Family business
The four guys who are the ASHTON BROTHERS are massive in their Dutch homeland. Ruth Hedges went to see them perform on their own patch and witnessed a scatological sensation.
t cotild only be Rotterdam. The ships are coming into the great port while old warehouses warm tip for another weekend of all-night clubbing. It couldn‘t be anywhere else: not l.iyerpool. not Rome. It is big and industrial and the chips are seryed with mayonnaise. [1 is also where the Ashton Brothers are making their penultimate home appearance before hopping across the North Sea to the lidinburgh stage. l‘our guys named l’epijin. .loost. l’iin and l“riso are big news in Holland. They met at theatre school in Amsterdam and now pack out venues across the country with their physical comedy and mttsical nonsense: this performance is no exception. This is where young and old sit together: there are lads on a night out. gatherings of families and a gag ol~ girls giggling away. The Brothers certai have wide appeal. In their Dutch way they are very democratic. but that's not to say sale. Many of the scenes and jokes in\'o|\'c some kind of pain and sadism: there is gargling with beer. spitting and spraying in a sing-along. kicking and head-butting in time to hard— driying jazz. ‘lt's nice when someone gets pain.‘ l’im tells me backstage alter the show. ‘People want to see other people sul‘l‘er.‘ In the opening scene the quartet are ga ed and tied
gle nly
tip. struggling to escape with a heartbeat and blues/rock playing underneath. \Vhile kids laugh at these strung-up blokes. writhing around. it’s impossible not to think oi scenes from Guantanamo Bay. and such darkness proyides an undercurrent to much of their fooling about.
18 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE -1 ‘ ' A»; 33;)?
‘\\'hen we first started thinking about the show we thought about \‘ariety shows hc‘litt'c‘ and during the war. in Jewish camps.‘ says l’im. ‘(iermans hired Dutch entertainers. .lohnny & .lones. the yery lamous .lewish Dutch artists. were at the detention camp at \Vesterbork in Holland. They were tree to go to .r\msterdam to get costumes and then they went back to the camp.’ Variety is probably the best way to describe what the Ashton Brothers do.
The show comprises acrobatics (apparently learned l‘rom an ‘.’\crobatics l‘or Beginners‘ pamphlet at college). songs. physical theatre and slapstick gags. But always. an idea is taken to the nth degree. and eyerything is deliyered with absolute seriousness and enormous energy. ’You haye to be \ery sei‘iousf says l-riso. '\\'e must be yery carelul. precise and honest. It‘s a trap to try to be l'unny.’ :\nd the pace is crucial. too. ‘Rhythm is eyerything in this showf say s l’epijin.
Along with the beer swilling. there’s a good dose ol’ scatological humour. .v\nd as l’im says: ’Shit is the most l‘un thing in the world.' 'l‘hree young girls inust think so anyway. because backstage they are waiting to haye a moment with the .r\.slttoits. Starry—eyed. they stand patiently and are w ell—rewarded with photos, signings and T-sltit‘ts. 'lixctise me. we must spend some quality time with our lans now.‘ l’l'iso says. it‘s not too oltcn that scatology is seryed with manners.
St George’s West, 226 2428, 7-29 Aug (not 15), 6pm, £10421 1 (529-210). Preview 6 Aug, £5.
reason
With their Shut Up Comedy, silent duo GAMARJOBAT nabbed last year’s Dubble Act award. Rachael Street discovers what happens when hush comes to shove.
" (It‘a' .-;.- (lttam‘ bad boon born in Japan
'/: sir 'f a latcrt'oa'i barman r'atitor than a No.‘: outfnro llf'l‘ in :tt.i>f<:ato. inward aw: lrootoo liko a two ,".l(i(} boy a":: poito'n‘a‘g; to- a 'tiol‘ o'torgifi. isotrnr track. TlllfS, in a outset-elf. 5; .'.'i“at ‘.r>.: (:a'i oxpor:! tron‘ (Bantariolmt.
llttimofmtn: "‘i>..fli£l',"(i.
.git (t()(if;' ' .1 fl() t.tf3l:<:(: to t'noir tumor:- #2, (it‘f‘sflfi's '::'..l-:.- T'tii'. :Joon <:<)ii‘t>at'(:-(l to tho U"‘t‘, .i<:a: Dream's. lraznoti a: f"lll‘>(} school in Japan. ll'rrta't a'i': Kotot‘ ::-:a:i<;'n‘ a fast—pacotl ll‘lX of ' ' «5;. ' 't ’Ii)TY‘(:-(l“,' and skotohos '.'.’lll(lll
as? »\..:_:;.t:t -:,-ari‘<,~:: inon‘ :io.ot«::-<l £1tl(ll()lt(l()f3. as; ‘.'/()ll
‘ /\'.'..=.r(l. \"Jhilo tho word one" no, ~i‘.il‘]..'v’; oi: toga" an 'i‘air. ;)(}()tI-l~i}. tho . '. st. -:: oxon‘imfoo l tho :;ul>‘.it:o 'A ES".rt lJi; (3;:rt‘<::t{.' nas; 'Y‘fl'é; .n (I()lltll‘()ll ‘.‘.’lll‘. Mort In ‘ ’:-.“:¢t..' and n‘akof; a rotroshino ‘:: sol? ontsossotl stand ups;
$.27? (gt ;:". (uni. f'toi ::"' :irioo<tf;.
H " rig; f". 5: .t:a' '11“. "‘oro of tho san‘o lav ‘il‘tl at "‘=: l>:>l.:; hauo lléttl lots; of tzn‘o to :1t:"-::-<:t i't-f}.' a ‘T. riaq'tgt poii<:'i"<3(l at inisk'ng; fost..a.§; " Nin'. /:;ala":l aitzl a "‘zino fo:;ti‘.'ai in Km .1 a ‘.a'it:..5; glziillmll‘gjf; .n S.'.'it/(‘:rlan(l. |'.ai.. l'a'x:-.,- .:'~:t (3-:""‘.:i't,. ’\‘.’<:".o porforinotl our :;tt:t.'. imam. t.'7‘-.::: fé'tiii‘: last August] (Explains;
l<-:.-t:;'i. '8; ":i.) :tiontfi. to
‘f f'ia: (lii'ilit'fl‘iXEE‘s iast .oar l()lllt(l much
o? opportunity The /l.i::':; "."“£i11lil£ii(}:!Tl‘l"t}{il71l "l:;t:t-.r;l mm.- o" a stratttizng; noxoi. tias;o<l o". Sly Stiiull‘tf'
t".-.:- lose? ‘.a- tt‘ot' :;'l;‘..'.f'~ :;o5(l out and t"oir shoot i)<:'t:>i'"ar‘;‘r>t; ‘.'.'a.é; at tho (:ontro of attortt'o't. Hat .'."..t:- tl‘w :;tj,lo it‘iti'tt l()().‘\ oifortloss. Kotoh :5; (trams to torn! out that iltllltlf§ :lon't aly'xay's; llll‘.
:7 hit/i, 'l." l). tr'tfsti'tXl tlhl: l)‘. Il‘t: (:'l(l k)‘.
srnoofnly. 'It't; trick, .iottittt; a rlwtl‘n‘ going. \"Jo'xo
tnnpozi a it<>t.i>|o o‘ triv‘os; tart at; long; at; axo'vo :n .tiiaraotor. it's no t:"ol»|o-”‘.'
ifiit; yoai il‘(:‘. .231 no imam or: Ila: shoots doing; t.‘.o i;t\’>.'.f; a (la. Itlf‘itit"tlt‘;tlltt3ir uontoro.foiiox'1oti
try. thou 't‘ait‘. sot at (Z i tout: iast yoai '.'.’li't it.|i :itiltzrna ant: soanti systonfi \.‘.itn
<3 a irratior sons-o titan
f3LitiiT a yl'tl(?l!llltl soliodiao. j.o.i .'.:::‘~.i-:t-t ‘.'.'ll(?il‘.i?' f'to l><>\.:; ml: riot loti iii) poritrits'it; tho san‘o rotitino ’)‘.(‘7l attain. 'S()tt‘(fil“t}f$ .t it; (iiiiitttilf. Dlll .'.'o al‘.‘.'a‘;.:; try. to onioy t>tir't;ol\.ot;.' says Kotc‘n. '()ni n‘arrt ain‘ tor tltt: l (2:;tr\.al it; amt to ll‘u'tls-i? tots; of imoiilo tat‘rlof /\'t(l it}; tint; .nlotttiotir; {)l)illl"f‘sll‘ anti f;(?l‘flt’? of fun t?‘at lYTzirs'fo; tlioii shouts; so onioyaiiio. Yot .‘ittt‘oiziir‘g; to :;on‘o‘.iiitoé; “tumult inyoxot; in: no . t>:;olt.toi\,
.o'll lio tioinr; yon. .ittio. not {no
l\t?iiil‘, 'ltllllllltl at all. ‘()fton .' f;lill£li.t)lt ‘.'.'o7.o (troatoi titt' ti‘akot; pooplo littltlll.. I (I I i’t?<,‘.'.'/ti, (JR/{t .7" i) '(l’x :4 ’ ‘
:'>.~':'\:)'7.‘. 9‘5).5>(t sow :‘E-lx'w,
.})/‘t1’(;"\l‘/.’ ()4.