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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Bad Play 3
Verdict: Bad acting, worse theatre
Bad Play 3 is a 60-minute class in bad acting and worse theatre from The Trap.
It's set in 3005. It parodies The Da Vinci Code (body at odd angles, clues of terrible anagrams), Lord of The Rings, a string of sci-fi epics, and Michael Jackson's Earth Song.
The action starts underground in a polythene-mine. There are (awful, unsynchronised) sound-effects, and sensitive writing ('He who is not with us is against us. And probably a cunt'). It's loaded with double-entendres. There's an impressive working radio-controlled flying saucer; puppets; small prop devices.
Dan Mersh is Milton, The Chosen One. Paul Litchfield is Yave, a seer; Zar, of the Chav Tribe who live in the village of Burberry; a camp robot. Paul Limb is editor Cal, in loin cloth. Each actor plays many other roles as a time-machine moves the action from 100 years in the future to the present.
There are snipes at the terrorism laws, ASBOs, politics (Prime Ministers Blair v Thatcher), loss of contact lenses and antlers, a brain in glass. A woman in the audience leaves ('Not my sort of thing' / 'I think she works for Three Weeks').
There are knob gags, the c-word, and (for any Calvinists counting) the s-word too. And there's no message. Bliss.
Credits: The Trap, who are: (alpha order) Jeremy Limb, Paul Litchfield, Dan Mersh. Technicals - Venue Staff. Written and directed by The Trap. Company - It's Alright For Some (Directors - Zena Barrie, Michelle Flower).
END
John Park
reviewed Wednesday 10 August 05 / C Chambers Street
thanks to Tom Hopgood (who knew about Lord of The Rings and Earth Song)
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
