There have been several plays about Florence Foster Jenkins, the American heiress, eccentric and self-proclaimed opera diva, one starring Maureen Lipman. I doubt any of them match this production by Dutch company Mtg de Koude Kermis in which form is so perfectly aligned with content. On a set like a playground, with sumptuous backdrop badly […]
Reviews
Action Hero: Slap Talk
May 30th, 2014 by Rachael ClerkeSlap Talk is a six-hour sparring match: a constantly changing stream of aggression and one-upmanship, quiet digs and impressive bravado. At its centre is a game; a challenge to follow the rules, to keep going, to throw these words back and forth without break, without breaking. Gemma Paintin and James Stenhouse, the two artists who […]
Kaleider: The Money
May 30th, 2014 by Rachael ClerkeThe concept of The Money is simple. Very, very simple. Absurdly, gloriously, deliciously, terrifyingly simple. Some of the things it did to my head were more complicated. This is how it works: a representative from Exeter-based Kaleider – a company who ‘produce and promote live experiences’ – places The Money on the table. The Money […]
Fraser Hooper: Boxing
May 29th, 2014 by Lisa WolfeThe first forty-five minutes of the show was Fraser’s popular Funny Business clown act. Man-handling children with his customary finesse, his balloon, juggling, and human puppetry routines are always delightful. He did right to limit the new boxing element to a short bout at the end. It is more suited to the outdoor arena. Pitching […]
Molly Naylor and Iain Ross: If Destroyed Still True
May 29th, 2014 by Edward RapleyAs a teenager who once dreamed of becoming insanely wealthy for the sole purpose of returning to the village where I grew up and buying the entire place only to turn it into the world’s largest maggot farm, there is plenty which rings true about tonight’s show. Writer/performer Molly Naylor and musician Iain Ross (from […]