe-synth and keyboard player Benny make up this two-and-a-half man band; each oozes talent although the downtrodden Benny is clearly the most gifted. This self-proclaimed rock‘n’roll comedy sensation move through boy band, man band, cabaret, house and pop styles, sending each genre up with the hard truth and absolute reality. They are unbelievably good at performing all music styles! The funky Sexual Harassment rocked. Laser Lights Doing Cool Shit was a crack-up and Lee’s monologue during Hotel California was hilarious. Fabulous harmonies and clever lyrics; these boys are bound for high places – that’s if they’re not already there!

Final Word: Formidable!
Catherine Blanch

The Axis Of Awesome: Songs In The Key Of Awesome continues at The Deluxe until Sun Mar 13.

Dead Men Don’t...
The Garage International @ NACC, Sun Mar 6
The scene was set before the audience took their seats as the stage was a flurry of writers, voice actors and musicians preparing for the night’s live radio performance. Ken McCloud is Steve Powell; meek, unassuming pushover by day, swaggering private eye behind the microphone by night. McCloud expertly segues between Powell and detective alter ego Frank. Melody Wilson portrays vixen Barbara Mitchell as another ‘witness’ alongside McCloud to a shocking and mysterious back alley murder, after which twists, effortless one-liners and dark secrets are expertly played out in this snappy, original production. The support cast provided solid back-up and further drew the audience into the mystery and drama surrounding this strange murder. The music overpowers the actors at some points, yet provides a key element to the storyline, with the musicians also participating as extras. This is a light yet authentic period comedy and a perfect way to spend an evening.

Final Word: Intriguing
Edel Perth

Dead Men Don’t... continues at The Garage International @ NACC until Sat Mar 12.

Christa Hughes Presents: Beer Drinking Woman… An Intoxicating Cabaret
The Garden of Unearthly Delights’ Spiegeltent, Sun Mar 6
Christa stumbled into The Spiegeltent tonight for some very intoxicating cabaret! After the first song she downs a pint of beer and then proceeds to gargle the last sips. After fame with La Clique and alternative band Machine Gun Fellatio, Christa is certainly not singing love songs. She belts out tunes about cheap wine, drunken sex and hugging the porcelain bowl the next morning. With an incredibly versatile voice she is able to belt out powerfully brash notes as well as a beautiful operatic vibrato, which she uses hilariously to satirise famous singers. Christa’s rendition of The Sound Of Music’s My Favourite Things sounded delightful, but her lyrics could not have been any more different from the original. She is channelling Liza Minnelli in her drunken glory days both in look and attitude. Liza also features prominently in the amusing mimed homage to the drunken dames of stage and screen.

Final Word: Boozy
Bobby Goudie

Fear Of A Brown Planet Attacks
The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Cupola, Mon Mar 7
Hussain and Rahman, the duo that is Fear Of A Brown Planet, inflame and engage the audience with their observational comedy about White Australians’ underlying (and sometimes obvious) racism. Very funny in parts with some clever well-edited videos, this acutely political show probably isn’t for the patriotic. I found myself nodding at some of the humorous yet heavy comments, as many people will, but I couldn’t help walking away feeling that racism goes both ways; something that was dismissed during the performance. One section on airport security got me annoyed. I am a white blonde woman, and virtually every time I go through an Australian airport, I get the bomb residue test too! It’s not just you! That said, the performance is comical and the message is clear. Agree or disagree as you will, but you leave having to think and talk about it.

Final Word: Provoking
Bridie Longhorn

Fear Of A Brown Planet Attacks continues at The Cupola until Sun Mar 13.

Ska V Rockabilly Shootout!
The Light Hotel, Fri Mar 4
Ska won this shootout on strength of numbers alone, since local rockabilly band Hoodoo Voodoo Dolls pulled out. The steep ticket price apparently kept many of the scene’s younger regulars away, but a large showing of more senior fans made for a healthy turnout. Adelaide ska punk outfit Son Of Dad played with typical humour, delivering tight versions of their own songs and Sublime’s Santeria. Rockabilly outfit The Saucermen were next, and had the floor dancing to double bass-driven tunes such as Do The Corpse (dedicated to Lux Interior) and, in the spirit of the night, a cover of The Specials’ Gangsters. Headliners Backy Skank are a two-tone ska outfit from Sydney with two vocalists, and an even larger crowd skanked the rest of the night away to their set, which featured lot of tracks from their album The Biz, as well as songs by Madness, Prince Buster and The Specials.

Final Word: Skanktastic
Owen Heitmann

Fabulousity!
7 March, Bakehouse Theatre
If you’re after some no-frills Fringey goodness from a couple of low-key locals, Fabulousity! is your best bet. Whatever this show lacks in budget it more than makes up for in hilarity. Three characters deliver stand-up routines, all performed by two arts students freshly extracted from a world of philosophy, literature and existentialism. Albeit the gags occasionally getting a little highbrow, witty highlights include a comical examination of the periodic table and the most succinct rendition of War And Peace involving flash cards and a Casio you’ve ever seen. Young performer James McCann is a top-rate comedian in the making, casually absurd with a charming hint of university nerd, which he knowingly embraces. Fabulousity! avoids the usual clichés and the performers never try too hard, it’s an easygoing contempo-comedy designed for your viewing pleasure.

Final Word: Fun
Tessa Leon

Fabulousity! plays at The Bakehouse Theatre till Sat Mar 12.

The Interminable Suicide Of Gregory Church
Adelaide Town Hall – Auditorium, Sun Mar 6
The genial Daniel Kitson began with some comments about the inappropriateness of the venue, before launching into his performance, which is part stand-up, part monologue, part fact and part fiction. Challenging the audience to keep up with him, he relates at machine gun pace how, while inspecting a house for sale, he discovered (an hysterical anecdote in itself) a cache of the deceased former owner’s correspondence spanning 25 years, beginning with a series of suicide notes. This leads to an obsessive cataloguing of the letters and the life of the author, one Gregory Church, while Kitson displays a love of language, wringing the maximum amount of comedy (and, in some cases, pathos) from the selection of specific words. The 90-minute show is largely scripted, with Kitson referring to his notebook for the wording of particular letters, although occasional distractions (like a moth) showed he retains a flair for improvisation.

Final Word: Genius
Owen Heitmann

Mothlight
EziPark Wakefield St, Tue Mar 8
Mention of the art-form of circus usually conjures up images of big-tops, clowns, acrobats and other such carnivalesqe pleasures. Mothlight is certainly not that kind of show! While it’s listed as being circus, and it certainly does have circus elements, this is far more surreal and theatrical. Entering the glad-wrap, plastic laden world at the top of a city carpark, you enter the enchanted world of Mothlight, where the audience finds itself standing and fluid throughout the performance, really becoming engrossed in the surroundings. Emerging from plastic cocoons, the two performers begin a journey of discovery, of their world, surroundings and each other, throwing in some impressive feats, including a bout of moth-like walking on the ceiling! With violent interludes and very good use of the space, the performers continuously leave you wondering what’s next, as you’re led through the lamp-lit world. Definitely innovative and very entertaining.

Final Word: Glad-Wrapped!
Luke Balzan

Mothlight continues at EziPark Wakefield St until Sun Mar 13.

Steaming
Holden Street Theatres – The Studio, Mon Mar 7
The publicity touts Steaming as an ‘unashamedly raunchy comedy’ and warns of the potentially harmful amount of female nudity. But the nudity is not the point of the play in the same way as, say, The Full Monty. It is an incidental starting point from the play being set in a public bath, and the story begins only after you’ve acclimatised to the fact that there’s some flesh on show. Some comic book raunchiness from one of the characters openly discussing her sex life, but the real story is about how you can undergo some personal growth by interacting with people who are very different. This play can’t quite escape its historical context – public baths were still common; Thatcher trumpeting about the Falklands War; gender politics were less openly discussed. Does it still resonate? Ultimately Steaming is a well-acted, quite entertaining feel good play, but it is no longer cutting edge theatre.

Final Word: Revealing
Adrian Miller

Steaming continues at Holden Street Theatres – The Studio until Sun Mar 13.

One Man Lord Of The Rings
The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Spiegeltent, Mon Mar 7
Hands up anyone who hasn’t yet seen the Lord Of The Rings trilogy? If you answered ‘me’, you’ll probably feel pretty confused during this show. Surrounded as I was by diehard LOTR fans however, it didn’t necessarily matter that I couldn’t always follow the plot. The absolute delight in the reactions of those around me was infectious and I found myself enjoying both actor and audience in equal measure. I was assured by those around me that the show was a pretty accurate account of the films and the much loved characters contained within. Charles Ross is one gifted freak of nature to be able to sustain the energy it must take to throw himself (literally – think of the action sequences across all three films) back and forth across the stage while seamlessly switching between myriad characters for an entire hour virtually non-stop. Definitely a must-see experience.

Final Word: Precious
Rosie van Heerde

One Man Lord Of The Rings continues at The Spiegeltent until Sun Mar 13.

De Profundis
The Tuxedo Cat – Blue Room, Tue Mar 8
Using Oscar Wilde’s letter from prison as a vehicle for this solo performance is an idea that is rich in theatrical ideas, word tapestry and social commentary, and it is clear that our solitary actor passionately identifies with this experience. De Profundis is his attempt to relive this emotional trauma for his audience. However there are times when the physicality of the performance is stilted and awkward. The scene effectively changes from prison to flashbacks, but these are not clearly signalled, nor were the attempts at humour or being whimsical. The miming of a number of songs through this piece is regrettable. I was hoping for a solid sprinkling of Wilde wit, but my impression is that I spent an hour in the company of Bosie, rather than Oscar.

Final Word: Incarcerated
Clayton Werner

De Profundis continues at The Tuxedo Cat – Blue Room until Sun Mar 13.

Berkoff In Two Acts
Worldsend Hotel - Upstairs, Tue Mar 8
Two short performances of Steven Berkoff’s works are presented for the first time by the Caveat Theatre Company. They are quite different from each other, yet it all seems to flow nicely… Dog features Jonathan Bragg as both man and as Roy the dog, and is a 15-minute rant from your average bloke. Or should that read racist, swearing, violent malcontent? Bragg is very convincing (in both roles) and it is actually a shame that the performance is such a brief encounter. Quite funny, and quite forcefully portrayed. Lunch, the second item on the menu, is a lyrical journey through a chance encounter that gets awfully serious before relaxing, just a little. Cameron Pike and Lydia Nicholson are excellent in the roles. Both works are presented with an affection and respect for Berkoff’s use of language and also have a rather lovely physical attribute. Yes, even the violent bloke…

Final Word: Fun
David Robinson

Berkoff In Two Acts continues at Worldsend Hotel until Sat Mar 12.

Kashkul Ensemble
Nexus Cabaret, Lions Arts Centre, Tue Mar 8
Local group Kashkul Ensemble play ancient Persian music predominantly structured around the strings of the tar and the oud plus soulful female vocals. Percussion was courtesy of a circular hand-held drum called a daf (similar to the Celtic bodhran). A form of flute was in the mix but it was used sparingly and most of the time simply couldn’t be heard. All pieces featured that unmistakable sound of much Middle Eastern music – the tonally distinct sound of the lead string instrument, and the haunting dragging and slurring of notes that is the signature sound of vocalists of the region. Aptly named, Shiva’s voice was a highlight. Every piece was enjoyable in its own right, but as a set it lacked variety. For the uninitiated it all started to sound much the same. And please talk to the audience – say hello, introduce songs, explain the instruments – especially during long tuning breaks.

Final Word: Enjoyable
Michael Coghlan

Kashkul Ensemble performs at Nexus Cabaret until Sun Mar 13.

The Twoks
The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Spiegeltent, Tue Mar 8
In an almost cartoon-like bright leotard and skirt, armed with violin, vocals and effects and loop pedals, Xani Kolac certainly is a theatrical statement, out front of The Twoks! Xani is ably supported by Mark Leahy (drums) and Stewart Taylor (bass), with some cool playing and dirty effects, but as into it as they are, there is a freedom for moving and dance that violin seems to offer that they can’t follow. Loop pedals are becoming somewhat ubiquitous on the stage. I’ve seen a couple of classical instruments with them of late and I’ve very much liked what I’ve heard – violin certainly works well. This Twoks performance has some set songs, but also plenty of free-form jamming. I’m not sure that there is a solution to the odd assortment of sounds when setting up the loop effects, but in the songs themselves, they work a treat.

Final Word: Hypnotised
Clayton Werner

Past Fringe Wraps

Tue Mar 8
Fri Mar 4
Thu Mar 3
Wed Mar 2
Mon Feb 28
Fri Feb 25
Thu Feb 24
Tue Feb 22
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Fri Feb 18
Mon Feb 14

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