Presented by Holden Street Theatres and Bear Trap Theatre
Reviewed Wednesday 16th February 2011
https://www.adelaidefringe.com.au
https://www.holdenstreettheatres.com
https://www.horizon-arts.co.uk
Venue: The Studio, Holden Street Theatres, Holden Street, Hindmarsh
Season: 3pm 19, 20, 26, 27 Feb, 8pm 19-27 Feb, 1-3, 6-13 March, 3pm 5 March, 6pm 4, 5 March, 11am 6 March, 2:30pm 12, 13 March 2011
Duration: 60mins
Tickets: adult $25/conc $20/Groups $20
Bookings: FringeTix 1300 FRINGE (374 643) all Venue*Tix outlets or https://www.adelaidefringe.com.au
Marvin is dead and four people who knew him attend his funeral. He touched each of their badly flawed lives at some time, briefly giving them hope. Now they are angry and, it seems, his death has left them feeling worse off than they were before they met him. That, at least, is their perception. The strength that they got from him seems to have evaporated without him there to offer ongoing support.
The set is nothing more than a heavy steel clothes rack that is moved around on casters, placing the focus entirely on the script and performers. The four enter in black suits and white shirts, which they quickly shed, to spend the rest of the performance in black underwear, until dressing again at the end. Having bared their bodies, they then bare their souls telling of their lives, their failings and their sorrows.
The performance is filled with angst, as the four lament their unhappy lives. They glare at the audience, posture, contort their faces and engage in a lot of powerful body language. The language is gritty and raw and no punches are pulled. There is a great display of acting technique but, ultimately, I did not find that I was emotionally engaged with the characters for the whole time. The acting kept showing through the performances. It seemed, at times, to be more of an acting exercise than a performance.
Craig McArdle, Stephanie Rutherford, Gareth Webber and Helen Buchanan work hard and there are times when the work gels. Perhaps a degree of jet lag was affecting this performance. The work is challenging and confronting and, hopefully, later performances will gain the full intensity and consistent emotional connection needed.
Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.
