FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews
MARRIAGE ●●●●● A modern version of Gogol’s comedy of romantic errors
Adapting Gogol is a tough assignment in terms of translating a specific kind of humour; Tom Parry’s adaptation for Fringe institution the Comedians Theatre Company fashions the Russian writer’s wit as a withering parody of a drawing room comedy, broad and subtle in equal measures and performed with an off-kilter energy that generates some big laughs. A confirmed bachelor (Ben Clark) is persuaded by his friend
(Adam Riches) to take the plunge, aided by a matchmaker (Camille Ucan). She lines up an interview with the comely heroine (Celeste Dring), under the watch of her aunt (Freya Parker) but there’s the small obstacle of three other suitors to get past. Played by John Henry Falle, Owen Roberts and Ciaran Dowd, they’re a motley collection; a bore, a lothario and a grasping taxman; the course of true love is 40 miles of bad road in this company.
Marriage offers something of a gallery of comic talents, but they make for a unified comedic troupe under the direction of Russell Bolam. Richard Soames hits the right tone from the start as servants Steven and Stephanie; this cheerfully ramshackle approach milks plenty of comedy in a fashion that’s somewhere between Blackadder and Monty Python. Clark has just the right louche charm, and Dring makes for an amusingly demure heroine. But it’s the support that keeps the energy flowing in Marriage, with Roberts a stand-out for his deadpan dull suitor, unable to speak without referencing a boring anecdote. Marriage isn’t trying to change the world; it’s a 70-minute show
that hits the spot in terms of raising a smile, and provides a great showcase for comic actors who seem to be enjoying their performances as much as the audience. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 30 Aug, 2pm, £12–£13 (£11–£11.50).
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FIVE FEET IN FRONT (THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JOHNNIE WYLO) Foot-stomping Dust Bowl morality tale ●●●●● SING FOR YOUR LIFE Hilarious taxidermy puppet cabaret ●●●●●
THE HUMAN EAR More suspenseful drama from the writer of 2014’s The Initiate ●●●●●
With raucous music and a delightfully dilapidated set, north-east theatre company the Letter Room offer a warped Dust Bowl ballad of greed, revenge and Faustian bargains with the wind. Still reeling from the suspicious death of her father, Little Johnnie Wylo (yes, it’s a she) convinces the impending hurricane to spare her no-hope town if she can find an ounce of goodness left in it. But with a crooked sheriff, and dodgy bankers and realtors, her quest soon takes a darker turn. There’s so much right in this dusty, hard-driven show that it feels churlish to complain. The songs – with all instruments played by the cast – are bold and memorable; performances find a nice balance between naturalism and stylised caricature; and the Depression-era griminess is conveyed brilliantly. The problem is following what’s going on: the singers battle to be heard over the music, thick accents and noisy clog dances obscure key words, and gauze screens are inexplicably drawn across the set, blurring the action. It’s a fine piece of theatre, powerful and in-your-face, but engaging with it feels like a struggle rather than a joy. (David Kettle) ■ Northern Stage at Summerhall, 560 1581, until 30 Aug (not 26), 9.25pm, £10 (£8).
76 THE LIST FESTIVAL 20–31 Aug 2015
A puppet cabaret might suggest comparisons with lovable children’s storytellers The Muppets, but this dark comedy is populated by a cast of skinned animal carcasses with gleaming glass eyes. The taxidermy cabaret story follows a neglected French bulldog who discovers a band of animals engaged in a floor show at the bottom of a garden. The group are talented puppeteers, with three people weaving under each other to manipulate a dancing fox and the puppets bring a mass of physical comedy: the squirrels bring the house down each time they appear clicking their paws like furry extras in West Side Story.
The songs expose the ill treatment of animals – the badger sings about the cull, the bulldog about pedigree breeding. The show also forces its audience to face the realities of the animals’ physical forms – as a chorus of plucked chickens can-can forward, the front row visibly recoil.
In last year’s Fringe First-winning The Initiate, playwright Alexandra Wood showed audiences how great she is at creating tense, dark drama. The Human Ear is much grittier but a little less satisfying.
Lucy is reunited with her brother Jason after 10 years, a few months after their mother dies in what we assume – though it’s never articulated – is the 7/7 bombings. But her boyfriend is suspicious; is the man really Jason? He goes to Inverness and brings back a human ear that says otherwise.
Wood’s quickfire dialogue is impressive, effortlessly creating a taut atmosphere (though the faint, menacing background music feels unnecessary). Paines Plough rep actors Sian Reese-Williams and Abdul Salis are great too and Roundabout’s innovative LED system comes into its own, as swift changes in lighting are used to effectively switch between time and location.
While the majority of the songs are well crafted, But the rhythm of The Human Ear feels a little too
the dialogue in between numbers drags a little and the singing lacks the musical support expected of a cabaret. Yet overall, Sing For Your Life is hideously hilarious. (Rowena McIntosh) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 30 Aug, 8.40pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11). staccato, and it’s hard to settle into what’s going on with so much back and forth. It’s an impressive production, but a little more breathing room might help it make a bigger impact. (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Roundabout @ Summerhall, 560 1581, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 Aug, 3.35pm, £15 (£10).