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drinks Monday 1 September 08 Edinburgh Reunion in London
Topping And Butch Hit Leicester Square 26-27 September 08
The Kilts
in
CHANGELING ROOMS 3
Verdict: Blissful entertainment in 8 playlets
Edinburgh - C Too - August 02
The Kilts (Changeling Theatre Co) are 6 actors performing 8 short dramas, listed separately below:
2 girls and 4 boys press against the back wall of the stage. They're in kilts, wear dark glasses. They come towards us, take off the shades. There's an opening routine, danced, with the recurring words 'I do this every day'. They're going to 'perform a scotch', or is that 'sketch'? They'll 'perfume a scotch', and there's more correction/corruption of words which somehow lead to ambience/St John's Ambulance.
Advice by Toby Davies. A man and woman argue about how to write a play. One'll give the other advice. 'I want to make it very clever'. There's a situation in mind: 'It's my birthday'. It'll be a 2-hander, 5 or 10 minutes long, modern or maybe very post-modern: 'theatre recognising it's theatre'. But how to end? Murder the other character? No ('passé, a bit'). What about Albi?
Crunchie by Toby Davies. Two girls wander in a cemetery reading the inscriptions of tomb-stones. 'Emily Lawrence died', says one, and there are euphemisms for death: 'Passed away, taken away'. 'Do you think David fancies me? He gave me half his Crunchie on the bus'. It's promising, but he ignored her for a week. It's not fair that some graves have flowers, and others are forgotten. 'I want to share the flowers out'. And they do. There's a Crunchie closer - a crisp denouement?
Pea by Toby Davies. Two men make vegetable enquiries: 'What do you want to be when you grow up?'/'A pea'. Or a carrot, but a carrot can get sliced by a potato peeler or knife. 'I knew a radish ... ravished by a courgette'. 'Bastard'. 'Do you like Radiohead?' 'Why haven't you got any ears?' 'Peas Off'. 'Only trying to make pea-like conversation'.
Abso-bloody-lutely by Toby Davies. Two men are vigorous in the gym. Yes, they're manly. They're bare-chested and hearty: 'Abso-bloody-lutely'. A chance enquiry from one to the other about 'the wife, the ball and chain, trouble and strife', complete with humping gestures, tips the other into rigorous self-analysis. 'The very thought plunges me into self-denial'. He needs 'just to get through one more day ... that's how she is ... as if a bicycle-pump was sucking the life-force out of me'. Cue for mutual sports-drink drinking. Cue advanced male bonding, just short of buggery.
Damian (or Dave) by Neil Carter. 'I'm Damian. Dave is my real name'. Does 'Damian' need help? Scuttling on all fours, yelping? 'Bartholemew. That's not my name ... a sick fantasy' that involves a Bartholemew, cutting up, and putting down a drain. 'I get so lonely'. All the while, another man's trying to make coffee. 'Somehow, that doesn't surprise me'.
Lies by Tim Arthur. A man and woman chat each other up over the net. On stage they're at either end, not seeing each other, working keyboards. She's found him by clicking his profile. He's trying to anticipate what she wants him to say, the person she wants him to be. Favourite colour? Actor: Marlon Brando? Music. Hmm. Can he risk I'm Just a Teenage Dirtbag, Baby? Or must it be jazz? Too boring? '6'-2" blond who eats well, who'd have thought we had so much in common?' Now, what about a shag?
You Barstard by Neil Carter. Two men. A suitcase is packed. 'Bella? ... she can have you all to herself'. 'What time's he coming for you?' / 'Half two' / 'He's here' / 'Want me to come with you?' / 'I'll be all right'. But is it all quite what it seems?
Snoop by Toby Davies. The central drama in this effective closing sketch occurs between a man and a woman - their relationship is at its end, and he's read her private letters. It's enacted by the whole cast, in a finely-choreographed performance.
There are outstanding performances throughout by each of the cast. Phil Andrews is consistently excellent, a real delight to watch. Robbie Humphries shows a gifted range, and delivers an especially powerful performance in the gay sketch - a technically demanding character.
Gareth Kane is superb in each of his roles, very funny in Pea, penetrating (but not penetrative) in Abso-bloody-lutely, horribly cruel in You Barstard, and strong with pathos in Snoop. Louise Niven is subtle, convincing and moves with an impish elegance; she brings authority to her characterisation.
Petite Natalie Mitchell, here with unmistakable pink hair, shows that touch of understatement that most convincingly brings a complex role to life; she's very funny, too. Paul Parris - the one who was 'not Damian' - shows a light comic touch, a fine actor. This high-quality cast is the foundation of the show - a blissful entertainment.
Cast (alpha order): Phil Andrews, Robbie Humphries, Gareth Kane, Natalie Mitchell, Louise Niven, Paul Parris.
CHANGELING ROOMS 3 is a collection of eight short plays picked each night by the audience, at the start of the show, from the company's repertoire of 27. The programme gives the title of each, and a 2-line summary to assist choice. The plays above were those performed on this particular night. The full repertoire is listed below:
Writers (in alpha order) and their plays:
Tim Arthur: Lies. Nikki Atkin-Reeves: BIV, Snatch, Spy.
Neil Carter: Damian (or Dave), Hospitality, You Barstard.
Kate Chapman: Pram, Slab. Toby Davies:
Abso-bloody-lutely, Advice, Apple, Concert, Crunchie, Five,
Guy and Tony, Loss, Lozenge, Not your 10p Sun!, One Good Thing,
Pea, Piggy, Selling, Snoop, Typos. Oliver Emmanuel:
On the Edge, Waiters.
Company credits: Director - Rob Forknall. Lights and sound - Johnathan Fowler. Graphic Design - Michael Yeowell Design. Company - The Changeling Theatre Company.
END
John Park
reviewed Sunday 25 August 02 / C Too - St Columba's by the Castle
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
