As Sandrine Lafond tears out her own innards and begins to lick them, we know that we’re in for a weird and wonderful experience. Grotesque and delightful, Little Lady illuminates the experience of biological maturation that is universally undergone but easily forgotten. This play is an opening onto the alien desires and anxieties of a wordless, changing woman. Lafond is an incredible physical performer; never have I seen someone develop such an intimate relationship with their own toes. Lafond’s character wrestles with the rapid growth of body parts that weren’t there before, twisting and turning to fit into her new skin. Hers is the painful metamorphosis from child to adult but communicated in such a way that we can see its physical and psychological strangeness.
Review by Alessandro Marcon
55 minutes / Solo / Storytelling / R
If one is unable to fathom just how intimate a relationship can be between a man and dog, John Grady’s play Fear Factor: Canine Edition might prove illuminating. It’s the story of a man and his love for his pooch. Aware of the over-used cliché [...]
According to his website, Tony Molesworth has been doing comedy, including standup comedy, for over 25 years. He’s certainly got a lot of material, and delivers it at a good clip. He plays the banjo, composes little ditties, juggles, and has a CV full of recognizable gigs such as The Magic Castle, Disney World, The Sands and Caesar’s in Atlantic City.
I imagine that with some workshopping this script could be very good. In fact, despite the rough start, the middle of the play did grab my attention. As the siblings reveal their sordid past and the things they lived through, I found myself wanting to find out more. I became much more invested in the back stories of the characters. The premise was almost enough for me to ignore the other flaws in the production. Sadly, this investment is lost in the final moments where the script just goes a little too crazy and has a fairly implausible ending.
Breaking Rank is a fascinating story, told with detail that could only be captured by a man who was there himself. This one man autobiographical drama offers up a front row seat as GI Howard Petrick endeavors to fight against the Vietnam war from within the war itself.
Ultimately, Aerial Allusions asks a lot of interesting questions without trying to answer them, while the only one it inspires in return is, “What was that?” The conclusion I’ve come to is that this dancer-comedian duo should not quit their day jobs and reconsider sticking to their respective solo careers. They just don’t have the on-stage chemistry to work together.
What Happens Now? isn’t your usual Fringe show. Yes, it’s a one man show, in the Arts Court Library, with a barebones tech set up. The difference is Andrew Chapman’s life story and quirky insights are told through a fifty minute stand-up comedy routine. So there’s your warning. If you go to What Happens Now? expecting deep insightful theatre that delves into the meaning of life, you’ll probably be disappointed. If you go to What Happens Now? looking for upbeat, intelligent, and witty commentary on the little things in life, then you’ll be in for a fun time.
Practically every skit had me smiling and laughing out loud through the use of ironic situations, intelligent dialogues, and hilarious facial expressions. Yet while the performance was jam-packed with humor, the dialogue touched on some very important topics about society, the economy, and politics. The final skit creatively brings the mini stories together with the overall theme and title of the play and most importantly, reaches the audience on an individual level. The message that I took away from this show was one of fundamental value: that we should be true to ourselves, regardless of where it puts us in our careers, social life or physical place – including the supply closet.
