Adelaide Fringe Reviews

Category: Adelaide Fringe Reviews

Death in Bowengabbie (****) until Sun, Mar 22, 2009

Death in Bowengabbie (****) until Sun, Mar 22, 2009

For once, I can agree with the official blurb for a 2009 Fringe show. This is indeed a “wicked black fat-heartedcomedy about love, loss and the mourning after”. Bowengabbie is a fictitious, regional town that has lost is young people to the big cities, at least until family members die, forcing the young departed to return […]

Other People’s Problems (****) until Sun, Mar 22, 2009

Other People’s Problems (****) until Sun, Mar 22, 2009

I have discovered a little venue of treasures for the 2009 Adelaide Fringe – The Tuxedo Cat, on the rooftop of 15-19 Synagogue Place in the city. There is a superb array of shows running up in the clouds and they all espouse pure “fringeness”. Other People’s Problems is a performance by Sarah Quinn of […]

Swan Lake (*) until Sun, Mar 15, 2009

Swan Lake (*) until Sun, Mar 15, 2009

Shakti’s Swan Lake is one of those “to be missed” shows. Yes, there is precision, yes it is a good idea to explore this classic ballet, but no, this is not the way. Shakti’s obvious skill is lost in this self-indulgent piece made worse by bad, bad costume choices. There is a certain age after […]

Rich Hall and Otis Lee Crenshaw (****1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

Rich Hall and Otis Lee Crenshaw (****1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

Rich Hall is an Adelaide Fringe legend. And he keeps getting better with age. His opening segment as Rich Hall is pure stand up gold. Yes, I am gushing a bit as I write this, but he is just so damned good it is hard to sound neutral. Rich happily pokes fun at our habits […]

The John Lennon Play: In His Own Write (****) until Sat, Mar 14, 2009

The John Lennon Play: In His Own Write (****) until Sat, Mar 14, 2009

This is pure Fringe brilliance. A troupe of young actors, I Must Not Theatre, transport us to another world, in fact, into the inner world of a young John Lennon through a play written in 1968. This play is based on the poetry and writings of John Lennon, and captures the spirit of fantasy and […]

I Hate Rabbits (****1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

I Hate Rabbits (****1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

James Galea dubs himself Australia’s Number One magician and I can live with that. He has a warm presence on stage and oozes confidence in what he does. So what does he do? He does tricks! It really is an impressive display of sleight-of-hand. James tells us he saw his first magic trick at the […]

Slim Limits – The Second Coming of Gods Cowboy (**) until Sun, Mar 8, 2009

Slim Limits – The Second Coming of Gods Cowboy (**) until Sun, Mar 8, 2009

George Catsi has a great idea buried in this show. His character, Rev Slim, is a “disturbed evangelist, dishing out songs, salvation and spit”. When his deep, southern, US accent is on full throttle, it is good. When it slips, the energy in the room slips. Rev Slim charicatures those much maligned evangelical preachers who […]

1000 Years of German Humour (***) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

1000 Years of German Humour (***) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

The premise for this show is that Germans are not known for having a sense of humour, at least one that embraces subtlety, irony, and whimsy. We were all expecting awkwardly delivered jokes and brutal slapstick, all with a nod and a wink to the audience acknowledging how “bad” it all was. What we did get from […]

Amazing Drumming Monkeys (**1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

Amazing Drumming Monkeys (**1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009

I am a new parent and I need to get used to children’s shows. So, with great anticipation, our little girl accompanied us to see the monkeys. A dozen or so children ran to the front of the tent and sat on the floor to be closer to the action and they created great atmosphere. […]

The book of longing (Festival Theatre, 2008)

The book of longing (Festival Theatre, 2008)

I am seeing this show March 15, although I am not reviewing this show. This one is an indulgence to celebrate Leonard Cohen. Here’s what the official guide says about the program: A new work by Philip Glass based on the poetry and images of Leonard Cohen, co-commissioned by Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts. A […]

The Glass Boat **** (SoCo Cargo until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

The Glass Boat **** (SoCo Cargo until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

Pig Island (yes, that’s the name of the theatre company) has produced a curious work in which a sketch comedy format is applied to a series of theatrical vignettes. I got a strong sense that this show was devised through a series of improvised theatre ‘games’ such is the eclectic, eccentric, zany feel of many […]

Asher Treleaven, Cellar Door *1/2 (Bosco Theatre until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

Asher Treleaven, Cellar Door *1/2 (Bosco Theatre until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

Asher Treleaven named his show “cellar door” because it is one of the most beautiful phrases in English, according to JRR Tolkien. I know the show’s title is an ironic device, but I can’t help but think, what a waste! The premise of this show is that there is comedy to be had by regurgitating […]

Daniel Kitson – THE IMPOTENT FURY OF THE PRIVILEGED **** (Royalty Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Daniel Kitson – THE IMPOTENT FURY OF THE PRIVILEGED **** (Royalty Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Daniel Kitson delivers thinking-person’s comedy. His rich use of language, his elaborate layering of his narrative, and the deep, internal territory he traverses, will leave a pub crowd a little lost and confused. But if you are willing and able to engage your grey matter and scrutinise some uncomfortable truths that all of us share, […]

Sin City, the Golden Years **** (Garage International until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

Sin City, the Golden Years **** (Garage International until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

It’s New Year’s Eve, 1963, in the Moonlight Lounge in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. We are there, in the audience, enjoying song and dance, while enduring some very dated comedy. There is no doubt that every cast member, from musicians to singers, to dancers, is very talented. There was not a weak link in the […]

The Knowing of Mary Poppins **** (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

The Knowing of Mary Poppins **** (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

This is a luscious show from a purely theatrical point-of-view. It is a very layered script, the three actors share numerous roles, as well as each actor playing the lead character at different stages of her life – child, mother, “crone”. The character in question is the author of Mary Poppins, PL Travers. Travers grew […]

20 Something ***** (Promethean until Tuesday, March 12, 2008)

20 Something ***** (Promethean until Tuesday, March 12, 2008)

Here it is – my first five-star show of Adelaide Fringe 2008. Prepare for a late night and book in for the last remaining shows to catch this Fringe’s big surprise event, ’20 Something’. Apart from superb voices and steadfast piano, there is magic in the air when this trio performs – Tamara Shinners, Rachel […]

My Year Without Sex ***1/2 (The Courthouse until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

My Year Without Sex ***1/2 (The Courthouse until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

“Mrs Winifred Tickletext, widow and past president of the Pembleworth Ladies Society, is travelling Europe in the footsteps of Apostle Paul. Very British, very prudish and totally starved of sex, she causes chaos wherever she goes.” Thus reads the blurb for the show. There is no doubt this one-woman show is a great acting challenge […]

Akmal – Live ***1/2 (Arts Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Akmal – Live ***1/2 (Arts Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Akmal is a naturally funny man and he uses his size and personality to great effect. This show seems largely improvised, using a foundation of some standard routines that have the feeling of being used many times before. If you love Akmal, and it is hard not to like him, you will smile, laugh and […]

A Record or an OBE **1/2 (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

A Record or an OBE **1/2 (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

This show perplexed me greatly and left me asking why it was written. It wasn’t because the writing was poor, nor was it because the acting was poor, it was because the story lacked drama. Chiefly, it is the story of The Goodies, just after Bill Oddie left the trio to embark on a solo […]

Laurence Clark 12% Evil ****1/2 (Fowlers Live until Saturday, March 8, 2008)

Laurence Clark 12% Evil ****1/2 (Fowlers Live until Saturday, March 8, 2008)

It’s not every day I review a comedian with cerebral palsy, and I am so glad I have now had that opportunity. Laurence Clark has the most wicked sense of humour, possibly rating higher than 12% evil. His show is a very cleverly constructed deconstruction of stereotypes assigned to people with disabilities, especially villains of […]

Six Pack! ***1/2 (Puppet Palace until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

Six Pack! ***1/2 (Puppet Palace until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

This young troupe of puppeteers from the VCA, has brought a mixed bag of experimental puppetry that is intriguing and fresh. It seems you are served three shows from the repertoire of six, per performance. And each show tries something different. Tonight we saw shadow puppetry, classic hand puppets, and then a fully embodied puppet […]

MARK WATSON – CAN I BRIEFLY TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE POINT OF LIFE? **** (Nova 2 until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

MARK WATSON – CAN I BRIEFLY TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE POINT OF LIFE? **** (Nova 2 until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

Mark Watson personifies the polite, self-deprecating stand up comic, bumbling through life stumbling from one rich vein of comic material to another. He is careful to manage our expectations, playing down his comedic skills so as to surprise us time and time again with a sharp observation or barbed put down. Mark Watson delivers solid […]

The angel and the red priest **1/2 (Adelaide Centre For Arts until Thursday, March 6, 2008)

The angel and the red priest **1/2 (Adelaide Centre For Arts until Thursday, March 6, 2008)

I’m afraid I do not agree with the publicity blurb for this play, which claims it can, “touch our heartstrings without them going out of key.” For this reviewer, this tribute to Vivaldi had too much Boston Pops sweetness. The acting was over-played and pauses in dialogue were achingly prolonged, as if the players were […]

Tombola! *** (SA German Association until Wednesday, March 5, 2008)

Tombola! *** (SA German Association until Wednesday, March 5, 2008)

These two crazy Canadians (self-proclaimed) have delivered much of the promise of the ancient, theatrical art of Commedia Dell’Arte. This style of theatre, most popular in Italy from the 1400s to the 1800s, involves creating scenarios for stock characters to play within. Typically, the story lines are simple and the dialogue loosely composed to allow for […]

American Poodle *** (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

American Poodle *** (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

I am a fan of the many works Guy Masterson brings to the Adelaide Fringe but this show disappointed me on a number of counts. Firstly, unlike other productions where focus is given to the artistic development of a theatrical base from where he launches his political barbs, this show lacks that development. The first […]

Pluck – The Titanic Show **** (Royalty Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Pluck – The Titanic Show **** (Royalty Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Pluck triumphs on the genteel side of the Fringe with The Titanic Show. This celebration of the musicians on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic distils the Edwardian spirit of the early 1900s and uses this setting of manners and mores as fertile ground for comic exploitation. We are treated to a repertoire of beautiful […]

Township Stories ****1/2 (Royalty Theatre until Saturday, March 9, 2008)

Township Stories ****1/2 (Royalty Theatre until Saturday, March 9, 2008)

This is a profoundly disturbing and unsettling production showcasing a grotesque view of life in South African townships. This is not a documentary or opinion piece, there is no sermon in the script, this is instead a story about a serial killer wreaking havoc among people whose lives are already damaged enough. We are painted […]

Trouble on Planet Earth ***1/2 (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Trouble on Planet Earth ***1/2 (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)

This experimental show is worth experiencing, not for the script of the acting, but for the experience. The intriguing element that provides interest for this show, is the small gadget each audience member is given, enabling them to register votes throughout the evening. The system is simple. At certain points in the show, the cast asks the […]

Dreamer **** (Puppet Palace until Friday, March 14, 2008)

Dreamer **** (Puppet Palace until Friday, March 14, 2008)

Black light puppetry is always captivating, especially in the hands of Dreampuppets. This show, Dreamer, is part of the Dreamer trilogy in which a childlike, Leuing-style creature experiences bizarre happenings in a bright, colourful dreamscape. Dreamer encounters strange fish, animated furniture and new abilities to move and interact with the world. This is imaginatve, entertaining […]

DAVID O’DOHERTY – It’s David O’Doherty Time **** (Nova 2 until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

DAVID O’DOHERTY – It’s David O’Doherty Time **** (Nova 2 until Saturday, March 15, 2008)

I confess I fall easily for Irish comics. I think it is due to a childhood staple of Dave Allen. However, I am sure I can award four stars with a clean conscience, confident that David has not benefited from my bias. It’s amazing how one man with a microphone and a tacky little keyboard […]