Etcetera Theatre Archives - Page 5 of 22

Belamour

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 19th August 2019

★★★★

“the true warmth and intricacies of his personality shine through as he laughs and bounces off his audience”

‘The Oxford Arms’, an old Victorian pub, nestled in the heart Camden market in North London, is home to the Etcetera Theatre. This is one of twenty-seven spaces hosting shows for the Camden Fringe which, in its 14th year, is showing a selection of talent ranging from comedy and improv to dance and opera. ‘Belamour’, directed by Zois Pigadas, is a non-profit, one-man show, based on true life experience and raising money for the MS Society. Boldly confrontational, the piece addresses themes of family, love and identity, wrapped up in a story about an incurable and crippling illness.

Belamour (Ewens Abid) lives in France and is of Algerian descent. Snapshots of Belamour’s story are performed in chronology: the experience of growing up on a concrete estate in Belfort, France; his mother’s glorious cooking; a brief time spent dealing drugs and then progressing fortuitously into the building trade. As life seems to be looking up for Belamour, he collides with the beautiful Monica and everything changes.

Abid, who also wrote the show, begins the production by questioning natural prejudice towards his identity. Audience response is encouraged which infuses the piece with energy. From the outset, identity is framed as the main motif. Belamour is torn between his family and starting a loving relationship in the modern world. Interestingly, the devastating illness, multiple sclerosis, although well-explained, is explored less. The character’s struggle with his illness could have been developed further.

A lifeless wooden dummy, twin to our charismatic narrator, is positioned centre stage and is used imaginatively to command the space. For example, it towers over Belamour as the concrete estate that was once his home. The grey hoodie and black joggers worn by both, cleverly enhance this scene.

The play is as much about words, language and sound as a degenerative loss of movement. Belamour speaks English, interspersed with a hybrid of Arabic and French. The languages are masterfully intertwined into the script. The audience are not spoon-fed translations which are few. However, humorous mimes accompany parts of the spoken script to ensure that nothing is lost. Light comedy precedes deeper poetry which posits strong metaphors throughout, the main one being the tragic image of a mermaid, trapped between land and sea, desperate to prove you do not need legs to run.

Sound and lighting (Stephanie Watson) elevate the action, such as the music on the dance floor and rhythmic heartbeats, as well as an ominous rendition of the ‘Mission Impossible’ soundtrack which portends Belamour’s insurmountable quest in search for truth. Lighting is used to transport us to different scenes, from the disco to the cold blue light of the moon, infusing the play with its comi-tragedy.

Ewens Abid delivers this play with incredible energy and Belamour’s tragic plight is deeply moving. He juggles multiple characters and themes but most importantly, the true warmth and intricacies of his personality shine through as he laughs and bounces off his audience. The show is proof to the astonishing feats that can be achieved by a one-man show.

Reviewed by Amy Faulkner

Photography by Nick Mauldin

Belamour

Etcetera Theatre until 25th August as part of Camden Fringe 2019

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Jailbirds | ★★ | December 2018

The Very Well-Fed Caterpillar | ★★★★ | December 2018

Bricks of the Wall | ★ | January 2019

Saga | ★★★★ | March 2019

Safety Net | ★½ | April 2019

The Wasp | ★★★½ | June 2019

Past Perfect | ★★★★ | July 2019

Vice | ★★½ | July 2019

The Parentheticals: Improdyssey | ★★★★ | August 2019

Women On The Edge | ★★★ | August 2019

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

Puttana

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 19th August 2019

★★★

“Punchy and filled with promise, it’s a well-crafted hour of storytelling”

How judgemental are we of ourselves and others? Does your sex life define you? How easy is it to love your own body? ‘Puttana’, a one-man-show with a short run at this year’s Camden Fringe, tackles these questions head on. Italian for bitch, whore, or slut, “puttana” is a wonderfully expressive word. As Oskar Hartman explores though, it’s a slander, a label that attacks beneath the surface and can have lasting implications.

Hartman begins his performance lying on a bare, blow-up mattress, woken up by the sound of his phone. Messages from Grindr. His usual hook-up conversations are drilled, and lead on a larger meditation of his own life and sexual experiences. This is, as advertised, a bare-knuckle confessional monologue. Hartman’s raunchy and, at times, harrowing sexual history uncovers the highs and lows of gay male hook-up culture. The piece swings between self-indulgence and comedic insight, with the story never quite taking off, or leading anywhere profound.

This boldly entertaining monologue packs a punch, but Oskar’s biggest challenge is winning over his audience. Some more time getting to know us, might make us want to get to know him. Considerably well-travelled, Hartman takes us to a sex club in Berlin, Starbucks in New York, a sexual health clinic in Helsinki and an exclusive club in Milan. His all-too-brief transformation in Luca the Doorman provides a winning moment of comedy, as he selects which members of the audience are allowed into his club: “Tu, si. Tu, no.” Hartman embodies different characters nicely – I only wish we’d seen more.

Director and dramaturg Jonna Wikström could certainly trim some of the fat from this production. Although Oskar is embroiled in club culture, the benefits of seeing one man raving on stage for more than a few seconds are questionable. That said, the combination of flashing lights and well-structured storytelling makes the Berlin sex club scene a highlight of the show. Hartman’s nervy performance gets more and more relaxed as the show goes on. He asks audience members lots of questions – does he want them to answer?

For those with a taste for confessional monologues, this is a must-see at the Camden Fringe. The piece at once criticises the superficiality of hook-up culture, whilst of course seeming to advocate it. On the one hand, its message is that we ought to stop judging people for their sexual exploits. On the other, it presents gay characters defined only by what they do in (or not, as the case may be) the bedroom. However, hopefully Hartman and friends will find other occasions to bring this piece back beyond its two-day run. Punchy and filled with promise, it’s a well-crafted hour of storytelling. I only wish I cared about Oskar more to make his final realisation as impactful as it wants to be.

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 19th August 2019

★★★★

“the true warmth and intricacies of his personality shine through as he laughs and bounces off his audience”

A lifeless wooden dummy, twin to our charismatic narrator, is positioned centre stage and is used imaginatively to command the space. For example, it towers over Belamour as the concrete estate that was once his home. The grey hoodie and black joggers worn by both, cleverly enhance this scene.

Reviewed by Amy Faulkner

Photography by Nick Mauldin

Belamour

Etcetera Theatre until 25th August as part of Camden Fringe 2019

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 19th August 2019

★★★

“Punchy and filled with promise, it’s a well-crafted hour of storytelling”

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Puttana

Etcetera Theatre until 20th August as part of Camden Fringe 2019

Previously reviewed at this venue: