FRINGE REVIEW: BLANK
Welcome to the most spontaneous night of your life. Nassim Soleimanpour, a storyteller of the highest order, invites a new 'actor' and one audience member to tell their story onstage for your entertainment in his latest play BLANK at the State Theatre. The action, for lack of a better word, is driven by author intention and (our most feared, most used word this Fringe season) audience participation. It has been crafted to be sincere and often profound, but dragged a bit last night due to lack of audience creativity. A script full of blanks? One could say it is slightly better in theory than in reality but I can assure you there is much to be gained from this exploration of mortality and the human condition.
Each night has been improvised by a member of our national community who is just as oblivious to the occurrences within the play as the audience. Last night was no different with renowned comedian Claire Hooper directing the chosen 'hero of the story' as to what was required of them, while inserting unscripted commentary here and there. Claire did exceptionally well, but the nature of the play meant she was very confined by the script. It would've been nice to have slightly less structure to work with.
'Dear audience', you will learn from this play about what it is to tell your story, when complete honesty is required. Hopefully the audience of your story will slightly more engaged, but it is your job to keep them on the edge of their seats. This innovative piece courages its audience to look more closely at the world. To ask questions. Know that your story will soon be over and it is your job to keep things interesting. By its very nature the most unique play you will see at Fringe, so get down to State Theatre tonight for its closing night!
