(reviewed at Brighton Fringe Monday 11 May 09)

Janis is a spirit-swilling imagining of the last hour of the late, great Janis Joplin (1943-1970)'s life. Within the play, she reveals her inner truth regarding the sequence of her success. Despite great musical acclaim, she was shaken by the taunts and belittlement received from her friends and family in her youth. According to Nicola Haydn's Janis, she remains unable to escape these early-planted insecurities, and retains a sense of rejection until her death. But, God bless that gal, she did give it a good shot, through her voice and her veins.

The scene is elegantly set, a simple hotel room with a bed, a guitar, and many a feather boa. They reflect the true loves of Janis Joplin's life - sex, music and flamboyance. Janis applies layer after layer of fur and fussy accessories, until the person underneath is barely recognisable. In the light of her alienating youth, it's understandable why she may want it that way.

Brilliantly performed and written by Nicola Haydn, Janis has the style and in-your-face grace that Janis Joplin was famous for. But it retains a down-to-earth, open and honest sense of the legendary singer. There is no bullshit. Nicola Haydn's Janis speaks her mind, with energy and enthusiasm fitting for such a tribute. The words trickle from her tongue like a tragic tune, unveiling the real beauty behind the bolshy broad who so brilliantly sang the blues. After seeing this play, it's clear why she was so good at it.

Director Jeremy Pike creates a real sense of the singer's world, the commercial terrain in which this bigger-than-life personality was forced to exist. He draws an intense, swaggering physicality out of the character which matches her mood, and highlights the sad fact that she never felt accepted. Janis gives an insight into those melodious ones lost at age 27, and the reasons in their destructive rhymes. It's a beauty, as was the lady in question. Oh, and Nicola Haydn sings too, and she's pretty damn good.

Cast Credits: Nicola Haydn - Janis Joplin.

Company Credits: Writer - Nicola Haydn. Director - Jeremy Pike (aka Jez Pike). Lighting Designer - Geoff Hense. Sound Designer - Paul Drew. Technical Operator - Geoff Hense. Producer - Jeremy Pike (aka Jez Pike). Company - Otherplace Productions. Website - www.otherplaceproductions.co.uk.

END

(c) Tracy Keeling 2009

reviewed Monday 11 May 09 / Fletch@St Andrews, Brighton UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com