All in Fringe
Lucidity, and the phenomenon of lucid dreaming it explores, is such a fascinating concept. The human endeavour to control the conventionally uncontrollable is examined to a T through the topic, as well as grief, moving forward, responsibility and, ultimately, the essence of love.
Tarrant’s ability to impart pure childlike wonder — irrespective of the audience’s varying ages — is nothing short of miraculous. I wasn’t expecting outbursts of laughter throughout, but quickly found that such zealous magic teamed with a delectable sense of humour only made for a winning show. From unconventional card tricks and humble stunts, to logic-defying predictions, Matt Tarrant had read our minds and left us questioning one too many things.
As fabled as Tony Galati’s eyebrows, and more elusive than Kevin Parker, James McHale is a man whose reputation mainly exists in myth and whispers. Yet, in light of Perth's Fringe World Festival, the man behind the legend has stepped forth from behind his taxpayer funded news mantle to ask fellow 'Perthonalities' some not-so-hard hitting questions. As James himself puts it, he’s “asking the people [he’s] always wanted to question, the questions [he’s] always wanted to ask”.
Dirty People exemplifies all that is grassroots Australian theatre in its hard-hitting 70-minute runtime. The characters in Dirty People are about as slick as an oil spill on an iceberg; and just as deadly.
Alone Outside is a one woman show; the role of Daphne is brilliantly depicted by Jo Morris. You often find yourself forgetting that there are no other actors on the stage, as the way Morris relays and reacts to the other characters is so genuinely visceral.
Our red-jumpsuit-donned revelatory tutor, Peach, spun a warm and safe cocoon of joy through casual conversation, relatable anecdotes and gorgeous ukulele ballads. The heartfelt camaraderie of not just sisterhood but humanhood was tangible as the audience shared in one horizon-expanding A-Ha moment after another.
If you see anything at Fringe this year, 600 Seconds is probably your safest bet, simply because it exists as a distilled amalgamation of everything else on offer.
In Paradise Lost, Christopher Samuel Carroll delivers an impassioned solo performance through his myriad of colourful characters.
Residing from the Gold Coast, the deluded duo embody nothing but pure chaos. It was an uproarious night; cue sequins, high-energy dancing, comical exchanges and plentiful shenanigans. If anything, it was a Greek tragedy of epic proportions.
A Prudent Man is a cleverly written and performed play that never tells you what to think, but gives you a lot to think about. Lyall Brooks is a convincing actor, and the never slaps you in the face with any sort of moral (or even story), but trusts the viewers to understand by sprinkling snippets of information to piece together.
For age-old fans and Joni-virgins alike, book a ride in your closest 'Big Yellow Taxi' to go and see A Case of You: a poignant, imaginative and dynamic tribute to an artist who has touched so many.
Velvet, the all singing all-dancing circus act dazzles at Fringe, with the right amount of sass and glamour.
Don’t bring your mum, or your grandma. Have a drink, buy a raffle ticket and leave your manners at the door.
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.
As its title suggests, the majority of the show is completely improvised, relying solely on punter interaction to drive the show forward. It’s this kind of acrobat-on-a-tightrope type comedy show that makes proceedings all the more thrilling to watch.
Encapsulating so many of the best things about Fringe: Nostalgia, crowd participation, excellent showmanship, eccentricity, and of course music.
Devilishly werid and awe inspiring, LIMBO is a collection of gasp aloud moments knitted together craftily with colourful, gritty music, recurrent feather motifs and characterful theatrics.
“More than beautiful (though they are), more than brilliantly performed (though they were), her poems are so very important.” - James Webster, Oxford based writer
Do you remember those dance crazy girls from high school? Well they're sorta doing this thing at PICA now. Check out our sweaty review of Fantasy Light Yoga!
My experience at Out of the Cave, Skylight Theatre Company’s devised social commentary, I can safely say, was the exact opposite of what many others who have graced those steps have experienced, and if life imprisonment meant watching this play a thousand times over I would be so there!
