John Hinton, Tangram Theatre and Holden Street Theatres. Holden Street Theatres - The Arch. 28 Feb 2018
This is the fourth year that science entertainer and Brit, John Hinton has contributed to making Holden Street Theatres the place to be during the Fringe. Previously, he performed a single show of the Scientrilogy each year, but this time, he is presenting all three. The trilogy comprises: The Element in the Room (concerning Marie Curie, the co-discoverer of radium), Albert Einstein: Relatively Speaking, and this one, Origin of Species... (Charles Darwin's theory of evolution). In each, the main character is the famous scientist him/herself.
Hinton doesn't delve deep into the science, although he could, as his shows are reviewed by relevant scientists for accuracy. He makes science fun, so it's a great show for the adolescents who are designing their own rockets or reading about dinosaurs, or mucking about with the microscope. The excitement of discovery, studious observation, curiosity and fascination with the natural world, and by the way, perseverance and hard work, are the driving scientific themes, and they are beautifully conveyed with Hinton's highly accomplished comic acting and characterisations, lots of movement with audience participation and little ditties (some are littler than others). His Darwin dons a full beard and speaks to us personally from his study anxious that a colleague is about to publish a theory of evolution similar to his. Unlike some stuffy bios that are strictly chronological, Hinton weaves a narrative with time shifts, twists, surprises and diversions. The school kids at the show I was at loved it, as did everyone else.
Whether you're a fan of these historical figures of science, or just seek great entertainment, Hinton has the shows for you. Bravo!
David Grybowski
5 stars
When: 13 Feb to 15 Mar
Where: Holden Street Theatres - The Arch
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
Andrew Kay and Associates Pty Ltd. The Flamingo, Gluttony. 28 Feb 2018
Not religious? Well don’t let that put you off seeing this high-energy display of joy and unbridled happiness that is completely infectious. You’ll leave with an aching face because you smiled so much.
The show is non-stop singing in a range of African languages, and some English, with a loose narrative that honours the life of the late and great Nelson Mandela. That most of the songs are not in English adds to the enjoyment – once is forced to concentrate on the hypnotic rhythms that are set by the African drumming and picked up by the chorus through their almost perfectly synchronised body movement and hand clapping. One also concentrates on the perfect and heartfelt smiles as the beautifully harmonised singing washes and soothes and then excites your inner being.
The show finished with Soweto’s take on the iconic Leonard Cohen secular hymn ‘Hallelujah’, and why not – there are scores and scores of various versions. Canadian singer k.d. lang famously once quipped she thought the song was about the “struggle between having human desire and searching for spiritual wisdom” which juxtaposes ‘Hallelujah’ nicely with an earlier song in the concert that was a humorous take on the eternal struggle of boy chasing girl and vice-versa.
A key message throughout the performance was that one’s present circumstances do not define one’s capabilities. There is always hope and a way forward, as Mandela himself showed.
This is a totally feel-good show from a group that was a hit at last year’s Fringe and deserves to be again this year.
Kym Clayton
4.5 stars
When: 28 Feb to 18 Mar
Where: The Flamingo, Gluttony
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
Adelaide Festival. State Theatre Company SA. Odeon Theatre. 28 Feb 2018
It’s not #metoo but #methree who find their way into the inner sanctum of the football club.
State Theatre tackles the issue of the day in a stark and brutal style. It is staged on a shimmering layer of water with extraordinary water-feature backdrops like a vast wet dream. But it’s a wet nightmare and it imprints on the mind, indelibly one suspects.
As a play, this Patricia Cornelius work comes at a slow, ominous pace. Three women each have turns on centre stage to deliver extensive soliloquies about who they are and where they lie in the socio-sexual world order. One is the sad team slag, one the would-be vamp and the other the innocent romantic.
The footballers are revealed, three of them, mean-spirited, privileged pack creatures. And thus do the interactions evolve between the three sorts of female and the three team players. It ain’t a pretty picture.
It has been going on and on for decades, the tales of sexed-up sports stars behind closed doors and the vapid girls whose adulation makes them easy marks. Cornelius pulls no punches. Yet, the action is set sparsely on the gleaming expanse of water. Black and white predominate. There is only restrained violence. There is no graphic sex. But, the impact is intense.
As for the aesthetic: this is one of those cases where the set is the star. Geoff Cobham and Chris Petridis have created a marvel of water engineering and playing light. Sometimes a stark photo realism effect brings images to super crispness. Sometimes, the theatre explodes in a wall of lightning storm. Sometimes it just showers torrents of soft spray. Sometimes there are just rippling lights in blackness.
One cannot call this an enjoyable night at the theatre. It feels long and it is unashamedly depressing. And yet, with Geordie Brookman directing and the cast of Rachel Burke, Miranda Daughtry, Anna Steen, Rashidi Edward, Dale March and Nathan O’Keefe, it most definitely rewards as spectacular high art.
Samela Harris
When: 28 Feb to 18 Mar
Where: The Odeon Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au
Gordon Southern. Holden Street Theatres. 28 Feb 2018
Learn Chinese. Now. Learn Chinese.
Thus spake Gordon Southern to his audience of young and old, his first audience at Holden Street which happened to include a goodly class of students.
He acknowledged several times that some of the history references he was about to make in his comic monologue were before they were born as if it was not expected that the young should have to know about such old things. This was the nearest Southern came to making a mistake in his show. Except, perhaps, for not explaining what exactly the Millennial Bug was and why.
In every other way, this is a performer who makes an hour skate past in a trice. He is a performer who leaves one wanting more. Heaven help him. He’s given a lot. He’s given the heart and soul of his own life and the fastest and most furious history lesson under the Southern sun.
The high-energy chronology begins at 1989 with the symbolism and optimism of the downing of the Berlin Wall and contrastingly in the same year, the Tiananmen Square Massacre otherwise known as the "Tiananmen Square incident.”
“Learn Chinese, young people,” quoth Southern.
He races on through the end of Apartheid, the invention of the WWW, Waco, the Brixton Riots… Darting about the stage, occasionally pausing at the lectern to look at his notes or having a gulp of water, he machine guns facts and commentaries, throws editorial asides and meaningful glances.
Somehow, he gives his often terrible narratives in an almost cartoonish quality. Trump cops servings from several directions, ever the fascination with his little hands.
Oh, he has a very good Trump “fake” line which must be heard from the comic’s mouth. Not from a review. Among the flying facts is the beginning of Fox News in 1994. Fox gets a good going-over.
Why he lumps Hillary Clinton in with Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby is a bit mystifying.
But oh, what a bad day was November 8, 2016. Yes, 2016 was a very bad year.
Brexit and Trump and much more.
If he could go back and change anything, it would be to make sure his friends voted.
To top of the brilliance of the show, the man delivers a 30-second history of US wars a la Gilbert & Sullivan.
Yep. The facts are dark. But, dammit, the show is fun.
Samela Harris
4.5 stars
When: 28 Feb to 18 Mar
Where: Holden Street Theatres
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
Vogue Music. Bebe’s Room. 23 Feb 2018
While Beyond The Sea – A Tribute to Bobby Darin & the Crooners is very entertaining it is clear that more rehearsals would’ve been helpful.
Melbourne’s Paul Hogan – no, not that Paul Hogan – performs some of the best-known crooner classics to a packed house at Bebe’s Room. There are no musicians behind him, though. Instead, Hogan has some quality backing tracks and makes amusing references to his “band” throughout the show – it wanes over the evening.
The first half of the show is good. Hogan has a Robbie Williams-like voice which is pleasant to the ear. Unfortunately, it makes the show seem more like a Robbie Williams impersonation than a tribute to Bobby Darin.
After interval, Hogan returns to the stage to sing more upbeat numbers including the popular Sway as well as Darin’s classic Splish Splash. The show faces an awkward moment when Hogan turns his attention to one of Darin’s lesser-known ‘country’ numbers; within moments it becomes clear Hogan has forgotten the words and in an attempt to move on he quickly returns to the upbeat songs.
The unfazed audience seem to enjoy themselves nonetheless; perhaps due to the flowing beer and wine on many of the tables. There is much singing along and groovers take to the dance floor at every opportunity to bust a move.
Hogan finishes the night with the Frank Sinatra classic New York, New York. He is joined by a large kick-line of audience members which makes for an entertaining end to an otherwise average show.
Beyond The Sea has the potential to be fantastic, but despite the audience's apparent enjoyment, it misses the mark.
Alex Bond
2 stars
When: 23 Feb
Where: Bebe’s Room
Bookings: Closed