The performance space is wonderful; St Stephen’s Anglican Church is light and spacious.  The performance is of a high standard and the acoustics of the church only enhances the experience. In particular, the two flugelhorns accompanying soprano is a lovely moment. Overall, the two soloists do a fine job, though Dora has a bit of a cold and Fraser faces challenges of her own (namely, Elvish).

Jordan’s enthusiastic reading of the synopsis provides a theatrical flair, but their incomplete overview of the text probably might not make a lot of sense to people who aren’t familiar with Tolkein’s work. This isn’t a problem though; in general, the songs do not require contextualisation.

The style of music is a bit old-fashioned and may have a limited appeal; perhaps among those who have a particular interest in Tolkein’s works or Donald Swann. Though One Show to Rule them All is an unusual addition to the Melbourne Fringe Festival Program it is an unpretentious, enthusiastic and certainly unique one. And there is a delicious supper provided afterward; hopefully this will catch on.

“One Show To Rule Them All” from 1st-3rd October, 8pm (3pm Sunday) at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, 306 Church Street, Richmond.  Tickets $23, $18. 9660 9600

Destroy Solzhenitsyn, a new play by Malaysian-Australian playwright John Joofor Lee, premiered at the Gasworks Theatre in South Melbourne for the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival. It’s an insightful piece of theatre from Nice Productions.

This play is spans the lifetime of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian author and political dissident, from the origins of his opposition to Soviet politics, to his uncomfortable exile in the West and ultimate return to Russia, as well as his death and 21st century legacy.

The story of Solzhenitsyn’s life is reported by the writer himself: an aged Solzhenitsyn (Andy Barons) who has already published The Gulag Archipelago and is living in the United States with his second wife, Alya (Nicola Jayne). In the West, his ideas remain controversial: as a critic of Stalinism, he cannot ignore the soul-destroying false freedom that unrestrained capitalism represents either. As a result, his safety and that of his family is uncertain and he faces opposition from friends and enemies alike. The character of Solzhenitsyn demands a lot from his audience; his strict adherence to a personal moral code requires great sacrifices. In this way, he is reminiscent of  Thomas More, in Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons. But the character of Solzhenitsyn lacks much of More’s warmth and seems to be a man for the Siberian winter only.

From a historical perspective this production is commendable: the life of Solzhenitsyn is a worthy subject. It may one that is unfamiliar to younger audiences, who are more familiar with the political dissidents of the digital age, like Edward Snowden. Lee’s observation that  Solzhenitsyn’s writing is unfashionable in the 21st century is accurate, but his assessment that this is because this generation has become too comfortable, seduced by capitalism, is harsh. When Solzhenitsyn encouters a 21st century woman, she dismisses him and his writing: in “the age of the antihero” do-gooders like Solzhenitsyn are uncool. But perhaps it is bit unfair of Lee to dismiss an entire generation because they have not read The Gulag Archipelago. Communism is no longer the looming spectre it once was and the advent of the 21st century has brought with it new geopolitical challenges.

The production overall is well directed by Vlady T and there are only a few weak points. Not all members of the cast are confident with the Russian accents and Barons’ frequently slips into Scottish and pirate. However Connor Bashford and Nichola Jayne are very convincing and both give excellent performances. The costuming and set design by Stephen Browse is well concieved and visually the production quite polished.

Destroy Solzhenitsyn is a fine tribute to one of the most important writers of the 20th century. It’s certainly worth checking out if you’re a Russian history buff, however audiences should note that the historical photographs shown during the production include some disturbing images.

Destroy Solzhenitsyn is playing at Gasworks; the Clover Club, 21 Graham St, Albert Park from 22nd September to 3rd October, 8.30pm. Tickets $27, $23, $12 (Tuesday)

The piece follows the lives of Kayleen and Doug over the span of thirty years. Their first meeting, at age eight, is in the sick bay: Doug has ridden his bike off the roof, and Kayleen has a psychosomatic stomach pains. These characters’ lives continue to intersect, and though they care for each other, a mutually supportive relationship is obstructed by the same carelessness and trauma that is evident at this first meeting.

The production is well designed. The non-linear narrative is easy to follow with a sign indicating their age at the start of each scene. Designer Eleanor Steiner’s set is simple and effective:  the two beds and minimal props easily transition from sick bay to emergency room to Kayleen’s bedroom to a psychiatric ward. A nice touch is the costuming, which aids in establishing the age of the characters. Over the course of the play, the set becomes littered with discarded clothing which builds up like scar tissue: a constant reminder of their damaged past. One quibble is that each of the seven or eight scene transitions seems to take ages: long minutes are spent watching the actors getting changed on stage. The make up and special effects are excellent; the eye injury is particularly realistic. It’s impressive that both characters are able to apply their own make up-on stage with such precision.

The two roles are very demanding and Schøller and Jaquinot do a good job; however, their decision to adopt American accents is questionable. Presumably it is to avoid having to alter references to girl scout cookies and ice hockey, though neither of these are central to the plot and the story could fit into an Australian setting without issue.

It’s clear that both actors and the director love the text, but their reverence has resulted in an underdeveloped interpretation. Overall, the production lacks nuance, and it’s a shame that this deeply tragic interpretation occasionally slips into melodrama. Some levity would’ve provided a nice contrast. And while Gruesome Playground Injuries is a tragic and confronting story, there is the potential for a lot of dark humour which in this production is unexplored. For example, at one point Kayleen states that she can’t believe that Doug would commit suicide because then “he wouldn’t have the scars to show for it”. This line is delivered in bitter anger, as is the majority of her dialogue.

Gruesome Playground Injuries is fine play imperfectly realised, but the opportunity to see a Rajiv Josef play is one rarely afforded to Melbourne audiences and fans should not miss out.

Gruesome Playground Injuries runs from 22nd – 25th of September at L1 Studios, Level 1, 377 Little Bourke Street. Tickets $25, $22.

It is a musical comedy transporting Nabokov’s Lolita to a post-apocalyptic world where all the men have been wiped out by a virus. This highly original concept is the strong point of this production, namely an exploration of the shift that occurs when Humbert’s crimes are committed by a woman against a girl. Although it’s hard to imagine how women would behave in a world without men, Smart’s predictions (sperm banks and universal lesbianism) seem like casual hypotheticals and could be construed as offensive.

The decision to stage this as a musical comedy is also dubious. Though the original songs by Cathy Dobson are upbeat and catchy, they’re more like musical interludes and don’t do much to progress the plot. They seem out of place in this production, or at least unnecessary. Likewise, the drawn-out physical comedy of the doctor’s death scene is a questionable inclusion. It’s hard to imagine how the story of Lolita can be translated tastefully into this genre.

However, the performances are energetic and the singing is on key. In particular, Tiana Pisano (as Dolly) does a very good job. Nonetheless, it is difficult to recommend this production: in short, it is distasteful.

Dolly is at the Owl and Cat Theatre, 34 Swan Street, Richmond from 22nd to 27th of September. Tickets $25, $20, $15 (Tuesday).

Hamlet [Working Title] is highly self-referential production that assumes a high level of familiarity with the original text. It’s Shakespearean fan fic, but doesn’t treat the source text as sacred or above critique. Drew Wilson’s Hamlet sarcastically points out plot discrepancies. For example, why does Hamlet take his father’s royal seal to England? These clever insights might sail over the heads of audience members who don’t know the play well, this a show for Shakespeare tragics.

The best thing about this production is Drew Wilsons’ performance, which is a great thing, considering it’s a one-man show. Wilson’s Generation-X Hamlet is angry, sarcastic, immature and egotistical. His dark humour is spot-on: he responds to the overwhelming tragedy of his situation by treating it as absurd, but his outrage is palpable.

The writing is also very good. [Working Title], an original slam poem delivered with considerable energy and passion, is the high point of the performance. Wilson’s use of this medium provides a thoughtful insight into how Shakespearean prose may have sounded to Elizabethan audiences. However, some choices are not as worthy: Claudius is described as a ‘motherfucker’, which seems like low-hanging fruit by its third or forth use. Also, some audiences may find other his descriptors (‘cumstain’; ‘wet patch’) sufficiently offensive to eclipse the other merits of the writing.

There are a few awkward moments, in particular reluctant participation from unsuspecting audience members, and a few clunky transitions. After a drawn out (fictional) fight battle in Gertrude’s closet, Wilson elegantly switches to Shakespeare’s prose to finish the scene. However, the return to irreverent 21^st century Hamlet is effected by playing fart noises played on his iPhone. It’s puerile humour from a Hamlet who is unafraid to offend, but also an intentional awkwardness that could’ve been avoided. Also, the production relies heavily on the audience knowing what’s coming next in the original play. For the unitiated, the “have I told you about the pirate ship?” is a segue that seems to come out of nowhere.

The stage design is sparse but effective: the stage is empty save for a whiteboard and a chair, which is a nice reference to the classroom, where most people are introduced to Shakespeare. The use of other props is casual and spontaneous under David Burrowes’ direction. Notable is the use of a sock-puppet for Hamlet’s ghost: a sly reference to the theory that the ghost is simply concocted to justify Hamlet’s own ambition and desire for revenge. 

Hamlet [Working Title] is a witty 21^st interpretation of a classic play. If you love the play and aren’t afraid to see a very unfamiliar but hilarious interpretation, this is a show for you. 

Hamlet [Working Title] is playing at Club Voltaire, 14 Raglan Street at 10pm September 17-20 & 7pm September 22. Tickets $20, $15 concession. For tickets visit melbournefringe.com.au or call (03) 9660 9666

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Fractured examines the ethical challenges that face the members of the “Extended Family”, a privileged group of people who live in comfort and security, safe from the violent chaos outside. Though hundreds of desperate people live and die just beyond the windows of their home, the only people the Extended Family can save are those who they can name.

Suzi Loo, a childlike character played by Nicole Morgan, ‘names’ Astrid, a feral child brought to life with convincing physicality by Danelle Wynne. Astrid, rescued against her will, refuses to ‘name’ another person. Her rebellion is an impetus for the characters to examine the morality of the “Extended Family”.

Fractured is a very ambitious play that addresses some of the most important ideas in ethics: do people have a duty to care for complete strangers? And if so, how large a sacrifice is required in the provision of care? The influence of philosophical concepts, such as David Hume’s ‘narrow circle’ and Peter Singer’s utilitarianism, is immediately recognizable and these complex ideas are portrayed simply and effectively.

While Cass’ writing is excellent, there were a number of directorial issues. At one point, ‘sleeping pills’ are handed out to members of the audience. The intended meaning or effect of this distracting gesture is unclear: it doesn’t even seem to symbolise a shift into a collective dreamlike state. It undermines the audience’s suspended belief (the pill is obviously a breath mint), fails to create a more immersive experience, and the overall effect is one of confusion.

There was also a problem with continuity and credibility. One of the characters spends the first few minutes of the play aiming his rifle around the inside of the sanctuary, even though it’s been established as a safe and secure space. Later, he somehow uses the butt of this rifle to amputate another characters arm.

To add to the confusion, the rifle is an undisguised hockey stick, which is jarring in an otherwise naturalistic production. Some of the costuming is also highly symbolic and doesn’t seem credible in the context of an apocalypse. The train of Pillar’s kimono extends from one end of the stage to the other, and while visually striking, seems out of place. Likewise, though Wynne’s bright pink onesie highlights the youth of her character, it’s unnecessary given the vitality of her energetic performance.

These issues aside, there was a lot to like about Fractured. Canada White’s lighting choices are evocative, a luminous umbrella is used especially well. Another strong point is Amy Firth’s performance, hugely effective in its subdued intensity.

Fractured is misrepresented as a comedy: it’s a dark political allegory which seeks to re-contextualise the principal moral questions of the 21^st century. Though it doesn’t realise this lofty ambitions, Fractured is an arresting piece that asks very difficult questions.

Fractured is on at Club Voltaire, 14 Raglan Street, North Melbourne from 15-20 September at 7.30pm. For more information or to book tickets, please visit the Melbourne Fringe website or call the ticketing team on 9660 9666.

Shoot from Hip is a play about the detective genre, presented as a genre story. The protagonist is a 1940s-era American detective who is also a crime writer, a kind of detective genre platonic ideal, played by Charlie Sturgeon. Cassie Vagliviello (Improvilicious) appears as the femme fatale, while Ivy Latimer plays a number of roles, including the gangster Ace Diamind. These are familiar characters but a dose of surrealism throws the well-trodden genre plot line into unfamiliar territory.

The production serves up a heavy dose of nostalgia: the design, music and direction all have a distinct vintage flavour, an admiration for the classic style of the era. Designer Sarah Tulloch has kept the aesthetic and costuming post-war, and original jazz music has been composed by Ashleigh Southam, to be performed live on stage. Rice believes the play could be easily translated into radio, another popular media form in the mid-20^th century that is less common now, though regaining popularity through the rise of podcasting.  Every detail in the production, even the actor’s American accents, hearkens back to another time, another world, one that only exists between the covers of detective novels.

The concept of the production was actually informed by Rice’s extensive collection of vintage paperback detective book covers: he has over 2000 of them. Some covers from his collection will appear as the backdrop for the play, projected onto the back wall, a new cover appearing to indicate each scene change.

Shoot from the Hip is an homage to a genre that remains perennially popular, maintaining a strange power over global audiences. Rice suggests that the genre remains relevant as ‘a response to an unfair world’. And while Shoot from the Hip highlights all the tropes and clichés of the genre, the production still treats it with respect; a hat tip to the impressive history and influence of detective fiction.

Shoot from the Hip (45min) will run Wednesday, September 16^th - Friday 25^th (6pm start; 5pm Sunday) at the The Courthouse Hotel, Jury Room, in Northcote. Tickets $20 full, $18 concession, $15 preview & Tuesday visit www.melbournefringe.com.au to book.

Follow Me is Lee and Symon’s first collaboration, but they are both interested in challenging the traditional relationship between audiences and art. Symons has most recently has worked with Metanoia, the Malthouse, and Apocalypse Theatre Company. She has a particular interest in interactive storytelling and creating more immersive experiences for audiences. Symons wants to create opportunities for audience members to participate in theatre and storytelling, going beyond traditional mediums where the audience “just sits there and we tell them the art”.

Lee is an independent game designer who has created both digital and board games. These include an iPhone app ‘Stickits’, which was included in The New Yorker’s list of Most Elegant iPhone Games of 2013, and ‘Exodus’, a board game similar to Risk, where players try to maintain political power and safeguard their resources in the Maldives, all while trying to adapt their strategy to the new challenges presented by climate change. Lee is also passionate about sharing ideas and collaboration, facilitating “Freeplay”, the Australian independent games festival; All Day Breakfast, a creative community hub in Melbourne; and Interference Space, an experimental art gallery in Prahran. Lee and Symons also have another project in the works, called The Briefcase.

Follow Me is a story installation that guides the participants around Melbourne and is intended to reveal a new perspective of the city that is not immediately apparent. There are four journeys for participants to follow, each tracing a day in the life of a character in Melbourne.

Melbourne is an ideal setting for a project such as this. There are as many ways to experience this city as there are visitors, with many rich and varied perspectives which encompass the city’s intriguing history, a dynamic present, and the private significance of certain cafes and tram stops and alleys. Follow Me is an opportunity to uncover a personal history of public spaces.

Follow Me is informed by the concept of psychogeography, a term defined in 1955 by Guy Deboard, a member of Situationalist International, a politico-artistic organisation of social revolutionaries and members of the avant-garde. In essence, psychogeography is the act of experiencing an urban environment in a playful, distractible fashion, open to new perspectives and experiences; one seldom adopted in our hectic day-to-day lives. As Lee says, “if you get completely lost and wander around the city all afternoon discovering new parts of Melbourne, and never make it to the end of the story, that’s fine. That’s good, actually. That’s what we want.”

The journey begins at the Queen Victoria Market/Elizabeth St tram stop (Stop #7), on the West/Citybound platform. Follow Me will run from 11 August until 4 October. Each narrative will take about fifteen minutes to follow, longer if you become distracted by the wealth of new discoveries the different perspective affords.

Originally a woodcarver, Duyker has since shifted his creative practice to explore the artistic potential of the guts of vintage computers, which is the focus of his most recent creations. Over the length of his career his body of work has traversed a range of mediums: his sculptures are made of cast concrete, ceramic and glass, and he’s also created kinetic sculpture and mosaics. Duyker’s contribution to the 2015 Uncommon Places, a site-specific installation series produced by Melbourne Fringe, is a mixed-media work entitled Combobulator, which includes the sorts of objects that Duyker cups in his hands.

A self-confessed hoarder, Duyker rescues these bits of tech history from the rubbish tip, people’s front lawns, and offices undergoing refurbishment. Duyker is a rare breed of sculptor who also holds a degree in electrical engineering, so it’s not surprising that he finds beauty in unlikely places, such as the contents of machines which are used every day but rarely, if ever, seen. Duyker’s background in engineering has informed Combobulator, which explores the relationship between those who design and sell novel technology and those who purchase it.

Combobulator is a fictitious product. How Combobulator works and what it does is expressed in the sort of mystical techno jargon intentionally unintelligible to the public. It is impossible to work out what Combobulator is used for but it succeeds in impressing viewers with its complexity, including its mysterious ‘dolphin brain technology’.

Duyker describes his relationship with people in the technology industry as love-hate: while he loves their work, he finds that, as people, they can appear disinterested in the world outside their field of expertise. At the same time, they’re tasked with creating and selling products to people who often don’t know a lot about what they’re buying. Combobulator demonstrates the great disparity in understanding between these groups. Certainly there’s a lot of trust involved as most people don’t understand and can’t understand the functionality of every piece of technology they use, and at the same time, there is potential for exploitation. This sculpture will strike a chord with anyone who has pretended to understand what a salesperson is talking about when they purchased a new laptop, camera or phone.

Combobulator can be found in window of the Errol St Salvation Army Op shop from the August 11 until October 4. It seems like a peculiar place to exhibit a sculpture, but as Duyker says, “I’m all about recycling”. And sometimes you can find treasures in an Op Shop.

“Well, it’s not pop,” Giles says of his work. Certainly not, though it’s difficult to define a genre that encapsulates the scope of his work. What is clear is that Giles’ music is often intimately linked to the setting in which it is appreciated: there is an intentional blurring of the distinction between the content of the piece and the ambient noise of the space. The use of ambient noise in music has become more accepted and appreciated since the controversial premiere of John Cages’ 4’33” in 1952, which consisted of four minutes and thirty three seconds of ambient noises in a concert hall. However, Giles’ work is intended to enhance the existing soundscape instead of merely making the audience aware of it. One such piece, Heard/Unheard: Flux, which was performed at the Portland Upwelling Festival in 2012, guided listeners through the Portland Foreshore, the composition evolving as the listener progressed through different areas.

Giles has a keen interest in the sciences, which is reflected in the way he sources and structures the sounds for his compositions. While some of his pieces are quite minimalist, such as the recent piano piece Movement Study #1, the majority of his work focuses on finding new ways to weave hard science into musical composition. His residency at the School of Chemistry demonstrates the breadth of Giles’ inspiration. In addition, Giles’ fascination with ‘microsound’ – sounds at the very cusp of human detection, of very short duration, very high or low frequency, or very low amplitude – betrays his fascination with the physics of sound.

This August through October, Giles’ work will be on show as part of Uncommon Places. Giles’ contribution is a suite of two electronic music pieces that are intended to be appreciated in the Auction Rooms café in North Melbourne. Each piece is inspired by different aspects of the setting: one piece is inspired by the chemical composition of a Kenyan single-origin coffee (Kihuyo), while the other samples the ambient sounds of the café itself. This suite of music is designed to be consumed alongside a pour-over coffee, and a link to access the audio will be listed beside the beverage on the menu. A pour-over is a method of coffee preparation that reveals the complex and subtle flavour of the beans, and is an appropriate pairing for Giles’ composition. Through this music, Giles hopes that the mundane act of coffee drinking, something that people do several times a day without ceremony, will become a more mindful experience. The Auction Rooms, a café renown for its dynamic approach to coffee, is definitely an appropriate setting for exploring new ways to appreciate this daily ritual.

Giles’ Bits and Pieces and Put Together to Create, as well as the Kihuyo pour-over piece can be acquired, consumed and meditated over at the Auction Rooms Café, 103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne, from 11 August until 4 October.