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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Hazmat & Me
Verdict: Post-apocalyptic tragic-comedy
London - Blue Elephant Theatre – 03-14 October 06 – 20:00 (1:10)
The main character (Matt Hill) in Hazmat & Me is a scientist and lonely apocalypse-survivor. He drags himself through sham normality - holding a birthday party with nothing but a creaky gramophone for company. Although performed with great humour, it is a heartbreaking scene - made more so by his resigned air of tired routine.
He is surrounded by a fascinatingly intricate set. It's a collection of salvaged 1930’s bric-a-brac, patched ingeniously into a brave parody of home-comfort - complete with bicycle-powered reading lamp, and leaking foot-pump-driven stand pipe. It feels as if the scientist has spent years building this carefully-made shadow of happier days.
Just as he is ready give up on his defiance, things turn on their head with the arrival of Hazmat (Ed Birch) - a mysterious 8-foot, lemon-yellow radiation suit.
The silent boiler-suit and shrilly animated scientist run into frequent incidents of comedic miscommunication. But ultimately they are drawn together by their shared loneliness. It becomes a charmingly quirky (and heart-warming) platonic love story. Both actors are adept at balancing humour with pathos, and succeed in communicating a huge amount with a very minimalist script.
The unique atmosphere of the play is complimented by an other-worldly soundtrack - performed live by Anton Maiof - full of hissing static and echoing metallic noise.
Cast Credits: Actors (alpha order): Ed Birch. Matt Hill. Musician: Anton Maiof.
Company Credits: Devised by - Matt Hill, Richard Kingdom, Ged Matthews. Blue Elephant production directed by - Ged Matthews. Original direction and design by - Richard Kingdom. Composer - Anton Maiof. Score performed by - Daniel Bennett, Anton Maiof. Structural Engineer - John Kingdom. Lighting Designer - Nick Sharp. Slide show and additional design by - Paul Cochrane. Photographer - Caroline Marks. Website - www.demonstrate.org.uk
END
(c) Jenny Diggins 2006
reviewed Thursday 5 October 06 / Blue Elephant
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
