Fringe Festival Melbourne 1994 -OVERVIEW- 16 Sept 1994

 

Fringe Festival Melbourne 1994

Writer: Kate Herbert around 16 September 1994

This review was published in the Melbourne Times after 16 September 1994

 

If you're not on your toes during a Fringe Festival, you could end up paying good eating money to watch someone smash bottles while standing screaming knee-deep in a puddle while someone wearing black pours pig's blood on her head. So let's put you in the picture quick smart so you don't get your fingers burnt and your wallet rifled.

 

35 plus theatre productions are listed in the Melbourne Fringe program ranging from established companies (IRAA, Theatreworks), through known local professionals (Shirley Billing, Ross Daniels, The Pidds), to international artists, interstate plays and cabarets, student shows and complete wild card unknowns which are always a risk but sometimes a gift.

 

Venues range from a student show at the Dodgem Hall at Luna Park, Last Laugh, North Melbourne Town Hall, Galleries, studios in Alphington and Fitzroy, Mechanics' Institute and the Builders' Arms Pub.

 

There are real theatres too, like Gasworks, The Universal which has zillions of shows, The Courthouse, La Mama which is three-deep again in its inimitable festival overkill form, Napier Street, St, Martins, National Theatre, and Theatreworks which is still getting shows on in spite of the ill-will of the nasty Church guardians.

 

Here's what I'd see. In the funny physical Theatre list The King's Player by Trevor Gare looks terrific. He uses European clown technique as a bit-player in Hamlet, David and Ian are finally doing Rawsharking, a comic, circusy show with music about doppelgangers.

 

Harry Cripps’ White Paris which will be black comedy in the vein of his Tania and Kit. Theatreworks Rigoletto is rampant, wild-eyed musical grotesguery. Cop Theatre Tarquin's adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial which should have Nick Harrington's usual innovation and blackness.  All Hopeless Romantics should see Theatre Zart doing Love's Idiotic Triangle, an adaptation of Dostoyevski's The Idiot.

 

We have an international contingent this year. Don't miss the three shows IRAA is sponsoring for their Austrian guest artists. Alt / Tag looks like something Handspan would do, with an 80-year-old female puppet in an existential dilemma about age. Otto Lechner is a magical musician who takes you on adventures with The Dark Side of the (Piano) Accordion.

 

La Mama is up to its little rafters with shows. Fairytales from the Future looks like violent, romantic fairy tales with a great cast including Maud Davy and Robert Lyon. Trampoline is a multi-media piece about the "The Great Earth Mother", and Her Mother's Daughter is by a German playwright, Chris Paul.

 

The Fringe Showcase replacing Short Works and Women's Season, invariably has one hot piece for a bunch of dogs but it’s cheap and short. Most tickets are from $10 to $17 but La Mama is a bargain from $6 to $12 max. Fringe Artists get discounts.

 

Go book now!

 

 

KATE HERBERT