home
|
about
|
news
|
contents
|
gossip
|
photographs
|
venues
|
brighton
|
dublin
|
edinburgh
|
film
|
features
|
interviews
|
awards
|
fashion
|
recipes
|
drinks Monday 6 July 09
|
newsletter
|
links
|
contact
THE TREASON SHOW
Verdict: Satire with a diamond bit
Edinburgh - Pleasance Dome - August 02
THE TREASON SHOW (TS) are four actors - and a gifted musician and technical crew who try to keep up with them.
Highlight of tonight's show is undoubtedly the TS version of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins's stomach-churning '9-11' tribute at the Edinburgh Fringe. The difficulty with such a topic is found in the Official Fringe site's interview with the couple (links at foot of page). When people so effectively satirise themselves, what can be done?
The answer, of course, is to have them find hidden references to New York's most famous day in readings of ScotRail timetables and the ingredient lables of mayonnaise jars. And the bonus clause in their contracts.
Mark Brailsford, Mark Katz, Carol Kentish, Kate Van Dike take a timely swipe - via a beautifully sung and rewritten version of Elvis's Little Less Conversation - at new Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. They use that combination of wit and knob gags (cue 'bash the bishop') that pack TS houses at Brighton's Komedia. Mark Katz as Tony Blair continues prayerfully with his new version of the Lord's Prayer: 'Al Queda, who art in hiding ... '.
Kentish and Van Dike as a career officer and Gordon Brown's mother, plan a future for the little lad. There's a new version, ensemble, of 'Oh Kabul!' as the leaders of the free world plot their return to bombing Baghdad. Then Chris Tarrant's on the phone for questions up to £100 to Kate Van Dike's Posh to help out poor David Beckham: 'What letter comes after A?'
Katz's Paxman interrogates Brailsford's Charles Kennedy about his drinking habits. Kentish is a despairing woman trying to get the ambulance service to attend her dying husband. The cast handle a sublime version of 'All of Me' ensemble, changed to 'Vote BNP' - cleverly written and superbly sung. President Bush (Katz in dunce's cap with Van Dike as assistant) gives a faltering speech about The War Against Terrorism (TWAT), thanking King Tony Blair of Engerland, and President Jacky Chirac of Disneyland Paris.
The whole cast, as Davina McCall and her victims Helga, Mohammed and Pierre do a hilarious new Davina vehicle, Microwave Madness. Kentish is on as Carol Smiley in Palestine, interviewing a bewildered Palestinian (Brailsford) in the ruins of his Israeli-destroyed house, about his home-improvement plans. Van Dike leads on guitar with 'Stuck in the Middle-East feud'.
The Treason Show was founded on treason, so the Queen, God Bless Her, is never far away. Her eulogy to her late mother is interrupted by a call from Tarrant to help out Prince Philip on the show ('What did Botham say when he broke his bat?' 'Oh yes, I know that one: thank God the old bat's gone'). George Best celebrates his new liver to the tune of Moon River.
The four - padded up - do a fine and sensitive homage to fast-food in the US ('We're The Pigs in America'). There's a fast-paced auction among journalists for which story will make the news, aimed to contradict allegations of dumbing-down. David Blunkett's on with a dog (Scooby Doo - Brailsford) handling the question of drugs.
Kentish and Van Dike play customer service telephonists debating world politics from the Middle East ('There's no way I'd go to a Pizza Hut in Tel Aviv') to Sierra Leone, while keeping the punters on hold. Brailsford sings 'My Way' with Tourette outbursts, reserving his worst expletive to the end ('Nicholas Parsons!'). Katz and Kentish cover Ian Duncan Smith's plans to become a woman to appeal to minorities. Kentish plays Kirsty Wark, keen to force Brailsford's sceptical scientist Professor Herbert Plumley to speculate on the causes of a disaster.
Katz does a partial striptease as George W Bush / Superman, backed by Kentish and Van Dike and accompanied on guitar by Brailsford, in 'I Want to Bomb Iraq Today'. There's a look at Del Boy's deadly crack deals. We see Louis Theroux (Katz) with W's best friend (Brailsford) in 'When Louis Met Saddam'.
Her Majesty is on for a hilarious Ali G spoof rap. June Whitfield (Van Dike) satirises her insurance commercial. Brailsford's Osama Bin Laden thinks he's got away with it, but Tarrant gets him on his mobile phone. Jack Straw ponders what to do with his ethical foreign policy now he's selling F16s to the Israelis. As the finale, the cast come together for a cleverly-written attack on Friends Reunited, featuring the couple you'd never want to meet again.
The Treason Show brings together lively, topical, hard-hitting political and satirical writing (with knob gags) from consistently excellent writers, with four remarkably gifted comedy actors. It points at big targets, and deflates them wittily. Perhaps equally important, it's a genuinely funny show.
Cast - Mark Brailsford, Mark Katz, Carol Kentish, Kate Van Dike.
The Treason Show works with a team of about 30 writers. Those involved in the Edinburgh show include: (alpha order) Martin Baum, Marc Blakewill, Mark Brailsford, Jonathan Cash, John Cowen, Barry Dunstall, James Harris, Mark Hudson, Paul Jones, Mark Katz, Carol Kentish, Graham Lipscomb, Gordon Lee, Anthony 'Lou' Macari, Josie Melia, Val Mellors, Simon Ounsworth, John Random, Jason Smart, Mike Tier, Tanya Tier, Kate Van Dike, Alison Whitlock, Jake Wilson, Ron Winkworth.
Musical director - Graham Lipscomb. Technical stage manager - Dave Blake. Komedia technician - Martin Chandler. Script editor - David Seidel. Artistic director - Mark Brailsford. Production - Cackophonics Productions and Komedia.
END
John Park
reviewed Friday 23 August 02 / Pleasance Dome
(c) Fringe Report 2002
Official Edinburgh Fringe Site interview:
or search Official Site with interview title:
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2009
www.fringereport.com
