Cairo Knife Fight are a little hard to pin down. They make music, different kinds of music, and they think it sounds good.
This is the second single from their debut album ‘Iron’.

http://www.myspace.com/cairoknifefight

Filmed by Ed Davis http://www.underbelly.co.nz/

Come Home To Me

BREAKING: San Diego ACORN Document Dump Scandal

Article: BigGovernment

On October 1st, 2009 California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced that an investigation had been opened into ACORN’s activities in California, resulting from undercover videos showing employees seemingly offering to assist the undercover film makers with human smuggling, child prostitution and even tax advice to boot.

Although ACORN has denied any wrongdoing, some of the employees involved were terminated, and ACORN has publicly stated that they would fully cooperate with any investigations that followed.

Interestingly, the local head ACORN organizer in California, David Lagstein was caught on tape earlier this month speaking to an East County Democratic Club.

Mr. Lagstein stated: “…the attorney general is a political animal, but certainly every bit of the communication we have had with them has suggested that the fault will be found with the people that did the video and not the people with ACORN.”

Continuing, Mr. Lagstein stated: “…we are fully cooperating, some of the investigators visited our office this morning and I think they really understand what’s going on.”

Shockingly, we now learn that the ACORN office in National City (San Diego County) engaged in a massive document dump on the evening of October 9th, containing thousands upon thousands of sensitive documents, just days prior to the Attorney General’s visit.

BigGovernment.com has learned that not only did this document dump occur, but the documents in question were irresponsibly and brazenly dumped in a public dumpster, without considering laws and regulations as to how sensitive information should be treated.

I am a local licensed private investigator. I took it upon myself to keep an eye on what the local ACORN office was up to, in light of the release of the undercover videos. I retrieved these documents from the public dumpster.

Documents shared with BigGovernment.com include information exposing not only the inner workings of ACORN in California, but also personal, sensitive information belonging to employees, members and clients of ACORN. ACORN and its few remaining defenders insist that the “good” ACORN provides outweighs the transgressions exposed in the recent undercover video sting. But, ACORN’s massive dumping of these documents and the cavalier manner in which it betrayed the trust of its supporters betrays that talking point. (Unlike ACORN, we have redacted sensitive and personal information.)

Click Here to View Documents

ACORN’s political agenda is also exposed, with thousands upon thousands of documents revealing the depth of the political machine that is ACORN, and its disturbing ties to not only public employee labor unions but some of the most radical leftist organizations.

The laws governing how sensitive, personal information such as social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, immigration records, tax returns, etc. must be treated are very stringent, and thus it seems as if ACORN may have committed serious violations in that department alone, with thousands upon thousands of potential plaintiffs.

Included throughout this post are a couple of photos showing the dump site, as well as just a small sample of the type of documents summarily dumped by the San Diego office of ACORN. In addition the video clip, from the evening of the document dump, shows ACORN operatives clearly engaged in some kind of discussion – likely related to the activities of that evening.

Over the weeks and months ahead, BigGovernment.com will continue to release information from this shocking document dump by ACORN, slowly revealing the ugly truth of ACORN: the fact that their stated mission of helping the poor and downtrodden is just a ruse and a cover for an organization that is highly partisan and highly political, and thus rotten to the core.

Click here to see MORE documents

If California Attorney General Jerry Brown and United States Attorney General Eric Holder refuse to truly investigate ACORN, and if the mainstream media refuses to engage in the investigative reporting that they used to do, then it will continue to be up to citizen journalists and investigators to expose the dirty, rotten underbelly of ACORN.

Click here to see EVEN MORE documents SHEESH.

It had crime, it had violence, it had drug use, it was based in some semblance of fact, it was on commercial television, and it was absolutely loaded to the brim with heavily stylized, semi-explicit sex scenes and exposed breasts. It was, in short, the televisual equivalent of bogan heaven.

Underbelly, for the uninitiated, was Channel 9’s attempt to dramatise the story of Melbourne’s ‘crime war’ during the 1990s and 2000s. With breasts. During this war, several heretofore unknown criminals became household names. To the bogan, ‘household name’ is entirely synonymous with ‘celebrity’. And the only thing bogans love more than celebrities is celebrities playing celebrities. For proof, look no further than Walk the Line, where Joaquin Phoenix managed to create a bogan-friendly image of Johnny Cash, or even better, check out Jamie Foxx in Ray.

Even better, Underbelly was packaged by its creators as high brow entertainment, and the banning of the programme in Victoria lent it the perfect level of illegitimate cred. And it had loads of breasts. Professionally and slickly filmed, it was frenetic enough to withstand the bogan’s extraordinarily short concentration span, while simultaneously giving the impression of intellectual legitimacy. It thus became the bogan equivalent of Janus, Blue Murder or Phoenix. Bogans are unaware of those shows.

It was so successful, in fact, that Channel 9 began immediately hunting down other criminals in order to expose Australia’s bogans to a second series of actors holding guns and fondling/leering at breasts. Thus, Underbelly 2: A Tale of Two Cities pushed further back into the 70s, when the story was less interesting, the criminals less famous, and Australians had to watch Matthew Newton. And a pair of delightful New Zealand breasts.

This has, in turn, exposed a nascent urge in the nouveau bogan. The irrepressible desire to associate themselves with said underworld figures. The bogan will, upon an Underbelly-related conversation beginning, immediately and enthusiastically offer an anecdote about how, when they worked at a café, they worked with a guy who once served a coffee to the table that Mick Gatto was sitting at. And that he seems like ‘a top guy’.

Breasts.

For a really great interview with local artist Matt Allison check out the Jax Underbelly blog here - Matt Alison Interview. – B.G.

.

Meet Matt Allison.

A breath of fresh air.  Just see for yourself.

1.  Hi Matt.  Can you introduce yourself?  Hi, my name is Matt Allison and I am very happy to be here.  How long have you lived in Jacksonville? Since the summer of 2005. Previously, I lived in Sarasota FL. where I attended Ringling School of Art and Design and met my wife and collaborator Kathryn Nudo Allison. Well before that I spent my days roaming the shopping mall wastelands of the South Florida.     

2.  How would you describe your work? Collections of things arranged into very specific configurations, with the intent that the total becomes something greater than the sum of its parts. Haphazardly perfectionistic.  Would you consider yourself an installation artist? Very much so. What I make is always informed by the space it will exist in. I tend to find inspiration in the things that are completely unique to a particular space. It can be as simple as a weird architectural element or the vibe I feel when I walk through the door (given there is a door to walk through.)  

3.  Where have you shown your work in Jacksonville thus far? Here and there. One of my biggest needs, creatively speaking, is to work within spaces that personally resonate with me. My involvement with Opaq Gallery was entirely rooted in that need. I created a piece for the old library basement and was really happy to work with those folks. Earlier this year, I did a couple of interactive projects that were designed for specifically non art spaces. One was in a  delinquent office space downtown and the other was in Riverside Park. Most recently, I built an installation in the atrium of City Hall. It was a collaboration with the Sulzbacher Center to raise awareness for the services they provide our community. Do you think your audience has been receptive to your ideas? For the most part yes. I am not really interested in making one liners, so sometimes the work requires a little more effort. I value art that takes a certain amount of personal and intellectual investment, and I know that there are others who share the sentiment.

 4.  Tell me about the title of your new exhibition: “Strategies for Making Time Stand Still”.  Have there been any recent occurrences in your life that inspired this series? Yes. The show is rooted in a very personal feeling of wanting to, even if for just a moment, subvert the natural order of things.  If I could pause the progress on the time line, nothing would have to change.

5.  Are there any Jacksonville artists you particularly admire or draw inspiration from? Absolutely, and I apologize if this takes a while… Kathryn Nudo Allison, Mark Creegan, Dustin Harewood, Tonya Lee, Mark Estlund, Madeleine Peck Wagner, and Clay Dorian. All of those in Jacksonville who have a seemingly endless supply of “do-it-yourself” energy. The gentlemen in After the Bomb Baby. Paul Paxton and Crash the Satellites. The Carlisle Group. Matt Butler. Jacksonville’s independent film community. The Plaindown Collective. And as far as I am concerned, there is no better display of excellence in Jacksonville’s arts community than the combination of Eric Riehm, Von Barlow, and Lawrence Buckner.

6.  Thanks again Matt.  We are looking forward to your exhibition at Underbelly on Friday.  Do you have any final thoughts you would like to add? Thank you so very much.

Are yall squirms ready for the powerweek? Power week makes your mama’s bed creak.

Did you know that power week happens every month. Pauer week pops pink poops properly with ARTWALK + First Fridays.

Don’t listen to your mom cuz she don’t like Wednesday powerdrinking. But your dad’ll be all like: “Being awake hurts, so drive thru Monty’s and bring me a pint of brown, ya ungrateful parasite, pansy, pinko, prettyboy/girl, prostitute.”

Wednesday will bring tears to your tatertot. National Dairy in the OLLD, is an item on your bucket list, ho. After the Bomb, Baby! will sever your sad bits @ MOCA right after.

Chiaroscuro Baby drops like an exciting new Duval Titanic meets Buffalo 66 meets _____ at the FL Theater. Don’t start the evil, but do dress for this cuz it’s gonna be fancy. INSIDE TIP: a source close to the film tells me there is “mad nudity.”

FIRST FRIDAY
Apparently “Underbelly” is a secret speakesy behind/inside Anomolly. Matt Allison finagles your feelers with a sickrip show. So go. Also, the theater will be looping local music vids + then showing chi-baby. So go, ho. Mo!

As you might can tell, this is an encyclopedic collection of facts and no other events will be occuring during these time coordinates, or I would have omnisciently mentioned them. So, if you were mistaken and thought otherwise, you better drop a comment and fill a ziploc with sub-Evan Williams bourbon to slurp in the middle of Park Street like the zombi u r. I’ll see you there.

Suc It,
Spezz

Spezz Meckman

We Antipodeans make some pretty good TV series, and eventually the rest of the world catches onto them. But besides shows like Underbelly, I’m actually somewhat embarrassed about what comes out of Australia. I’m thinking Neighbours and Home & Away, but then nothing of late has grabbed my attention. But our cousins across the Tasman have created a show that not only should be aired in Australia (at prime time) for all to enjoy, but should end up in the cult classics section of your local DVD store, whatever part of the world you’re in.

Outrageous Fortune from Aotearoa (or “New Zealand” for you Pākehā) is a far cry from being your average soap, and masterfully blends comedy – often of spoof-like proportions – with hard-hitting drama. It revolves around the Wests, a West Auckland family notorious with the police for generations, and the various dubious characters associated with them.

Wolfgang “Wolf” West (played by Grant Bowler) is a career criminal who believes in the old code, and lives by certain rules like no violence and no home invasions (at least while there’s anybody home). And of course the family rule is never, ever lag/rat/dob/snitch/dog on anyone, no matter what the reason. He is the undoubted boss of the household, but his dominance over the family is soon to be questioned.

His wife Cheryl (Robyn Malcolm) is the rock of the family, and in the first episode her strength is tested as Wolf lands in jail yet again, and for a much longer stay than anyone anticipated. Faced with a family spiralling out of control due to the nature of their lifestyle, she makes the decision that from then onwards their family would so straight. Met with disbelieving horror by her children, and hearty laughter from her imprisoned husband, Cheryl’s efforts to see this through form the basis of this thoroughly entertaining show.

Humour abounds as Cheryl tries to guide her family down the road to redemption, from out-of-control sibling squabbles to generally poking fun at stereotypes, from witty one-liners through to hilarious series of events leading to catastrophe. But this isn’t a sitcom, with plenty of serious drama in the mix, and more than a few heart-wrenching scenes as the story unfolds. And for a largely-unknown show funded by NZ on Air, it has some pretty damned good acting in it too.

This becomes immediately apparent when you meet the oldest of the West kids, identical twins Jethro and Van – wildly opposing personalities actually played by the same award-winning actor, Antony Starr. Jethro, the oldest by minutes, is by far the smarter of the two, and is white sheep of the family, as he is just about to be accepted to the bar as a lawyer, much to Wolf’s dismay.

Van, who is nowhere near as cultured and intelligent as his sibling, is proudly following in Dad’s footsteps, so is of course involved in all sorts of petty crime. Unfortunately, while his heart is in the right place, Van often bungles things, usually with side-splitting consequences. No-one is sure whether it was the hip flask of Jack Daniels he consumed when a toddler, or the four hours trapped in a freezer during a game of hide-and-seek, but his physical and mental ages aren’t exactly in sync. Yet any guy would tell you he is a true mate, and none of his shortcomings matter to the ladies.

Next in the family is tall, blonde and beautiful Pascalle (Siobhan Marshall), fashion junkie and self-confessed slut, who at 18 is distressed that she still hasn’t broken into modelling, since her idol, Rachel Hunter, had become a star at 17. None too bright, and often quite snappy and nasty, her dimwittedness and emotional instability are a joy to behold.

Last but certainly not least is 15 yo Loretta (Antonia Prebble), a would-be film director whose tomboyishness has the rest of her family convinced she is a lesbian, even though she sees sex of any kind as an abomination. Undeniably clever and devious beyond her years, this little lady is pure evil, and a wonder to observe. Skilfully she manipulates all around her, yet not everything goes as she plans, and her reactions to realising she isn’t bulletproof are often as funny as the disastrous outcomes themselves.

Oh, and let’s not forget Ted, a.k.a. “Grandpa” (Frank Whitten), who comes to live with the family at the beginning of the series. Theodore West, the finest safe-cracker of his generation, still has a keen mind, at least when he isn’t suffering bouts of dementia. He is basically the only person Loretta feels understands her, so they have a close bond, but he is less than friendly to other members of the clan, most notably Cheryl, whom he calls “Slutty Pants”.

Many other characters come and go throughout the seasons, but the main players are Munter (a simple but likeable Māori, and Van’s best mate since childhood), Falani (a friendly but sneaky Samoan who deals in stolen goods), Eric (who works for Wolf while continually trying to sleaze onto Cheryl), “Sparky” (a speed-addled professional pyromaniac who gets way too much enjoyment from it), and Det.Sgt. Wayne Judd (the “D-Sarge” who makes the Wests’ life hell).

So if you’re into crime-related drama, like a few good laughs and plenty of surprises, and appreciate watching the evolution of characters (who are played by talented actors), you really should check out Outrageous Fortune. And ladies: there are quite a few heated love scenes, which apparently you get into more than us guys, who generally prefer the crime and “mateship” aspects. Whatever your reason for checking it out, I’d be surprised if you don’t get hooked, so grab Season 1 and join the West family on the crazy ride that is their life.

Outrageous Fortune Seasons 1 – 5 are currently available on DVD.

Gangland killer Carl Williams has reportedly been heartbroken after his secret lover dumped him for a Melbourne boxer.

The Sunday Herald Sun reports prison sources said the woman, named as Stacey Vella, had been visiting Williams in Barwon prison up until the breakup.

Williams, 38, is currently serving a 35-year term for his role in three gangland murders.

The convicted criminal reportedly told friends he was engaged to the 20-something hairdresser from Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Vella wrote Williams letters and sent him racy photographs taken at a professional studio.

But the relationship ended when Williams reportedly found out Vella was involved with an unnamed boxer.

“Carl’s now a shattered man — he hates the fact that he let her in and she let him down,” a friend told the newspaper.

Ms Vella refused to speak to the Sunday Herald Sun and said she had no contact with Williams, but her mother confirmed to the newspaper photos of her daughter were sent to him.

“Carl Williams hooks these kids in to pass his time, then he chases them, Ms Vella’s mother said.

Williams’ love life has been highly publicised since a fictionalised version of him was portrayed in the smash hit television drama ‘Underbelly’.

His ex-wife Roberta Williams is a minor celebrity and a former girlfriend’s wedding photos were leaked from Facebook earlier this year.

Another Underbelly update for all. My latest short film, Underbelly starring Al Thompson, is being distributed by Indieflix as of TODAY!

Synopsis: Two distraught inhabitants of America’s underbelly form a bond through art.
Directed by Donald A.C. Conley
Total Runtime: 20min.

Indieflix is an on-line independent film distribution agency. Underbelly has been released on September 8th for $5.95. Please support a young filmmaker’s vision by purchasing a DVD copy of the film. Go to http://www.indieflix.com in order to secure your copy today.

No jokes but there I was watching Underbelly and now here I am posting about the A-League.

Now let me explain.

Underbelly.

In the middle of all those murders, there’s some great drama – it’ll kill me when it finishes tonight.

So they play a song and I Google it … it sounds familiar … and bingo there we have the 2009-2010 A-league promo. More kissing than killing in the A-League but you can see the connection.

Kind of a little like a 21st century Gary Glitter but still enjoy!

And the original:

I have no other way
There is a price to pay
For what the man will say
But I was a million miles away
In a promise full of steam
It could take no vacant dream
To persuade me to believe

I think just dont fight it
Dont fight it
Dont fight it
If you dont know what it is
If you dont know what it is

I left my heart in places
Forgot every one of their faces
And tried to navigate
A broken path of which I may have
helped create
In any incident this is never no accident
To stand alone and let the silence make
itself at home

Oh give it up
Those dirty tricks
No quick fix can undo it

Oh give it up
I wont resist
My answers always this

I say just dont fight it
Dont fight it
Dont fight it
If you dont know what it is
If you dont know what it is

Where has my light gone
Where has my fight gone
What keeps us burning when the fire
is long gone
When I cant relate
To that voice without a face
Should I be afraid
Or is it just a voice I did create

Oh give it up
Those dirty tricks
No quick fix can undo it
Oh give it up
I wont resist
My answers always this

Hello there!

Well, we look forward to entertaining you once more in September.  Thursday 17 September to be precise!  Cheaper guestlist can be found here

We’re getting back to basics, back to the new school, and updating our basic songbook! Drop us an email if you have any special requests/good and burning suggestions.

Come down to The Underbelly for some extra curricular activity in the form of a good old sing song. Get your song requests in early and you’ll be teachers pet.

If you’re up for school attire, that would also rock our classroom!

Sing with you soon!

The KaraUke Band xxx

The ‘Amicable’ Solution
Underbelly
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The ‘Amicable’ Solution, Theatre, Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

**** 4 STARS

What this play does best is appreciate the subtleties of inter-personal dynamics which can cause adversity amongst even the most solid of relationships. It does so by concentrating on Andy, the opposite of an alpha male, and how his insecurity, resentment and unfulfilled desire can be overcome by logic and rationale –this is the ‘amicable’ solution. But will it work?

While the script deals well with the central characters torment over his lack of libidinous feeling towards his wife, the character of Andy fails to ever really make it clear why he actually feels that way. Similarly, the plot struggles over congruent resolution to the employment of the ‘amicable’ solution, making it seem rushed into conclusion.

The character of the gym instructor is absolutely outstanding, not just due to his physical appearance but actually as a rendering of every man’s deepest fear. There could be no better embodiment of the elusive Adonis waiting to chat up your girlfriend than the one portrayed here. Utterly hilarious in his solipsistic arrogance and single-minded ignorance, this is without a shadow of a doubt the best and funniest element of the show.

Both funny and, I should imagine, for most people easy to relate to in some form or the ‘amicable’ solution is a light hearted play with a sort of philosophical twist.

Reviewed by: Magnus Huntly-Grant

Keith Farnan: No Blacks, no Jews. No Dogs, No Irish
Underbelly
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Keith Farnan, Comedy, Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

**** 4 STARS

Opening with a charming film of Lego men which captivated the audience Keith Farnan takes to the stage and unleashes a barrage of non-stop banter and jokes that cause the next hour to pass swiftly. An undeniably charismatic and amiable stage presence Farnan’s infectious energy keeps his audience very much entertained. Even on the few occasions when the material veers into patchy terrain it is his natural charm which pulls it out of the rough.

Apparently based on a sign that hung in a restaurant he worked in when visiting the States this show’s primary topic is racism and the many guises that it inhabits. A few keenly observed jokes emerge throughout this show and Farnan handles his topic with ribald patter that has the audience constantly in his grasp. Taking in the many racist and religious prejudices that permeate our diseased culture no bigotry or intolerance escaped his scrutiny.

Not above self-deprecation the Irish themselves don’t escape Farnan’s ire or attention. Riverdance receives a fairly accurate appraisal. Likewise his opinion of James Joyce’s inpenetrable ‘Ulysses’ – which I have the ‘pleasure’ of being acquainted with- concurs with mine that it is merely a dictionary in the wrong order. Self-deprecation aside Farnan moves onto other hotly contested topics such as the BNP and ancient Greeks with observations that are poignantly accurate and well informed.

This is a show that showcases Farnan’s rapier wit whilst running the gamut of prejudices that exist in our society. Keenly observed his natural demeanour and the Lego men -arguably the stars of the show- won his audience over and made for a highly entertaining hour that never dragged or seemed forced whilst the ratio of laughs was high and the atmosphere was, at the shows apotheosis, rollicking.

Reviewed by: David Marren

Five Characters In Search Of Susan
Underbelly
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Five Characters In Search Of Susan, Comedy, Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

*** 3 STARS

It started in the queue when an overly chatty blonde Essex girl type- think annoying Nikki from BB150 or whatever- insinuated her way into the conversations of those waiting. Then it continued when this pocket-sized little miss dynamite sat down next to me in the venue and tried to engage me in conversations about Cheryl Cole and Kerry Katona- subjects I have very strong opinions on- before moving hurriedly away and bothering someone else. As the lights went down indicating the beginning of the show this diminutive pocket-rocket was still twittering on it became clear- to me at least, others still glared at her brazenness- that this was the first of the characters to be absorbed into the zany world of Susan Harrison.

Based on the idea that the elusive Susan of the shows title had not turned up, this show was essentially a showcase for the diminutive Harrison to show off her adept skill in creating a diverse array of comedy characters. Her Essex girl sketch was delightful, introducing herself as Shakira -what else? – she babbled her way through an inexorable rush of dialogue outlining her ambitions concerning Nuts magazine and X factor. Moving on from this the next character was a mermaid who was a little more Nanny McPhee crossed with Susan Boyle as opposed to Darryl Hannah in ‘Splash’. The other three characters included a sharp poke at reviewers and a teenage MC with no discernible talent.

What this show lacked however was someone for these characters to bounce off. It was not a bad show but it did feel, on occasion, that the well developed characters needed to be fed more material to interact with rather than be left to stand alone. Likewise the interludes between sketches were well thought out and executed but felt overlong. Harrison could really benefit from having others on stage to handle these moments as well as taking her, admittedly sharp, material into a more sophisticated area where it could thrive. So ‘Five Characters in Search of Susan’ may not have had me desperately seeking but I will keep an eye out for her in the future. As a final aside, yes Shakira I did mean it when I said I wasn’t sure what a Kerry Katona was but I do wish I had a cream to make it go away.

Reviewed by: David Marren

Woody Sez
Underbelly’s Cowbarn
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Woody Sez, Underbelly’s Cowbarn, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

***** 5 STARS

If you have spent a lot of time near the Udderbelly during this years Fringe, you will probably have seen the cast of Woody Sez performing outside McEwan Hall. Dressed as if they might have stepped out of depression-era Texas, the talented quartet seems to be developing a pretty decent side-line as a street act. There’s no doubt that they’re a virtuosic group of folk musicians, but if you take the time to see their incredible show you’ll find that there’s some great acting and writing talent here too.

Before getting to see Woody Sez, the show had been recommended to me on the strength of the musicianship alone. The performers play an extraordinary collection of instruments, ranging from guitars and fiddles to double-bass, dulcimer and jaw-harp – all with consummate skill.

This is a cast with an infectious love of this music and a sweeping knowledge of its composer, ‘folk troubadour’ Woody Guthrie. Writer David Lutken and director Nick Corley have handled the biographical element of the piece with real lightness of touch, using the music to illustrate key periods in Guthrie’s life. One nice example is the poignant use of The Ballad of Tom Joad, which accompanies the darker sections of the story.

It would have been very easy for the sequences of biographical dialogue to ruin the foot-stomping momentum of the show, but David Lutken plays the part of Guthrie with enormous swagger and charisma, making the drama every bit as engaging as the tunes. The rest of the performers play supporting roles in the story of Woody’s life but they each get a go in the front seat when it comes to the music, creating the feel of a miniature folk festival.

If you’re of the view that folk music is boring, protest songs angry and po-faced, grab a ticket for Woody Sez and prepare to be proved wrong. For all the tragedy of Guthrie’s life and the seriousness of his subject matter, this is a fun, uplifting show with the atmosphere of a celebration. If you like music, you’ll love this.

Reviewed by: Iain MacDonald

Pythonesque
Underbelly
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Pythonesque, Theatre, Underbelly

***** 5 STARS

And now for something completely brilliant. For those unfamiliar with the facts behind the madness, this is the most entertaining history lesson you will get, and for fellow python-obsessed individuals like myself, indulge yourself into 80 minutes worth of unadulterated nostalgic silliness from the golden age of comedy.

From the Footlights of Cambridge through ‘The Frost Report’ and ‘Do not adjust your set’, Pythonesque takes us on the serendipitios journey that brought the unmatchable Monty Python troupe together and the innovative stream of consciousness style sketch show format which they gave birth to in the Flying Circus series.

Monty Python represented the ultimate labatory of experimentation, and the Pythonesque team manage to capture some of that whimsical magic and the individual Python’s mannerisms that have inspired so many comedians since. The only thing missing is Gilliam’s pastiche of illustrations often used to cut scenes dead before they lost momentum, not only do they acknowledge this but their work is so engaging from beginning to end – they would never have needed it.

Although risky to attempt such iconic scenes, no Monty-Python feast would be complete without the inclusion of the Silly Walk, Dead Parrot sketch, Lumberjack song, Cheese Shop, and Four Yorkshiremen sketch, all of which Roy Smiles’ undescribably intelligent script takes the blue-print of and layers with parody.

The structure of the show has so many intelligent links to Monty Python that it is mind-boggling. The loose insinuation of a narrative centring on ‘the dead one’Graham Chapman and his admittance into Heaven, not only presents us with facts, it echoes his starring roles as ‘the straight-actor’ in the movies but also allows for a beautifully tender monologue citing the truth behind his pipe, and how it guided him to success and was ultimately responsible for his premature demise.

As if multi-rolling accurate portrayals of three legends of British Television, namely Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and David Frost was not enough, James Lance’s diverse acting talent bombarded the auditorium when Gilliam and Idle begin to argue building into a fight scene with himself. Although all four actors gave unfaultering performances, Mark Burrell as Cleese was exceptional, his physicality, intonation, timing. I apologise for gushing but words simply fail me.

Many acts have attempted to imitate or recreate iconic material such as the Pythons and it is so easy to fail. I was ready to scrutinise this performance, but left the auditorium in a haze of Pythonmania, feeling as though I had shared a million in-jokes written especially for me.

Reviewed by: Katie Gadsby

Review by Aitor Poyo

Out of Chaos is a fine mix of nowadays stories with self-interpreted Ancient Greek myths in a blended pool of languages including Spanish, French and Japanese.
The crew of Temple Theatre try to bring us these stories from the chaos and merge them again into the mess.   In all honesty, I couldn’t see chaos at all,  but did see fast synchronized movements in a well coordinated group of mates.
As a native Spanish speaker myself, I felt odd when the fellow countryman told his first tale in his mother tongue,  what were the others understanding ?   How could they know what he was narrating?     Fortunately for the English only speakers, all the other sketches are perfectly understandable (although a bit of Japanese culture knowledge  might be helpful).
It lasts roughly an hour but paying the six pounds fifty it cost on Monday and Tuesday is worth a slot in your agenda.

3 1/2 stars out of 5

Paul Zerdin: Sponge Fest
Underbelly
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Paul Zerdin: Sponge Fest, Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

***** 5 STARS

Some adults may scoff at the thought of going to see a ventriloquist, but Paul Zerdin is not your average puppeteer by any means.

With a mix of well written script and improvisation, Zerdin provides a show of non-stop mirth, including the first spate of uncontrollable laughter I’ve experienced this festival. In an explosive opening few minutes, he not only has the audience laughing, clapping and cheering, but he’s also picked his main victim for the night.

The technical aspect of his ventriloquism is outstanding – not only is it nigh on impossible to catch his lips moving, he also has a wide range of accents and the ability to quickly switch between characters and his own voice without being caught out – and the relationship he builds up with his dummies is heartwarming. Although everyone in the room is old enough to appreciate the link between the puppet and the puppeteer, Zerdin deals with this in such a way that not only draws us into the imagined life of his small friends but also so he can belittle us for falling for it.

Zerdin brings three dummies with him and each has a distinct personality and idiosyncratic movements that brings a plethora of options to his characters. There is a cheeky nature to each and they get away with a lot of comments to the audience that a straight comic would find extremely difficult to get laughs from.

As well as standard ventriloquism, Zerdin mixes up proceedings with a bit of stand up – mainly surrounding his life as a ventriloquist and how he uses it in everyday situations – and he also brings up a special guest which leads to the most hilarious section of the show.

Zerdin’s calm attitude on stage and his frankness with the audience mixes to provide a memorable night. It has been many years since Paul has performed at the Fringe, and if this show was anything to go by, lets hope he returns again and again.

Reviewed by: Oliver Gaywood

The Petty Concerns of Luke Wright
Underbelly
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The Petty Concerns of Luke Wright, Underbelly

***** 5 STARS

In the past critics have said many a thing about Luke, ‘self-assured cock-end’ being one of them; Well he can now add another to the list – LEGEND!

This performance is a vessel of enjoyment through his comedy and his poetry…both of which are deserved of my five stars.

Even non-poetry lovers (or poetry fearers!) should definitely see his show…don’t think high-brow, pretentious prat reciting John Donne too loudly…think realism, think gritty, and watch in ore as he performs the poetry with a passionate rhythm.

This is Luke’s 3rd time at the Fringe, and I believe he is maturing into a new era of poetic influence. Writers are inspired by the world around them, if the ground under them moves then the view changes, and it seems Luke had found this with fatherhood.

Luke condenses a decade in the life of a fame-hungry, egotistical performance poet into a winning hour-long set made up of stand-up style storytelling integrated with seven of his up-tempo poems.

This, for me, was like heaven in a cave.

It was an absolute thrill to witness poetry, a dying art, delivered with such vitality and originality. His poetry is humorous and witty with a clear finger on the pulse of the nation. Attentive to detail, blink and you may miss an extended metaphor or double entendre. There is a deep-seated level of intelligence in his vernacular, which is almost undetectable, and his command of the human language evokes beautifully vivid imagery.

His poetry was both personal and topical and his blossoming humility is a gratifying conclusion to such a reminiscent piece.

Reviewed by: Katie Gadsby

Gerry Howell’s Incubation Hour
Underbelly
Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Gerry Howell’s Incubation Hour, Underbelly

*** 3 STARS

He has been compared to Eddie Izzard and billed as ‘the one man Mighty Boosh’ so needless to say my expectations were high, and perhaps a little misplaced it may seem.

You can draw comparisons to Eddie Izzard with his mannerisms and unpredictable ideas, and I got the Noel Fielding vibe, but his set was far less surreal than I anticipated. Though in true-Boosh style, he did include a most amusing little skit about Jesus.

Gerry combines profanity with peculiarities, juxtaposing huge life affirming questions with ponderings about eggs. As you may guess, the material does not always flow, or follow conventional links, but this is clearly Howell’s style and this stream-of-consciousness approach is growing in popularity as randomness is favoured over structured ‘jokey-joke telling.’

He takes well known characters/stories/scenarios and changes, and manipulates them with clever word play and quick wit. This is clearly Howell’s main missile of humour, which he has nailed to a fine art.

His oxymoronic episodes leave you bewildered at times, but once you get into the swing of his technique and allow yourself to follow him into the realms of the bizarre, this performance really takes off.

At the start of the show, an egg timer had been set to go off, which failed. Maybe I missed the point and this was in fact intentional but if so it still seemed incongruent to his style and unfortunately his apparent disillusionment left him awkward and consequently the ending sort of petered out, which was a real shame, to an otherwise promising show.

Reviewed by: Katie Gadsby