FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews
S U O N R E L F E T S
BIRDHOUSE Hitchcock-inspired comedy ●●●●●
In the half-light live four elderly women, old-fashioned spectacles casting shadows across their faces, birds’ eggs nestled in their hair and white splashes of bird excrement running down their shoulders. Around them are clumps of bird feathers and, in the popcorn booth, the vendor plays music to while away the days. Welcome to the Coronet cinema in Bodega Bay, California, where the other survivors of Hitchcock’s The Birds hide out. Fans of Hitchcock’s methodically paced and reservedly thrilling
style might be thrown by what they get here, however, because Birdhouse is largely a comedy experience, albeit one which cleverly uses settings and tropes from the film to enhance its own visual aesthetic. In one scene a doll’s house-sized mock- up of the film’s Brenner house is lit from within by a candle, as each of the women’s incorrectly answered birdwatching quiz questions causes more crows to gather on the power lines above. In another standout sequence, a brilliantly enacted car ride down the highway unfolds in shadowplay, telegraph poles whizzing past the windscreen. The four women at the heart of the Devon-based Jammy Voo physical theatre troupe give a masterful ensemble performance here, mixing clowning, largely silent character sketch comedy and some affecting harmonies to musician Greg Hall’s reserved live score of winsome indie. There’s also some great, creepy bird puppetry at the end, but the sense does remain, despite the many things this show pulls off well, that fans of its inspiration might feel somewhat short-changed. The quintet nail Hitchcock’s visual aesthetic , but this play is something other than what might have been expected, an entirely narrative-free multiform calling card for their own breadth of abilities. (David Pollock) ■ Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 25 Aug, 5.30pm, £12–£11 (£11–£10).
S U O N R E L F E T S
THE DIARY OF A DRESS An unmemorable memoir ●●●●● TOURNIQUET 2013 Challenging late night antics from Belgium ●●●●●
Georgia is justly renowned for the lyricism and boldness of its theatre, and the skill of its actors. So, Tamara Bartaia’s one-woman play The Diary of a Dress, which is performed by young actress Tamara Bziava and directed by Hillary Wood as part of the ‘Discover Georgia in Edinburgh’ showcase, seems an enticing prospect. Sadly, however, there is a deadening flatness to this very literal piece in which the titular dress is bluntly anthropomorphised. From the chic French garment’s purchase in Moscow and its departure from the city, to its travails through the life of its owner and, finally, into the hands of her daughter, the episodes are, generally, too brief to really engage one’s emotions (for instance, a war comes and goes in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace).
To make matters worse, the script, in its English translation at least, lacks poetry or vitality. Indeed, one can’t help but feel that Bziava (battling valiantly against a minuscule audience in week one of the Fringe), would achieve greater expressiveness in her mother tongue. (Mark Brown) ■ Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 24 Aug, 11.30am, £5.
122 THE LIST FESTIVAL 22 Aug–19 Sep 2013
Tourniquet contains all the ingredients of dark European visual theatre: nudity, ritualistic behaviour, a preoccupation with the startling image over precise meaning and a fascination with taboo subjects. Here DIY exorcism forms the basis for a lengthy exploration of humanity’s mysterious sexual and social desires.
Presented by Belgian company Abattoir Fermé, Tourniquet is self-consciously slow; unfurling vignettes that revolve around three ghostly characters who swap roles in vaguely defined relationships of power and lust. Each episode is sinister and describes obscure conflicts of dominance and submission. Mixing religious symbolism, lusty desire and murderous impulses, Tourniquet hints at violent depths beneath the restrained surface of society.
Deliberately unsettling, Abattoir Fermé wants to
make the flesh creep and to peel back the surface of human experience to peer at the monstrous passions beneath. While they lack the deadly focus of similar companies – such as Les Ballets C de La B – they nevertheless offer a late night session fuelled by nightmares. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, until 25 Aug, 11.20pm, £12 (£10).
CREDIBLE LIKEABLE SUPERSTAR ROLEMODEL Heartfelt show for a tweeny ●●●●●
Self-professed self-obsessed performance artist Bryony Kimmings set herself a tricky task when, while looking after her nine-year-old niece, she decided to design a show around her. Actually, what Kimmings and her niece, Taylor, did was create a performance project, based around a fictional good role model for tweenies, a palaeontologist / popstar named Catherine Bennett. This is the story of how and why they did what they did.
Performed by both Twinnings and Taylor, the show revolves around several dance routines, a few songs, numerous costume changes and a minimum of chat in between. It’s a show devised to engage the imagination and capture the essence of a nine-year-old. There’s also enough adult content (some of it screened from the young performer) to make the show unsuitable for tweenies. As a consequence, it falls between two audiences; it’s not entirely obvious who it’s aimed at, although it’s clear Twinnings made it for herself and her niece. Self-indulgent in a way, then, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing given the piece is also extremely heartfelt. (Miles Fielder) ■ Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 5.45pm, £10–£13 (£8.50–£11.50).