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MOST POPULAR LINKS... FRONT PAGE... MONTHLY DRINKS NIGHT
Ealing Live!
Verdict: Risky, edgy, funny.
London - Ealing Studios - Sep/Dec 03
George Green lives in a Hillman Hunter outside his soon-to-be ex-wife's house across Ealing Common. Tonight he's hosting Ealing Live, helped by polar bear Paula Bear, and Mike from Timpsons Shoe Repairs. George is a stranger to fashion, but adept with coloured sparklers.
They're all creations of Ealing Live's engaging, welcoming and delightful MC Simon Farnaby, compering a well-directed (by Jamie Minoprio) night of warm and funny character comedy from a core cast of leading comedians and guests.
Ed Wellesley-Smith (Ben Willbond)'s on £160k plus commission at merchant bankers Coopers. Off-duty he's based at 'Albarony's' in Fulham ('You probably know it as All Bar One'). Ben Willbond is also Major Hugh Roper, the army's latest ploy to guarantee enlistment, especially among minorities. Major Hugh's energetic press-ups reveal some unresolved issues from childhood. Ben Willbond's characterisations get to the centre of stereotypes, inhabit them, and subvert them to devastating effect. Mesmeric.
Adorable Lizzie Roper is Lady Agatha Bagshawe from her Edinburgh 03 show Through My Keyhole. Lady Agatha's a distinctly batty old aristocrat, with Zimmer frame, who thinks we're all family and reads her will. It's a cue for some startlingly perceptive humour on generational relationships and those indomitable elderly terrors every family tries to hide away.
Justin Edwards delivers two performances of Jeremy Lion: Children's Entertainer. Tonight he updates Aled Jones's Snowman theme, combining it with a graphic education in biology; and demonstrates ventriloquism with his unusual turkey-dinner dummy - Lord Sebastian The Aristocratic Turkey. Gifted actor Justin Edwards creates in Jeremy Lion a magnificent character, breathing and belching depravity (and fumes of Special Brew), while sharing the magic of his world as a bringer of joy - and unusual education - to today's generation of spell-bound kiddies.
Gareth Tunley & Philip Brodie received a Fringe Report Award 03 for their work as The Legendary Polowski . Tonight these two remarkably gifted comic actors deliver a couple of fine individual performances.
Philip Brodie introduces a risky new character, catholic priest Fr Steve Fraser. Fr Steve's been converted in prison. He's turned his back on buggery and been drawn into the bosom of the church - though Fr Steve's more immediately interested in the bosoms of the audience. Slipping constantly between the wide-boy East-End vocabulary of his past, and the call of Rome of his present and future, Fr Steve's a million miles from Fr Brown, and a much-needed antidote to Fr Ted.
Highlight of the evening is Gareth Tunley's tour de force as Dr Julian Voom. Dr Julian's tool is speech, especially the speech (and tools) of young men, in whom he's more than professionally interested. In his bouffant blond wig and huge red glasses, Dr Julian cuts a startling figure. He's the voice coach behind Ralph Fiennes, (and solves the mystery of how to pronounce his name). 'Do you have snatch?' he asks a woman in the audience. 'Do you like snatch?' he asks a man. But it's Snatch he's after, being the voice coach of 'young Bradley Pitt'. Simply - magnificent.
Hopkins & Glover present two delightful sketches. CopyCat introduces two characters who can't avoid speaking exactly the same words. It's technically extraordinarily clever, more importantly it's blissfully funny. In The Colonel and Rawlings (respectively John Hopkins, the taller actor - and Richard Glover), the Colonel has a rotating arm; and Rawlings an ingenious solution. These two inspired comedians create a radically different area of comedy that is entirely their own, and warmly inviting.
Tom Meeten introduces enthusiastic white-suited-stripping-off-to-black-catsuit Mervyn Davies in Flight Of The Pixies. Steve Oram presents East-End breakdancing Brian, who has difficulties with the truth, and a good though silent mate in Paul (Gareth Tunley). Oram & Meeten present two of the most unusual players from women's tennis - Joan Chapman & Carol Flanaghan (respectively Steve Oram and Tom Meeten). What's odd about them? Well - they're men. They're moustached lads from Bradford down to register at Wimbledon, observing the warmth of London people, and the down-to-earthness of (former Spice Girl) Mel C. Oram and Meeten play joyfully with the thin surface-layer of reality, stretching it (imperceptibly) well beyond the possible. Glorious.
Ealing Live! is that rare construct, a well put-together night of entertainment. By no means does that imply that it's safe - there's some extremely risky, edgy stuff in tonight's bill, and each of these performers knows how to put more than a tiptoe into the red zone. But it does mean that it's funny. Progressive comedy funny? Whatever next?
The Audience tonight includes gorgeous stand-up Ava Vidal, actors Lucy Middleweek and Elisa, PR Johanna Martin and Denise, and director Jamie Minoprio.
Cast Credits (alpha order): MC - Simon Farnaby (George Green, Paula Bear). Philip Brodie (Fr Steve Fraser), Justin Edwards (Jeremy Lion), Richard Glover (CopyCat Speaker, Rawlings), John Hopkins (CopyCat Speaker (taller actor), The Colonel), Tom Meeten (Carol Flanaghan, Mervyn Davies), Steve Oram (Joan Chapman, Brian), Lizzie Roper (Lady Agatha Bagshawe), Gareth Tunley (Paul, Professor Julian Voom), Ben Willbond (Ed Wellesley-Smith from Fulham, Major Hugh Roper).
Ealing Studio Credits: Rob Moore, Head of Comedy. Jamie Minoprio - Ealing Live! Director. Archive and Stills Filming - Peter Ralph (Oval Pictures Ltd, and Chair - London Media Network). James Morgan - Technical Manager. Holly Lucas - Door. Johanna Martin - Public Relations.
END
John Park
reviewed Thursday 18 September 03 / Ealing Studios
Links Fringe Report is always happy to append web links relating to artistes and others involved in the relevant show - let us know. Web links for this show include:
The Legendary Polowski www.polowski.co.uk
Lizzie Roper www.lizzieroper.com
London Media Network www.londonmedianetwork.co.uk
Johanna Martin PR www.johannamartin.com
(c) Fringe Report 2003
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2010
www.fringereport.com
