Edinburgh FringeReview 2015: The Marvellous Imaginary Menagerie – Les Enfants Terribles

Written and originally hosted at FringeReview. Link: Written and originally hosted at FringeReview. Link:

Les Enfants Terribles introduces you to a plethora of make-believe beasts, presented by a travelling band of vagabonds. 2015 marks Les Enfants Terribles’ 14^th consecutive Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Photo Credit: Marc Sethi

Les Enfants draws in the usual crowd of young artists and families who expect a bit more from their children’s theatre – and, as usual, deliver precisely that. Dr Longitude (Maxwell Tyler) has travelled the world with the intentions of filling up his travelling menagerie with never before seen (or heard of) animals, but on his travels he also manages to assemble an unlikely band of anti-heroes, each one as loveable and hopeless as the last.

The end on Pleasance Beyond stage is transformed into a moving musical mounted float, complete with flashing brake lights, and thinly guised Fringe-themed irony. A soundscape of undecipherable animal noises greet us even before we see the masterful set, which becomes an adventure playground for the cast – hidden nooks and crannies forever surprising and delighting children and parents alike.

As we follow a narrative that challenges the notion of the brave and upright adventurer, we discover how each character found themselves where they are now, each addition to the crew adding a new tentacle or feeler to Dr Longitude’s zoo; and what a collection he has. With a cast made up more of puppets than performers, the energy of this young company is unshakeably infectious. The strong characterisation and their dynamic vigour is something to behold, benefitting from clear and solid direction. The sheer quantity and originality of the puppets that appear throughout the show is a testament to Daisy Beattie’s innovative skills. The production includes all the favourites of theatre for young audiences – bouncy musical scores, slapstick choreography, audience participation, innocent humour (with some cultural references that go over the little one’s heads), and all the fun of the fair.

The story was complimented by use of song and physical structuring – a seemingly customary theme of children’s theatre (a fact that was delightfully commented on), but managed to do so non-contrived way. The company took risks with what young spectators are presented with in the current trends, and achieved a vibrant and highly enjoyable performance. Dancing the ever-fine line of entertaining the parents whilst engaging younger eyes, the script at times was highly wordy and complex, which was sometimes missed by adults, let alone children. This clearly came from a place of wanting to pack as many wonderful creatures and moments into the show as possible, which was undoubtedly accomplished; a true gem of the Fringe.

Published August 11, 2015 by Elizabeth Williams

Show Website

http://lesenfantsterribles.co.uk/

Edinburgh FringeReview 2015: FEAST – Clout Theatre

Written and originally hosted at FringeReview. Link: http://fringereview.co.uk/review/edinburgh-fringe/2015/feast/

A certain feast for the eyes, ears, nose, and brain – that’s if you can stomach it. Clout Theatre’s FEAST gives you an hour of sensory overload, as we follow the evolution of three beings in soul, mind, and, most of all, body.

 

Photo: Richard Davenport

If you don’t like theatre that takes risks, makes you uncomfortable, and dives, headfirst, into the absurd; this is not the show for you. Clout Theatre are back doing what they do best: pushing the borders of what some may call performance art, and others would argue theatre. A barrage of uncomfortably high noise greets us as we enter the space, only decipherable as some sort of insect or the shrill cries of birds. A mass of flesh is assembled on top of a pile of dirt, twitching as the audience finds their seats. Three performers are barely covered in bandage like materials, over the important areas and around the head, so that only the face is visible. Attached by rope to their ankles, a large tin bowl. The lights are harsh and unforgiving, and we see every discomforting twitch their limbs make – all this before the show has even started.

We follow the three performers through a series of life lessons, marking their growths as organisms including standing, walking etc. or the ‘Breakfast’ section of the evolution of man. Each subsequent meal of the day remarks on the patterns that emerge through the discovery of the social, moral, and survival skills, inspired by historical and fictional literature. There is no speech throughout, the performers fully portraying their vast and hypnotic physical training, complimented with unnerving clowning and grotesque technique. Narrative structure is teamed and melded inseparably with surprising design choices, onstage and off. The use of any other technical aspects are sparse, brought in only to heighten the strong on stage presence and climatic moments. All we are left with is the sounds of skin, on floor, on dirt, on food, on skin – teamed with the audiences’ irregular breathing and nervous laughter.

The audience literally look down onto the stage from their raised, tiered seating, and grow more uncomfortable with our cosy chairs with every minute that passes. It is safe to say that this is a company that will not be taken lightly – everything that happened on stage was drawn out to almost unbearable reality, no corners cut, and no holds barred. The effect is one where, when leaving the theatre, you are not quite sure what you have just witnessed, and are certain you are unlikely to see anything like it again. One young actor in the audience was being comforted by his friends as the auditorium emptied. Join Clout on an incredulous journey through variety of worlds, through the guises of courses, and partake in a packed visceral plate that is difficult to digest. There’s no doubt about it, you will not find anything else quite like this on the Fringe.

Published August 11, 2015 by Elizabeth Williams

Show Website

http://www.clout-theatre.com/