While well performed, with a great deal of energy and clarity of movement and voice, this piece simply did not have the material to support the energy. A man goes to post a package in a Post Office. He discovers an American postal clerk and together they go to Paris, or do they imagine going to Paris? They meet some people, do some fun things and he is given a new perspective on life, or something like that. A few passable jokes did not make up for the paper-thin plot, with little or no sense of dramaturgy.
The performances were strong. The clear characterisation, strong accent work, good physicality and occasionally strong physical theatre set pieces. Why it is under dance I do not know, but there are moments of solid choreography. There are one or two good one liners - such as when the man says, referring to a bottle of wine, "But we don't have any glasses" and the woman says "Glasses? We don't need glasses. [Long pause] We can see perfectly fine." It's hardly going to become a classic, but worth a titter.
Ultimately, though, it was all-round quite insubstantial. There was little or no sense of dramaturgy - why were people behaving like they were, on what basis were things changing and scenes developing? It completely evaded me. At the end we were told this was Half Wits's first Fringe appearance. I do hope they take this experience and make something more meaty, more gripping and more substantial.
4 out of 10.
At Pleasance Courtyard (Attic) at 2.30pm.
- James Grogan.
The performances were strong. The clear characterisation, strong accent work, good physicality and occasionally strong physical theatre set pieces. Why it is under dance I do not know, but there are moments of solid choreography. There are one or two good one liners - such as when the man says, referring to a bottle of wine, "But we don't have any glasses" and the woman says "Glasses? We don't need glasses. [Long pause] We can see perfectly fine." It's hardly going to become a classic, but worth a titter.
Ultimately, though, it was all-round quite insubstantial. There was little or no sense of dramaturgy - why were people behaving like they were, on what basis were things changing and scenes developing? It completely evaded me. At the end we were told this was Half Wits's first Fringe appearance. I do hope they take this experience and make something more meaty, more gripping and more substantial.
4 out of 10.
At Pleasance Courtyard (Attic) at 2.30pm.
- James Grogan.
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