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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
ATTACK OF THE KILLER G-STRINGS
Verdict: Nice touche, Satan
London - Canal Café Theatre - October 02
Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7.30 pm, 24 Sept to 12 October, £7 (£5 concessions) + £1 membership.
ATTACK OF THE KILLER G-STRINGS features Rosie Evans, Liz Felton, Jane Fletcher, Alison Paton in 9 comedy sketches, listed separately below. There are voice-overs too, by Peter Winnall. Performers are listed in alphabetical order apart from first sketch:
Eden Exposed Here's a new take on the creation story, which may rescue Religious Studies from the GCSE doldrums. God's a woman (the discoverers of Chaos Theory may have suspected this); Adam (Alison Paton)'s innocent (good news for the boys, more coming); The Fall came about from live lesbian action (sadly offstage) between Eve (Rosie Evans) and Satan.
That's right, The Devil, because the excellent news is that far from being a dull old geezer with hand-held prong, Satan (Jane Fletcher) is actually a sultry babe in something red and rather kinky - and eponymous G-string. True, she has a very large penis, but it's been deactivated by God (Liz Felton) and is worn more as a style accessory (a bit like the Pope's).
Satan gives the show immediate lift-off (at least for the boys) when she turns her back on the audience and shows that, as well as having all the best tunes, Beelzebub has a sensational bottom. The sketch implies Lucifer may have been the initial act of God's creation so, to translate for football fans, this is less of an Arsenal, more of a First Division. At last, a Fallen Angel who puts the fundament back into fun. Yes, Jane Fletcher's Satan may kick RS to the top of the National Curriculum.
Writer - Susan Haines
Cream Puff. Bet (Liz Felton) is keen to absorb cream puffs, and Abi (Jane Fletcher) keen to analyse this while both queue in a cafeteria. Waiting for a train, waiting for a cream puff - how do these relate to waiting for the right man? All is revealed. Writer - Chris Pitt.
Office Jargon. Jane (Rosie Evans) and Sarah (Alison Paton) answer phones and take the piss out of the clients. But this isn't just any old office... Writer - Gemma Rigg
Anyway. Angie (Rosie Evans), Candy (Liz Felton) and Brenda (Jane Fletcher) - in pink aprons and sucking lollies in an alluring way - talk about tongue-twisting sex. Writer - Lorraine McCann
Blue Bottles. Two red lights play on the backdrop, they're a couple of (possibly colour-blind) bluebottles fantasising about where to vomit (and that's the nicest bit) next. Don't eat during this one. Bluebottles Rache - Rosie Evans, and Suzy - Jane Fletcher. Writer - Gemma Rigg
Get Out Of My Head. This remarkable sketch features the voices inside us. Rosie Evans personifies Memory, Liz Felton portrays Emotion, Jane Fletcher does Logic, and Alison Paton embraces Lust; ('Insecurity's got the week off because we've lost 5 pounds'). Memory remembers sex, Logic wants to make sense of it, and Lust's up for anything (Logic: 'Why didn't you call me?'/Lust: 'I had my mouth full'). With Emotion wanting to take charge, what's the future for the shallow sexual experience? Writer - Chris Pitt
So, Anyway. Dee (Rosie Evans), Elaine (Jane Fletcher) and Frankie (Alison Paton) sit in dressing gowns and shower caps to dissect what Frankie can do as a star turn in the circus. If jumping a scooter over her sister's Fiat isn't sensational enough, what about Dangerous Eating?
Writer - Lorraine McCann
Just Two Fingers. It's the Chieveley Annual Fete and magnificent old trouts June (Liz Felton) and Miriam (Alison Paton) get progressively pissed ('Just two fingers (of gin) Miriam, I'm looking after the petty cash for the cake stall'). Audrey's Sloe Gin is discussed (June: 'Aphrodisiac'/Miriam: 'Really? I'm a martyr to flatulence'). Marge's ill-advised new fashion leggings are judged. Tracy Smyth's lack of a cleaner is tut-tutted at. Major Farnham's wife is disapproved of. Major Farnham himself is considerably admired. It's a gentle piece, sharply observed, and acutely acted by Liz Felton and Alison Paton. Writer - Joanne Marshall and Alison Paton
Let The Worms Go Free! The finale has the cast ensemble, and it's a fine sketch. Alison Paton is the host of a ghastly reality TV show ('We open the can and let the worms go free!'), in which the gross is normal. Jane Fletcher (Angry) is the blazing-mad daughter of Liz Felton (Guilty)'s guilty and infectious prostitute. Enter Rosie Evans as freak Julie who loves her husband after 7 years' marriage. It's hilarious, and chillingly predictive of, say, BBC next week. Writer - Chris Pitt
Big Brother voice-overs The show's interspersed with Peter Winnall's voice narrating increasingly worrying news of the surviving occupants of the Big Brother House.
ATTACK OF THE KILLER G-STRINGS
Rosie Evans, Liz Felton, Jane Fletcher, Alison Paton, are four gifted performers who present here a set of sharply-defined and acutely-observed looks at life. It's an inclusive humour which embraces men and women equally (sometimes literally). Nothing preachy, no gender politics, just very funny and perceptive writing acted to perfection. The actors work effortlessly together, while presenting quite separate characters.
As examples at random from each actor's performance: Rosie Evans's petite Eve and Julie, in the first and last sketches, exemplify her fine ability to portray opposite characters. Liz Felton's God is sufficiently definitive to prompt a new generation of Almighty statues, and Guilty (final sketch) is a superb piece of acting. Jane Fletcher's analytical Abi (in Cream Puff) is absolutely convincing and subtly funny; her Angry (in the last sketch) is quite alarming, fairly boiling in suppressed and actual fury, before her final revealing remark. Alison Paton makes a new model for Adam, and a really quite excellent Lust - putting sin back in fashion.
Sound effects and original music - Michael Murray. Music - Marty Bales at Mushroom Music. Lighting and sound - Rupert Lally and Jake Wiltshire. Publicity artwork - Richard Evans. Logo - Sharon Thornhill. Press photography - Eric Young. Printing - Century 23. Advisers - Liz Beresford, Daniel Brennan, Robert Eddison, Chris Pitt, Emma Taylor and Canal Café staff. Devised and directed by the the company. Company - Tickled Pink Theatre Co.
END
John Park
reviewed Canal Café Theatre / Wednesday 2 October 02
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
