Fringe Shows

It was back in 2010 just before our repatriation when we finally got around to taking in a few Fringe shows. We did three comedy shows, Faulty Towers Dinner Theater, Akmal, and George Kapiniaris.

Faulty Towers is the live version of the famous John Cleese British television series. It’s held at a restaurant as dinner theater.  The minute you’re seated you’re aware the evening is going to be different.  Each place setting is different, some with an extra fork and no knives, some will all spoons, but all with some issue. Around a fine dinner the zany antics of the actors entertain.  We’ve had the experience and passing on it this year.

The most bizarre show was Puppetry of the Penis. It was precisely what it sounded like.  Two guys on stage, naked, doing puppetry with their stuff.  Their audience was 80% female, at least half of them three sheets to the wind. Bits were creative but for the men in the audience, there were bits that were painful to watch.  We pass on this one also.  We’ll return to the comedy performances of Kapiniaris and Akmal, two very funny guys.

We attend the opening night of Fringe with Neil and Bronwyn. Velvet Rewired is a multi-disciplinary high energy experience. There is a lead female singer, a lead male singer, two back-up singer/dancers, a brother and sister skating acrobat act performed on a small elevated tabletop, two guys doing aerial acrobatics, and the “star” of the show.  The female singer, Marcia Hines is the headliner but the short, fat, gay guy who does cool things with hula-hoops is the real “star”.

 

 The music is loud and primarily from the disco era. The music moves the show along and keeps everyone focused. There is a DJ who shows up in the show from time to time.

How to Drink Like a Wanker is held in the bar of the old treasury building. It’s billed as a comedy, story-telling wine tasting.  There are three decent white wines, three horrible red wines, and a story that entertains no one. The best part of the show is leaving and returning to our apartment with Neil and Bronwyn for dinner.

We attended the My Leonard Cohen Fringe show at Gluttony in the Octagon. Fringe favorite Stewart D'Arrietta & his band performed stirring interpretations of the great, late Leonard Cohen's powerful works. With front row handicapped seats, it was a magnificent show.

Shane Warne, The Musical was held in a theater complex we’d never before visited in the northern suburbs. A musical written around the life of Australia’s most notorious cricketeer and one of the two best spin bowlers of all time, the presentation is entertaining but not overwhelming.

Nazeem Hussain is a Muslim comic.  It is his opening night.  If claims he’s still honing his program, you could fool us. Much better and the entire audience would leave with wet pants.

Nazeem is followed by Akmal. They are very similar although Akmal is better known and shows up on Aussie TV quite a bit.  Their shows are very similar although the language in Akmal’s show is more course. Akmal uses his Egyptian heritage to an advantage.

It was bad enough we travelled to the southside to see his show on the wrong day. Turned away, we had a marvelous seafood dinner at the Oyster Bar on the ocean in Glenelg. Finally getting it right, we spent a fine evening with George Kapiniaris and his marvelous opening act.  He was as good as the first time many years ago.

Our next comedy performance was in the company of Neil, Bronwyn, and Louis. Tom Gleeson is a well known Aussie comedian and television personality. I am in awe of comedians.  They take simple concepts and make you laugh for an hour.

Our next event was Simply The Best – The Music of Tina Turner. The performer is British. She and a troupe of British performers have travelled to Australia. Members of her band and back up singers are headliners in other shows. They support each other in shows such as James Taylor and Carole King. She can’t dance like Tina but she can sing like her.

Next we return to the basement of the Treasury Building.  The usher for the event is the horrible performer of the Wanker program. Eric’s Tales of the Sea, a Submariner’s Yarn is a late addition to our program schedule. Eric is a retired Royal Naval submariner.  He has put a very funny show together based on his career in the submarine force.

And then there might just be the zaniest of the zany.  This production was another late addition based on reviews. Shit Theater – Drink Rum with Expats is performed at the Holden Street Theaters.  They are located in the Thebarton section of town.  It is two tram stops and then a far lot longer walk than we anticipated. How long?  We’ll take an Uber for the return.

If you remember the movie of the musical Oliver, the character who played Bill Sykes was Oliver Reed.  Oliver died during a drinking binge in a bar in Malta.  The show this evening is a story of two British women who travel to Malta, travel to that bar, and get embroiled in the dirty politics of Malta. It is a serious topic delivered in a humorous and zany manner; a lot of fun complete with free beer and free run.

On the opening night of Fringe we attended a show. On this evening we closed Fringe with a show.  There was a bit of mix-up over these tickets.  We’d thought we’d schedule enough.  Bronwyn thought we wanted to see it and purchased the tickets. It’s fortunate she did.  It’s a great acrobatics show performed to the music of The Blues Brothers.  Neil was originally scheduled to attend.  Louis was later to take his place.  Bronwyn attends with her daughter-in-law’s mother.

The Black Blues Brothers put on an entertaining, high-energy performance of acrobatics. The show is a fine finale to Fringe. This is NOT the Blues Brothers!