Eli's—Ti
THEATRE REVIEW The Bleeders
it"???
v '. t a The Bleeders: triggers with attitude
Violence, explicit sex, narcotics and absinthe in a motel-room half-way between LA and NY. Roy Scheider (the one who kills the shark at the end of Jaws) is next door, and Michael Moore (the big fat documentary film-maker) is a crack addict.
Buggery and homicide in one easy lesson when two worlds and two couples collide in an ill-starred encounter. One couple is attempting to escape the big black beating heart of debauched LA while the other pair is that heart. But aren't the evil bastards jllSi so much more interesting? The B/eeders is a twisted drama which shoots in a Tarantino vein.
(Ross Holloway)
e The Bleeders (Fringe) Echoes Theatre Company In Association With OUDS,
C, Over-Seas House (Venue 19) 225 5105, until 31 Aug, midnight, £5 (£4). Ticket price includes whisky.
COMEDY REVIEW Phil Kay .5: 12",
After a long and frighteningly hyperactive opening, Kay mumbles, gibbers and burps his way through his routine like a hamster on speed. His beardy and dishevelled appearance gives us a strong hint of some of the inevitable
-i
i.”"; i}. . z o ’4...)
hippie/Glastonbury/drugs/munchies and getting arrested material to come. That said, he uses his audience deftly, picking out a Dutch gentleman, a young woman with elderly fashion sense and an English DJ, improvising a song about them. His 'goodnight’ routine is nearly as long as his intro, but in between he does keep his audience laughing through one of the longest jokeless pauses since Frankie Howerd. (Steve Cramer) a Phil Kay (Fringe) Calder's Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2151, until 31 Aug, midnight, £9 (£8).
DANCE REVIEW
Woman Who Dances With The Wolves
m:
For some years the almost acceptable face of sleaze on the Fringe, Shakti returns with one of her less comprehensible efforts, and once again dusts off the g-strings. Any lupine imagery is obscured among the screeching soundscape, lewd costuming and writhing movements that show all the subtlety of a slimmer Sumo wrestler.
When Shakti offers herself to a giant male statue, with legs splayed in all directions, you may be asking 'why the spoken text of Hamlet in German?’ Or you may be waiting for the next abbreviated costume change and wondering why she doesn't use her dance skills to better advantage before the screaming climax. (Don Morris)
a Woman Who Dances With The Wolves (Fringe) Shakti, The Garage Theatre (Venue 81) 221 9009, until 31 Aug, 10pm, £8 (£7).
THEATRE REVIEW Gasping M
Ben Elton's virulent satire on the yuppie corporate lifestyle has a thrusting young executive, Phil, successfully promoting Suck And Blow, a device which deprives the poor of breath while it cleans the air for the BMW classes. Sexism and classism run rife
theatre - dance 0 comedy
10pm—Late
COMEDY PREVIEW Tim Vine
’ (Stephanie Noblett)
' 11.15pm, £8 (£7).
Tim Vine: (beam m;
g Tim Vine (Fringe) Calder’s Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2151, 24-31 Aug,
(very. funny.
it's just nonsense really - that's the best way to describe it.’ This is former ,Perrier best newcomer Tim Vine’s description of his 1998 Fringe show. The new routine promises plenty of his hallmark snappy oneviiners, liberally sprinkled with sketches. impressions and songs accompanied by Graeme the keyboard player. 'i sing a few silly songs - one about bamboo. one. about. smiling and one about a tap.’ continues Vine enigmatically. And an enigmatic character he is. Vine gets his inspiration-from English "idioms and drinking milkshakes in a restaurant'inthea‘mi, rte-also. distinguishes himself as possibly the only comedian'.this-yeargtohave an effusive quote from Bob Monkhouse on his press release. 'A man indeed,’ said Bob after working with Vine on a game show, " Amongst other zany delights. Vine’s audiences can expect to play-a game , called: ‘pass the broom around the room! 'lt's not really a party- gamer-as)“ such. it‘s one l made up myself. I can‘t tell you the rules; you‘ll have 'toi‘cdm'e along and find out.’ Don‘t you just love a man of mystery? T C
here as espoused by Sir Chifley Lockheart (Ben Cavey), a man with more money than Soul, who comments: 'I always think it’s a mistake to respect a woman. They regard it as a sign of weakness,‘ — get the picture? While there is much wit in Elton's stretched metaphors and social observation, the performances could be sharper —there being the odd piece of poor blocking and some fluffed dialogue. (Steve Cramer) n Gasping (Fringe) Byte 2 Infinity Theatre Company, C too (Venue 4) 225 5105, unti127 Aug, 11.50pm, £5.50 (£4.50).
COMEDY REVIEW
Charlie Cheese's Jacket Of Badges
My
if you haven’t come across this chap
before, Charlie is a failed exponent of light entertainment. 'Emphasis on the
"light" rather than the "entertainment", obviously,’ as Charlie stresses. He is joined by his partner lain Lee - 'not very good, but he’s keen and that's important.‘ Together, they will try and extract laughs from that rather overly familiar seam of comedy known as 'seventies showbiz tack.’ They've definitely improved from their previous outings and they can compel an enjoyable form of embarrassed giggling. However, you have to wonder how clever it is to poke fun at crap comedians when you're none too terrific yourself. (Rory Ford) fi Charlie Cheese’s Jacket Of Badges (Fringe) Charlie Cheese, Southside (Venue 82) 667 2212, until 31 Aug, 10pm, £5 (£4.50).
STAR RATINGS
*itti
20—27 Aug 1998 TIIE usTss