Camden Fringe 2019 Archives - Page 10 of 16

The Ideal Woman

Cockpit Theatre

Reviewed – 11th August 2019

★★

“whilst the Cognatus Theatre troupe clearly have good intentions, ‘The Ideal Woman’ brings nothing new to the conversation”

With the ‘time to make herstory’ tagline, and lengthy choruses of ‘I feel guilty (when I don’t smile, when I defend myself etc)’, ‘My mother told me (not to climb, to wear nice clothes, not to ask questions etc), and ‘We are rising, we are burning red’, the intention of ‘The Ideal Woman’ is clear: This century’s women’s movement is on a precipice of (hopefully) great change; moving from a very old restraining structure of what a woman should be, to something resembling equality and liberation.

But as much as I’m obviously a supporter of the ‘time’s up’/’me too’ campaigns, it won’t do to just state one’s belief in the women’s movement a bunch of times and call it content.

The setting consists of a web made of red thread, tied at four corners (presumably because women are caught in a society-spun web of restraint?) Four women approach from each corner of the room in beige underwear holding red candles and singing in a tribal chorus. For the next forty minutes some kind of narrative unfolds: starting with a tribute to motherhood, followed by a christening of some kind, and then a playground scene. There are moments of lucidity, but it’s mostly made up of abstract vignettes: Vinna Law performs a short aerial hoop routine, for example, whilst begging someone unseen for forgiveness; Morgana Baldissera approaches, kisses her on the forehead and wishes Law dead.

It’s simultaneously too abstract and lacking depth. The opening sequence was so stereotypically ‘performance art’, I assumed it was a parody, but it couldn’t have been more earnest. In fact this is its saving grace. It’s clear the whole cast has complete faith in their performance and the message they’re conveying – they are not cynical in any way. But, I’m afraid, stating that women have had a rough time of it, but that they’re not going to take it anymore, is old hat. At one point they straight up quote what I recall was a popular sign at the 2017 Women’s March, “We are the heirs of the witches they tried to burn.” This appears to have no reference to the show’s content, except that it’s an ‘empowering message’.

Unfortunately, whilst the Cognatus Theatre troupe clearly have good intentions, ‘The Ideal Woman’ brings nothing new to the conversation. It is only forty minutes, however, so there’s not much lost in dropping by and having a look for yourself.

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Vinna Law

The Ideal Woman

Cockpit Theatre until 14th August as part of Camden Fringe 2019

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

The Distance You Have Come | ★★★★ | October 2018

Don’t You Dare! | ★★★ | November 2018

Unbelonger | ★★★½ | November 2018

L’Incoronazione Di Poppea | ★★★★ | January 2019

Mob Wife: A Mafia Comedy | ★★★ | January 2019

Cheating Death | ★★ | February 2019

Bed Peace: The Battle Of Yohn & Joko | ★★★ | April 2019

Lysistrata | ★★ | June 2019

Much Ado About Not(h)ing | ★★★ | June 2019

Alpha Who? | ★★★ | August 2019

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com

The Parentheticals: Improdyssey

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 11th August 2019

★★★★

“The performers consistently find unexpected and imaginative comic goldmines in each scene”

If you’re a stickler for historical accuracy, take note: Improdyssey is not for you. This is a story set in the 13th century that features tattoo parlours, pizza, and a climax involving significantly more cats than one would ever expect. For everyone else: make sure you check out this new show from The Parentheticals – it’s an absolute riot.

As a disclaimer, your experience of the show may not entail any of the above, as this is a medieval quest entirely improvised based on audience suggestions. My version of Improdyssey was entitled ‘The Ring of Doom’, which centred on a priest (Sean Toole) and a butcher (Guillaume Desqueyroux) trying to acquire the titular ring from a wizard (Brendan Way) before a murderous tattoo artist (Joe Colgan) exploits its powers to commit further crimes. The four performers take on a host of other roles, including grandsons, Jesuits, ghosts, and God Himself, fleshing out a world of madcap, occasionally Python-esque characters.

However, the show’s chief focus of course is not its story, but instead ensuring that you’re laughing as frequently as possible, and on that count it’s largely a runaway success. The performers consistently find unexpected and imaginative comic goldmines in each scene, and even in instances where it’s clear that there’s a struggle to drive the plot, it’s handled in a way that invites greater comedic potential. Every moment is weaponised to be as hilarious as possible.

The audience also play an important part – as well as providing the initial building blocks of the story, they often fuel the scenes. In an exercise that will be familiar to anyone who’s ever seen an episode of Whose Line is it Anyway?, the audience are asked to write movie quotes on bits of paper before the show, that the performers will later use as phrases, thoughts, and advice for their characters to spontaneously share. Other, more interactive examples see members invited to the stage to move the actors around or finish their sentences. Allowing the audience to be integral parts of the action in this way further establishes an atmosphere of creativity, playfulness, and total chaos.

Thanks to the talents of the performers, however, it always feels as though they are in total control of that chaos. Colgan in particular was exceptionally quick-witted, deftly delivering constant laughs while also guiding scenes to keep the plot moving at a tight pace. It was noticeable that at times it felt two performers were both trying to force their version of the scene onto the other, which led to some of the aforementioned instances where the story stalled, but then that’s also part of the inherent excitement of improvisation – knowing it could all go awry at any moment.

Luckily, Improdyssey barely goes awry. You’ll struggle to find a more unabashedly gleeful hour of comic delight than with the medieval questing on offer here.

Cockpit Theatre

Reviewed – 11th August 2019

★★

“whilst the Cognatus Theatre troupe clearly have good intentions, ‘The Ideal Woman’ brings nothing new to the conversation”

But as much as I’m obviously a supporter of the ‘time’s up’/’me too’ campaigns, it won’t do to just state one’s belief in the women’s movement a bunch of times and call it content.

Unfortunately, whilst the Cognatus Theatre troupe clearly have good intentions, ‘The Ideal Woman’ brings nothing new to the conversation. It is only forty minutes, however, so there’s not much lost in dropping by and having a look for yourself.

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Vinna Law

The Ideal Woman

Cockpit Theatre until 14th August as part of Camden Fringe 2019

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 11th August 2019

★★★★

“The performers consistently find unexpected and imaginative comic goldmines in each scene”

Luckily, Improdyssey barely goes awry. You’ll struggle to find a more unabashedly gleeful hour of comic delight than with the medieval questing on offer here.

Reviewed by Ethan Doyle

The Parentheticals: Improdyssey

Etcetera Theatre until 12th August as part of Camden Fringe 2019

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: