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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
The Fabulist
Verdict: Delightful and funny fable
London - Old Red Lion - 21 Nov to 9 Dec 06 – Tues-Sat - 19:30 (01:00)
This original, sharp farce takes place at Tuffin’s, an East London department store. There’s a nightmare customer (Joanna Mays), store inspector (Tessa Churchard), beautician (Rosie Wilkinson), general manager Tuffin (Paul Reynolds) - and mysterious Mr Bartlett (Paul Goodwin), who doesn’t appear in staff files.
Writer Tim Whitnall’s world is of exaggerated manner, with no-one and nothing what they seem. His dialogue is crisp, funny and enormously entertaining, often veering towards the absurd. Director Howard Ward certainly relishes the feigned and fictitious, although it could be wise to reign in some of the performances - which can at times go way beyond the exaggerated and therefore, sadly, beyond belief.
Paul Goodwin - as the fabulist employed to take on the role of fall-guy when things go disastrously wrong in departmental dealings - gives a truthful and moving performance. His various guises demonstrate a versatility and comic skill which is both honest and believable. Paul Reynolds excels as Tuffin, hilarious yet endearing.
So it is a shame that Howard Ward encourages the other actors to perform to the ridiculous, which neither suits the genre nor the underlying black humour which is Tim Whitnall 's brilliance. The script's words are clever enough for an audience to question the human condition and all its flaws, without sending up the other actors to little more than inflated cartoon characters. Despite this, The Fabulist is a delightful and funny fable.
Cast Credits: (alpha order): Tessa Churchard - Susan Armstrong. Paul Goodwin - Mr Bartlett. Joanna Mays - Madam. Paul Reynolds - Elliott Tuffin. Rosie Wilkinson - Twinkle. Voice of Buphinder - Manju Malhi. Special participation of Fenella Fielding.
Company Credits: Writer - Tim Whitnall. Director - Howard Ward. Set Designer - Eileen Diss. Set Build - Graham Reid & Andre Notley. Costume Design - Dany Everett. Technical Manager - Andy Tandy. Sound Design - Jonathan Cook at Hobsons & J P Orr at The Showreel. Stage Management - Susan Welch & Debb Suggit. Graphic Design - Alan Reinl. Production Photographer - Simon Reilly. Press and Marketing - Jenny Eldridge at Guy Chapman Associates. Producer - Anna Murphy for Feather Productions Ltd. Company - Feather Productions. Website - www.featherproductions.com. Artistic Director Old Red Lion – Helen Devine.
END
(c) Mike Miller 2006
reviewed Thursday 23 November 2006 / Old Red Lion
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
