Three choreographic teams take over Perth’s Riverview Hotel in this co-produced dance piece making its debut at Fringe World. Built around the parking lot, a hotel room and the lobby this dance work employs three choreographic teams to inhabit and revolutionise the heart of this contemporary hotel.

Imagio-Mio the first of the three works inhabits the front bar and lobby. The elegant and controlled movements of Rachel Arianne Ogle juxtaposed with the dishevelled Timothy Ohl establish characters that set the scene for a transformation reminiscent of My Fair Lady. With inverted lifts, hammers, torches, and underwear the audience was enthralled as Ogle transformed Ohl and the two were united in an elegant duet. Paul Selwyn Norton did well to choreograph characters and a journey that owned and belonged to this otherwise ordinary public space.

Gabrielle Nankivell’s Suite Secret utilised the kitchenette and bedroom of a small hotel apartment to explore the memories and shadows of the transient’s hotel room. From the teetering madness of midlife crisis to the fear and excitement of sleeping in a dark strange room, this piece used movement, sensory deprivation, confinement and poetry to submerge spectators in an alien and intriguing world. Nankivell was delightful to watch, her use of space, movement, light and sound was beautiful and subtle.

The final piece (Untitled) saw Lucas Marie and Nicole Ward would hash out their simultaneous urban anonymity and high density intimacy. In a departure from the stereotypically controlled movements of dance, the wild and alien gestures of misunderstood passion made for two sorry and mournful characters. Antony Hamilton’s piece was the sparsest of the evening and the exploration of voice space left much to be desired. Losing meaning lead to losing interest and the repetition grew old half way through the piece.

Mi Casa es Su Casa is a stunning example of site specific performance, each team draws out aspects of their space and inhabits them with characters that bring the Riverview Hotel to life. Thought provoking, interesting and challenging Mi Casa es Su Casa was certainly a Fringe World highlight.

Mi Casa es Su Casa has finished its run as Fringe finishes tonight.
For more information on the performance that was see the Fringe website here.

Items you will need: two adult men, lots of black lycra, and the leftovers of a carwash-come-crafternoon.

On entering Teatro 1 you are thrust in front of the two waiting performers and puppeteers. Experienced, cool, calm and collected, they welcome their audience and wait patiently for the show to begin. The lights drop, masks fall into place, and lift off.

Bruce launches with a bang; the first couple of minutes set the pace of the show. Whirring through events and characters, Tim Watts and Wyatt Nixon-Lloyd use the simplest of materials to bring to life a hoard of personas caught up in a thrilling action sequence. A block of yellow foam and a pair of floating hands is all it takes for these performers to create over a dozen characters and embark on an epic journey through the ups and downs of life, love and parenthood.

Confronted with atmospheric re-entry, fatherhood, workplace accidents, drug addiction, bionic eyes and time travel, Bruce must fight and endure to be the best man that he can be. The story is funny and ridiculous, but through the waves of laughter come moments of truth and struggle that strike home, particularly in a culture obsessed with the  hero and fraught with the fear of missing out. While not a serious endeavour by any stretch, Bruce is clever enough t0 leave you aching at the sides and with more than a few casual quips to think about.

An endearing piece of theatre that makes something great from scraps in the garden shed, Bruce is creatively constructed, wonderfully written and skillfully executed.

Unfortunately Bruce has finished its run but you can follow his exploits here.
For more information on The Last Great Hunt visit their website.

This energetic, comical and endearing show has something for everyone. The writers and performers cram skilful circus stunts, crazy dance moves, classic character types, and some good old fashioned slapstick into an entertaining and off beat sci-fi narrative.

The three are no doubt skilled acrobats. The tricks and skills on display are a testament to years of hard work and determination. While many of the gags and tropes of this performance are familiar, borrowed from their seniors and reminiscent of traditional circus archetypes, they are delivered with flair and good humour.

The standout was no doubt the clown (Rowan Thomas). A lovable and clumsy character that is upstaged at every turn and always willing to turn the other cheek, tongue included. His roué Cyr performance was funny and stunning, a beautiful mixture of physical skill and performative flair.

Thomas Gorman and Cal Harris also excelled at their specialties. They presented an edge-of-your-seat ladder act and some inspirational hand balancing, all capped with a vibrant and cheeky teeterboard act. These two played their roles well and played off each other wonderfully. Their showboating was entertaining, and balanced superbly by their humble and bumbling friend. I would have liked to see Rowan Thomas utilised more, and their relationship to have been stronger and more inclusive at the end.

It was great observing the scientists change throughout the experiment, and I thought the genesis of the zombie infection was an interesting twist. The humour is by no means clever but it fits the performers and characters well. Elixir is a great show from these three young men and hints at a promising future ahead.

Head First Acrobats will be performing Elixir in the Big Top at the Pleasure Garden at 7:15 pm every night until the 11th of February.
To buy tickets or fine more information visit the Fringe program here.

Two friends recount stories of the months leading up to a mutual friends (and ex-lover’s) wedding. Jimmy (Jeffrey Jay Fowler) struggles to get over his breakup with boyfriend Tim while trailing through Grindr hookups, guilt spirals, loneliness and self-doubt. Corgan (Chris Isaacs) is reminded of his romantic misfortune as he attempts to fill the space left by his soon to be married ex-girlfriend Tamara.

Jimmy’s exuberance and playfulness is intoxicating. Even as he launched into gritty and confronting stories Fowler kept the audience on-side. Though we lost some of Jimmy’s dialogue early on, rushing haphazardly through supposedly casual observations, he settled into the role quickly and was the clear crowd favourite throughout.

Corgan on the other hand is stiff, arrogant and plain. I expected to hate or love him but his generic obnoxiousness failed to make me feel either way. Isaacs’ portrayal of Corgan struck me as a little too safe and normal. An entitled twenty something with very little going for him but nothing to really turn me off, I would have liked to see more of the arrogance and hubris that Corgan’s story seemed to promise.

FAG/STAG is cleverly woven together. The breaks, emphasis and pause in the dialogue were well timed and the jokes well received. Imagery evocative of the night lives of these young men rung true and the audience was engaged from start to finish.

Use of space was breathtakingly simple and startlingly effective, though a clearer performative distinction between the characters passive and active listening would have strengthened staging decisions and the characters relationships early on.

Corgan and Jimmy’s relationship is an interesting one; their struggles are honest and endearing. Stumbling through life and love with Jimmy and Corgan is highly entertaining particularly as they explore a unique friendship, its pitfalls and its strengths. Crafted well and fabulously performed FAG/STAG is another great production from local company The Last Great Hunt.

FAG/STAG runs until Saturday 7th February.
You can buy tickets and find more information in the Fringe program here.
To find out more about this local company visit their website.

Every now and then a show arrives in Perth that is  breathtakingly superb. Boris & Sergey’s Vaudevillian Adventure is one of those shows. Join these Balkan brothers as they land in Perth for the first time and embark on a 19th century music hall inspired extravaganza.

The dexterity of these characters is truly amazing. Watch (and participate) as Boris and Sergey complete death defying feats, perform beautiful dance numbers, and conspire to swindle their captive audience. The raw charisma of these brothers is astounding, especially considering they come in at only one foot tall and are fully clad in leather.

Six adults in carnival garb manipulating two small puppets in a confined space sounds like a trainwreck waiting to happen. However, through all the high speed chases, dance routines, free falling and kung fu fighting, these masters of their craft are in total control. The synchronicity and poetry of motion is utterly enthralling; the wry humour and quick reactions of both teams make for hilarious moments of improvised  mid-action dialogue that truly brings these puppets to life.

Show highlights include: a fantastic rendition of ‘Wuthering Heights’, a hilarious interpretation of Hamlet, and a gaudy and altogether chaotic game of poker. A narrative emerges in the second half of the show and these two bickering brothers are united in their quest for survival; surely it cannot last?

With something for everyone, Boris & Sergey’s Vaudevillian Adventure is at times charming, dirty, clever, absurd, and all together wonderful. If you see only one show at Fringe this year see a Flabbergast Theatre show; they deserve it and so do you.

Boris & Sergey’s Vaudevillian Adventure has one more show tonight (31st January).

Flabbergast Theatre will also be performing Tatterdemalion from Jan 31st – Feb 8th. Tickets are available here.

Comedy
Presented by Objective Talent
The Noodle Palace
29th January
by Michael Nield

Critically acclaimed British comedian Alexis Dubus returns to Perth Fringe for the third time this year. Leaving his famed alter ego Marcel Lucont in the hotel room for an hour, Cars and Girls is certainly a departure from his previous style.

Dubus divulges stories about chipped teeth and broken hearts, student fundraisers and naked bike rides, hippies and truckers, all in the quest for love and meaning. Two things are revealed: Alexis knows very little about cars and girls, and his favourite ones are red.

An interesting artistic decision sees Alexis Dubus tell his tale in the form of a 55 minute poem. Rhyming couplets with inconsistent rhythm and a meter that is sometimes forced can make it difficult to follow at times. However, this narrative vehicle allows for some very clever plays on words, good puns, and a handful of truly beautiful moments of poignancy. The highlights of this performance are the hilarious impersonations and interpretations of the characters Alexis meets on his journey; his French truckers, American hippies and Chilean festival goers lend this tale a sense of humanity and curiosity which struck a cord with the small audience at the Noodle Palace.

Unfortunately for Alexis it seems that his meticulously crafted jokes failed to land consistently in the TAFE auditorium, perhaps because his visual aids and simple stage made it feel like an intellectual presentation. With that in mind, the personal photos, gritty stories told with love, striking imagery, simple use of light and sound, and a clever use of timing and pause make for a show that is both mesmerizing and captivating.

Cars and Girls has genuine and absurd qualities only afforded to talented traveling comedians. A witty voice with no remorse and no small gift for storytelling, Alexis Dubus – Cars and Girls is an adventure well worth the fare.

Alexis Dubus – Cars and Girls plays weekends at the Noodle Palace until Sunday the 7th February and then for one night on the 19th February at the Rectangle Room in Midland. For more information see the Fringe program here.

Barefaced Stories: Gala Edition is both unpredictable and utterly enthralling. Providing a rare glimpse into the elusive hearts and lives of Fringe performers from around the globe, this evening of overshares has something for everyone, and is sure to entertain even the staunchest of scrooges.

Last night was my first time experiencing Barefaced Stories (much like many other members of the audience), despite their hosting of storytelling events in Perth for five years. Their reputation had preceded them, so when I entered the tent I was ready, though for what I was not sure.

Andrea Gibbs and Kerry O’Sullivan (the producers and masterminds behind Barefaced Stories) MC the Gala Edition with confidence, flair and humour. Kerry was quick to explain that we would partake in a collection of true stories told by six Fringe performers: some sad, some happy, many funny, and all true.

With professionals at the helm, the stories were well crafted and engaging, though don’t mistake that craft for polish. Raw moments from real life, including awkward teen drama, physical malfunctions, and dangerous situations shed light on the more intimate moments that make up the artist’s personas. For 90 minutes the gold and red tent transformed into a private sitting room with friends. As the performers bared all, the audience was welcomed into the heart of Fringe and the lives of those on stage.

Quality storytellers and cheeky presenters make Barefaced Stories: Gala Edition a fantastic night out, as well as an awesome way to check out some of the great artists who perform at Fringe.

You can catch Barefaced Stories: Fringe World Gala Edition every Wednesday night through Fringe. Tickets are available here.

Australia Day is often characterised by barbecues, beaches and fireworks. However, if like me you sometimes struggle to face the hordes of Australian flag themed sunglasses, hats, bikinis and bogans, it is good to know that Fringe offers a fun alternative. At the weekend Fringe World and the Perth Cultural Centre played host to an eight hour free set by celebrated British DJ Norman Jay MBE and the Funk Club DJs. Revered as one of the best funk and soul DJs in the world, Norman Jay is renowned for bringing together myriad music styles, and for establishing the Notting Hill Carnival’s Good Times Sound System which attracts massive crowds every year.

Nestled in the Urban Orchard and described as ‘an afternoon of smooth summer tunes’ it was easy to see how Norman Jay could turn this laid back venue into an oasis of cool. While the wisdom of starting the beats at three o’clock is debatable at best, the scorching sun couldn’t keep revellers away for long, and by six o’clock the groovy tunes were drawing Perthites to the Urban Orchard en masse.

As the sun set the music lifted. The Funk Club DJs’ mixing and threading of classic pop and funky soul drew onlookers to the dance floor to bop and sway the afternoon away. Norman Jay took to the stage as the sun went down and the audience was in full swing. True to reputation Jay played plenty of funky soul and soulful funk, mixed with crowd favourites like Barry White and the Jackson Five, and (my personal favourite) an epic remix of Aretha Franklins ‘Respect’. A clever set crafted to keep the audience enthralled and dancing til they dropped, Norman Jay and the Funk Club DJs did an exemplary job of providing Perth audiences with a funky alternative this Australia Day.

The Urban Orchard was a beacon of Fringe this weekend, with Norman Jay and the Funk Club DJs the jewel in their funky, quirky crown.

Norman Jay played one show only in Perth on Monday 26th January.

For more information on other Fringe events visit the program here.

An abandoned house becomes an arena of life and death, complete with Hangman, Guess Who, and 20 Questions. 12 year old Dom must prove himself against Dee the mortician, with only his Lego collection and his shadow for aid.

Upon entering the theatre, the audience is made aware of another presence guarding, following, and playing in the space. The show begins with a beautifully crafted scene using puppets, shadows, and chaos. The rest of the play continues the theme, cleverly using light to set mood, develop story and signal changes in the reality the characters inhabit.

Solid performances from the whole cast draw the audience into an in-between place, where games rule and the future hangs in the balance. Standout moments from Dom draw the audience into his desperation, convincing us of the need to rescue his Dad from death. The games that make up this struggle are fun and engaging, though do little to express Dom’s growth and journey.

A captivating show that left me wanting more. Death Stole My Dad is interestingly crafted, lovingly executed and a delight to experience.

Death Stole My Dad runs until Sunday 25th January, and you can find tickets in the Fringe program.