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Fringe Review: The Art of F**king

Art of Fcking

In a performance of polar opposites, the cast push you away then pull you closer in a mix of poetic language, relatable tales a flourish of movement.


Art of Fcking
Presented by Apples and Shoes
Reviewed 6 March 2014

In the words of the performance, what the f**k?!

The Art of F**king is a performance of polar opposites. At times, it felt like the cast were trying to push you away, and then they would subtly and intimately pull you closer in a mix of spectacular poetic language, relatable tales and a flourish of movement.

As soon as I started to lose myself in the performance and get swept up in the narrative, once again a scream, a misplaced prop, or the amateurish absence of props altogether would snap me back to reality and leave me questioning what I was seeing.

A cast of five took on the roles of about twenty different characters and, what was interesting, was that no one actor was assigned to take on the role of any particular character. At any minute, the actor who you thought was Ricki, would turn and portray Chris. A wardrobe change for the actor portraying Jo and suddenly her scarf became a puppy while she became Neighbour #1.

Each character narrated the inner monologue and actions of their colleagues on stage and, although overwhelming at times, the steady stream of rhyming couplets created a calming and informative backing track for the performance.

And so the hour unfolded with more than a few raised eyebrows and just as many laughs. I related to the characters’ struggles and turmoils. Just like the characters, I have considered the possibility of telecommuting for a uni tutorial. I too, have dreaded work, stumbled home craving a beer and thrown an impromptu gathering just because I wanted someone to bring me wine.

The fun times and relatable events ended there however. Suddenly, The Art of F**king throws a curve ball and the audience are told a dark and depressing story that, although beautifully told, made it hard to reconnect with the characters. In fact, by the time the performance ended I, and my fellow audience members, were staring in silence not realising it was the end, waiting for some form of catharsis.

The cast were energetic, articulate and the timing of their overlapping narration was right on point.

The Art of F**king is an interesting attempt to tell a tale that is a mixture of the most commonplace and mundane of events and the shattering effect of one dark and truly disturbing occurrence.

Reviewed by Jenna Woods

Venue: Tandanya Firefly, 253 Grenfell St, Adelaide CBD
Season: 6-8 and 12-15 March, 9:30PM
Duration: 60mins
Tickets: $23.00 – $29.00
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or phone 1300 621 255 

 

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