Fringe Shows

Today I thought I'd share with you my thoughts on some of the Fringe shows I went to see this summer.   To start with, the Makropulos Case.   It's a Czech opera, and was part of the International Festival.   The story was a bit odd.   There's an ongoing legal battle about an inheritence, and a woman turns up, who knew a strangely large amount about the case.   She offers to tell people where the will is in exchange for a document kept with it.  It's all very mysterious, but in the end it comes out that the document is the formula for the elixir of life.   She needs it to make herself some more because the dose she took many years ago is wearing off.   But in the end she doesn't, and grows old and dies onstage.   Now odd stories are fine if they're done right, but what really bothered me about this opera was the translation.   It was so clumsy!   It distracted me all the way through.  Very jarring.  Would have much rather seen it in Czech!   It also struck me as odd that there were no arias at all.   It was all cantanta.   Having said all that the music was gorgeous.   I think I would have really enjoyed it if it wasn't for the awful translation.  

Next, Gilbert and Sullivan in Brief(s).   This was a brief introduction to all 14 Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.   There were four people on stage, playing the parts of the four main characters that Gilbert and Sullivan operettas always have.   Amid much clowning about on stage, they delivered a summary of the story and history of each operetta and performed a song or two from them.   It was educational, the singing was excellent, and it was a very entertaining show.   For me though, it was too brief!   It missed out lots of my favorite songs.   Could have done with being a bit longer I thought.   But I did enjoy it.  

And finally, Irish Shorts 2.   This was one of two shows put on by the same theatre company.   It was two different short Irish plays by Sean O'Casey: Bedtime Story and A Pound on Demand.   The first starred one of my friends as an Irish boy the morning after a one night stand, full of remorse and fear, trying to persuade the girl to leave quickly and quietly.   It was very atmospheric and funny, and the cast were great.   The second was also very funny.   It was about two drunk and uneducated Irishmen trying to withdraw a pound from one of them's post office account for more alcohol.   This proved to be easier said than done.   The cast of this one were also fantastic.   A very entertaining show.   I can't find a picture specific to the show, but this is the logo of Theatre Alba, the company who put it on.