Stella Kappos and Jackson Grant have nothing to lose at the Adelaide Fringe.
Fringe festivals hold a special place in my heart as a reviewer because of how year after year, you get to watch the rising stars grow in their talent, finesse and creativity in the unpredictable stew of arts a fringe festival is. The joy of 10 000Views is that it really is experimental and absurd comedy that is fresh and exciting with room to grow in all the right directions in the future.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the world premiere at Gluttony (on 20th February 2024) but it was time well spent supporting local Adelaide comedians, Stella Kappos and Jackson Grant. The hour is a pleasant buzz of feel good humour and I enjoyed the contrasting styles of Jackson’s story telling ramble compared to Stella’s quirky, spitfire randomness.
The performance split their 45 minutes show into two sets, the delightful journey of Grant railing against modern technology as someone Gen Y and the sublime Stella who exists in a slightly different reality removed from the one I inhabit in the multiverse. These two show that a comedian living by their wits, with just a sense humour and a microphone can indeed compete with the big tent productions at the Adelaide Fringe.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain (through voyeurism), 4 stars.
10000 Views and Nothing to Lose runs 20th February to 8th March 2024 @ Gluttony.
Dr Vien at the Stamford Lounge on 17th February 2024 (picture kindly supplied by the artist.)
They say laughter is the best medicine and they’d be right when talking about Florida’s leading Ear, Nose and Throat doctor by day, comedian by night, the legendary Dr Vien. Dr Vien’s bedside manner is part relatable self deprecating humour and part a dry sparkling wit. This is a relevant dialogue in a world where the social barriers are more fluid and dynamic than ever as we all become something slash something else. Where people are searching for meaning and purpose, Dr Vien is honest, thoughtful and funny.
A theme of this Fringe’s comedy seems to be the exploration of identity and it was an oddly satisfying form of people watching as we learned about Laotian culture through the migrant eyes of the child Dr Vien in America, the battle of a career in medicine and Dr Vien’s saintly wife. Dr Vien claims that life has broken him but the difference between a cure and a poison is simply in the substance dose and Dr Vien is a tonic for the soul in any measure.
I watch too much Grey’s Anatomy, 4 stars!
Dr Vien MD: Florida’s #1 Surgeon/Comedian is showing at the Executive lounge at Stamford Plaza Adelaide from 21st-25th February 2024
Brendan Goh seen at the world premiere of People Like Us (16th February 2024)
Review by the Lonely Archaeologist.
Fringe festivals occupy a special place in the artistic and creative tree of life where they are a proving ground for new talent and rising stars to catch a big break. I am happy to say that Brendan Goh is one of the brightest, young, multicultural comedic voices in Australia with his deft storytelling and comedy.
People Like Us took us on the journey of Goh as an outsider in his own country (as “a non-government approved queer” in Malaysia) and balancing that against the traditional expectations of his Chinese ancestry. It lent itself to a raw authenticity that showed itself in the narrative of what it means to find self love when your identity challenges the status quo, even when that status quo is the rainbow dazzling Other.
There is a vulnerable quality to Brendan’s storytelling that is refreshing because it is not over produced and over delivered as some stand up comedy can be. I’ve learned a lot about queer culture through the subversive wit of Goh and I look forward to seeing where he goes from here.
Oops, I did it again, 4.5 stars.
People Like Us runs 20th and 21st February 2024 at the Adelaide Fringe:
‘Alchemy of the Muse’ is an invitation to visit the temple of the divine feminine, an understanding of ancient mythology through the locus of Middle Eastern dance told by eight extraordinary women. I am the daughter of a dancer who feels the magical threads of rhythm, beat and feet in her soul. I have inherited the fascination with the dreamland of light, the frisson of music, the sweep of lush costumes and technical expertise in movement that a golden performance can weave into a truly transcendent state of being. Alchemy of the Muse is all that and more.
I found ‘Alchemy of the Muse’ to be a truly creative and enchanting endeavour (by the Divine Elements Belly Dance Company and Bellydance Arabesque) at the best kept secret venue in the city, the Garage International, tucked right behind the imposing Adelaide town hall. From the very first dance, I felt in the poetry and storytelling at the very core of my existence. This is a place where the mythology of the Otherworldly comes alive with poetry, humour, tragedy and ferocity.
Fringe festivals are that wonderful liminal space where inspiration roams free of established artistic elites and is chased by creative experiences that risk it all. ‘Alchemy of the Muse’ may seem like a humble dance performance in the Adelaide Fringe, but it was a rich and colourful tapestry of old stories interlaced into a ballet that told the tales of the Greek goddesses. This show is for those who love the old lore and for those who live and breathe dance though there is a broader appeal for those who just enjoy a good performance.
Modern bellydance is an artistic form that is charged with feminine energy & an empowered artistic space. It is said belly dance grew from the Ancient Greek and Middle Eastern traditions that celebrated women and their bodies; there was a large presence from the Adelaide belly dance community which was particularly heartening and impressive to see the local support the artists have gathered.
Those are some twinkling toes, 5 stars.
Alchemy of the Muse is showing 2nd and 16th March 2024.
Chronically Ill-Prepared premiering at the Adelaide Fringe in 2024.
Adelaide improv comedy legends, ImproCity, (known from their successful Fringe shows, Galactic Trek and House of theBogan) hosts a monthly improv cabaret event for improv artists, theatre geeks and the curious at Prompt Creative Centre. Full disclosure before things begin, I am that feared and respected being, the front of house for Improcity and so perhaps I’m biased. Yet since this is a feature about improvised theatre and not a review, please make your own mind up if this is something you might like try out for yourself.
Improvised theatre is a deliciously murky and chaotic genre to review because by its very nature, the art form is unpredictable and relies heavily on the relationship of players ability to connect & riff off each other and the individual actor’s knowledge of the genre they are acting in. The ImproCity cabaret event is a mixture of indulging in theatre games and then hosting special guests who are working with raw long form material for proof of concept art in the second half.
Last night (9th February 2024), we held the monthly games and the following experimental theatre recital (and social occasion) for ImproCity. The theatre games are a combination of the short form improvised drama you played in high school combined with the sense of humour you developed as you survived to adulthood. Steve Brady, the host and founder of ImproCity, aims to create a safe space for players, but as it is a spontaneous act of creativity among strangers, sometimes things can get weird and definitely politically incorrect at times, so having a sense of humour if not a thick skin certainly helps.
It’s hard because you are just sometimes really sensitive about something and someone will single it out as if they have zeroed in on your vulnerability to make fun of. For example, I am missing one of my front teeth and last time, a complete stranger pointed it out, I was hard pressed not to offer him the experience of giving him a matching gappy smile. I’ve found that I’m definitely more confident since starting improvised theatre because it relies on quick thinking and team work along with getting comfortable being up on stage — with a supportive audience at Prompt. The improvised exercises are a great way to build on transferable skills for the workplace, they’re not just silly games for a Friday night!
The second half of the event is the cabaret where local improv and sketch comedy shows are invited to get their raw material on a stage and workshop it on stage in front of a crowd. I cannot emphasise how useful this is to a cast and crew of a show in gauging how material is working from audience reactions — as actors we tend to play for laughs, an easy way to see if what we are doing gets a good reaction.
Last night, the guest cabaret spot was filled with Chronically Ill-Prepared, directed by up and coming improv maestro, Kate Gallagher. The improvised theatre show is a Fringe fund recipient and is played from the perspective of those bringing their lived experience of disability and chronic illness to the stage. I love that this has becoming something of a conversation in the art of the Fringe performances I’ve been lucky enough to preview.
The real test of a successful improvised performance is that can it still be relatable and interesting when the unscripted takes a turn towards drama rather than comedy? The answer last night was yes, that the actors in Chronically Ill-Prepared were able to deliver a compelling piece of theatre that was somber yet touching. Everything fell together in some admirable team work with every piece of the production falling into place from the concept, the acting and with the lighting & sound production values (which is also an improvised soundtrack!)
For those interested in trying out improvised theatre, in addition to the monthly cabaret at ImproCity, there are classes offered by On The Fly improv (https://www.ontheflyimpro.com). Chronically Ill-Prepared runs for the Adelaide Fringe during 18th-21st February 2024 at Prompt Creative and is rated M.
Feature by Clara Santilli, The Lonely Archaeologist, 10/02/2024. (Disclaimer: I received no remuneration or benefits in writing this feature from lmproCity, Chronically Ill Prepared or On The Fly!)
Very friendly fringe friends (left to right): Jacob Jackman, Libby & Matt, Nona Mona and Bill Egan.
I had the pleasure of attending a fringe preview at the Prompt Creative Centre tonight. The event was entitled “Fringe Friends- a very friendly Fringe preview” featuring the comedic talent of Jacob Jackman (Mr Comedy) , Libby & Matt (Fashionably Late), Nona Mona (My First Pearl Necklace) and Bill Egan (Self Help Yourselfwith Bill Egan.)
I had someone ask me the extremely sensible question of what is a Fringe show preview. Think of it as an artistic crash test where the comics take some time out to work out some of kinks in their material in front of a crowd before they originate a show. As just an audience member (the reviewer hat was off), it was great to let my hair down and just immerse myself in the laughter and good vibes of my fellow crowd mates. We were a merry bunch indeed!
I think part of this is the Prompt Creative atmosphere that talented comic goddess and best selling author, Libby Trainor Parker (Endo Days), cultivates at her venue. It is an accessible and extremely inclusive environment. The drinks are limited by the size of the venue but Libby is a creative mixologist with some truly random soft drinks in addition to the cola.
The night was launched by Libby and Matt helping us to find “our flame mate” which now has me watching Escaping From TwinFlames on Netflix as I write this. Also it reminded me of that time I joined a cult sect in my teen years. I also got to enjoy my flame mate in Libby with the rap song, “Sick Bitch” about her chronic illness. I am truly grateful that people are creating art around disability and making it something okay to talk about.
Local comic legend, Jacob Jackman, was next on stage and showed why he was the recipient of a fringe grant by keeping cool under pressure. I really enjoy his character work and his ability to go with the ebbs and flows of where a performance journey goes. Yet he stays cool and witty. He is a master of the art of stand-up and genuinely I’m looking forward to seeing Mr Comedy.
Nona Mona is a phenomenal talent and her comedic range and character work are second to none with her moving effortlessly between satire, to black humour to the risqué in the space of half an hour. She can change the mood of a room with the drop of a helmet or a tissue. I will be eagerly waiting to see her show, My First Pearl Necklace.
The final artist, Bill Egan, is one of my favourite local comics in the Adelaide scene. He has a sly wit and has mastered the art of self help therapy speak while telling absurd stories in a very playful, loquacious manner. He isn’t afraid to mix it up between the light and dark side of comedy, after all the incongruity between tragedy and comedy is who is doing the suffering! I definitely intend to see Self Help Yourself.
Clara Santilli (The Lonely Archaeologist), 04/02/2024
Catfabulous Pawductions Presents: The Lonely Archaeologist. 