list.co.uk/festival Reviews | FESTIVAL THEATRE
THE PARADISE PROJECT Third Angel examine a perfect society ●●●●●
Tron-like grids festoon the set, while a discomfiting buzz provides a strange undercurrent. But this is no sci-fi feature of twisted automatons looking to overthrow superfluous humans. Instead, this rather sublime meditation on society is that of how to improve, work together and be autonomous. The trees, a symbol of longevity and strength, are dying and it’s time to create a new Utopia. If only the pigheaded man (Jerry Killick) and stubborn woman (Stacey Sampson) could decide on the terms of engagement – is it ‘rock, paper, scissors’ or ‘scissors, paper, stone’? Best of three?
Philosophical debates underpin the pair’s building of a set and assorted furniture: would a massage by a racist be acceptable? Is killing a clown justified? Why are butterflies the most perfect of all creatures? It’s like IKEA with idealism.
The set is built afresh with each show and the rules are constantly shifting in this uncertain future – all that remains is optimism, however misguided. Killick and Sampson are an endearing and engaging double act, and the effortless writing avoids gender stereotypes, by placing them as equals, both intellectually and emotionally. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Northern Stage at Summerhall, 560 1581, until 30 Aug (not 12,19, 26), 5.40pm, £12 (£10).
CONFESSIONS OF A REDHEADED COFFESHOP GIRL Bright debut with a charming lead performance ●●●●●
Written and performed by Canadian artist Rebecca Perry, Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl is a week in the life of Joanie Little – Toronto barista, anthropology graduate and Jane Goodall superfan. The play may be light on ideas, but it’s frivolous fun led by a sparkling central character.
Unable to find a job in her desired vocation, Joanie tests her anthropological skills in the coffeeshop, analysing the quirks of her customers and co-workers. Perry gives a confident solo performance, playing the effervescent Joanie with an infectious enthusiasm. Bumbling through awkward cafe small talk and a hapless first date, she is a delight to watch.
Slipping effortlessly in and out of roles, she
animates a host of supporting characters. But these personalities, while fun, do little to ameliorate a predictable plot that lacks any real substance. And, while they’re fun to listen to, the show's cabaret-style cover songs often seem out of place.
But if the script is light, Joanie’s sparky personality is more than enough to entertain for an hour. (Jordan Shaw) ■ Gilded Balloon, 622 6552, 5–31 Aug (not 12, 19, 26), 6.30pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9).
WOJTEK THE BEAR A compelling tale of love and loss ●●●●●
Coaxed of out his hiding place by Sue Muir’s haunting violin melody, a man in a simple brown t-shirt crawls cautiously onto the stage, grunting under the strain of his weight. He sniffs the air curiously, slides forward and locks eyes with the audience, establishing a connection between man and beast that forms the backbone of Theatre Objektiv’s compelling new show Wojtek the Bear.
The play tells the story of the eponymous animal, whose role in the war effort brought him worldwide adoration. Rescued by Polish soldier Piotr from his fate as an entertainment attraction, the bear was drafted into the forces, helping to move ammunition during the Battle of Monte Cassino.
James Sutherland is uncanny as Wojtek, skilfully capturing the various aspects of the bear’s anthropomorphism. A heartbreaking scene in the second act encapsulates the close bond between the bear and Piotr: crumbling to the floor, Wojtek lets out an atavistic howl when separated from his ‘mama’, who hunches disconsolately across the stage. Emotional and profound, this is a complex and rewarding production that explores the intricacies of an unbreakable bond. (Jordan Shaw) ■ Scottish Storytelling Centre, 226 0000, 6-31 Aug (not 19, 26), 7pm, £10 (£8).
DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON Powerful but frustrating exposé of life on the poverty line ●●●●●
Who’d have thought a show about poverty would be so much fun? London-based PIT and New Diorama Theatre’s pacy production melds together two memoirs by middle-class authors sampling life on the poverty line – George Orwell’s 1933 Down and Out in Paris and London and Polly Toynbee’s Hard Work from 2002 – highlighting unsettling similarities between them, and questioning how far we’ve really come in terms of social inclusivity. Directors David Byrne (who also wrote the show) and Kate Stanley evoke both periods vividly with deft details – Orwell’s bedbug-ridden Parisian garret and ferocious landlady, for example, or Toynbee’s will-sapping waits in Job Centre queues. And the show brings telling clarity to lesser-known aspects of a life on low pay: a scene examining extortionate prices charged at a high-street credit lender is particularly powerful. But Byrne and Stanley’s slick, energetic production
sometimes feels far too cheery for its subject matter. We’re told about the stress, monotony and fatigue of eking out a life on a few pounds a week, but they’re seldom shown. Instead, this often exuberant show sometimes seems to whizz from one joke to the next, leaving little time to engage in much depth with the issues it raises – apart from in some eloquent soliloquies from Toynbee (a focused, considered performance from Carole Street).
Richard Delaney’s Orwell is a bluff, well-meaning observer of the hardship around him, but his Parisian associates are little more than amusing caricatures, and it’s hard to feel much empathy for their predicaments. There’s a lot to admire here, but at times it feels frustratingly inconsequential. (David Kettle) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug (not 17), 6.30pm, £9.50–£12.50.
13–20 Aug 2015 THE LIST FESTIVAL 81
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