The Blanch by a band of 'bouffon' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouffon) clowns is a caricature of shopping, devised through improvisations based on real-life observations at the Blanchardstown Centre, a major suburban shopping centre in west Dublin.

The clowns are all padded under their clothes to look like grotesque and misshapen individuals. While two concentrate on sound effects with drums and a variety of instruments, three play a range of characters including: a middle-class couple, a criminal-underclass couple, a couple from the countryside, greedy shop assistants, psychotic security guards, hormonal teenagers.

The result is like the Addams Family (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family) taking over the shopping centre, with all of the rituals of shopping exaggerated and satirised. Typical motions - typing a credit-card personal identity number, looking through a clothes-rail, using an escalator - are repeated, then turned into an impressionistic version of the action - just as misshapen as the characters - often ending up as a musical routine. At one point, the electronic noises of of a closed-circuit TV security camera form a version of the Irish national anthem.

The result is a very funny look at a familiar activity which it won't be easy to look at in the same way again. The intention to satirise the craze to consume which was part of the recent Irish boom period is clear, but the bizarre characters and stylised actions ensure that it mostly steers clear of overly-political comment - which makes the statement all the more powerful. The only exception is one short sketch, where recent Irish economic history is told with the aid of a small Smiley symbol.

The three principal performers (Bryan Burroughs, Amy Conroy, Jaimie Carswell, L-R photograph) show huge amounts of energy and commitment, with no faltering in the grotesque characters they choose. The basic 'bouffon' personality of each acts as a bridge between character switches, so there is no dead air between characters - and there is always something funny going on. The Blanch is a strong anti-consumerist statement which is also highly entertaining from start to finish, with plenty touches of surreal and black humour.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Bryan Burroughs. Jaimie Carswell. Jack Cawley. Amy Conroy. Kim Porcelli.

Company Credits: Graphic Design - Jerry Dwyer. Devisers - Ciarán Taylor with the company. Director - Ciarán Taylor. Lighting Designer - Jack Cawley. Sound Designer - Jack Cawley. Technical Operator - uncredited. Costumes - Miriam Duffy. Stage-Manager - Roisín Coyle. Make-up - Mona Sweeney. Publicity - Hayley Reynolds. Photography - Emma Haugh. Producer - uncredited. Company - Carpet Theatre (formerly BDNC Theatre). Carpet Theatre: Artistic Director - Ciarán Taylor. Administrator - Lisa Murphy. Company note: show not suitable for children.

END

(c) Colman Higgins 2009

reviewed Saturday 12 September 09 / Filmbase, Dublin, Ireland

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com