Perth Fringe World Reviews: Colin Ebsworth, Bodymap, Unsuitable & More

Unsuitable @ The Pleasure Garden

6 Feb

Unsuitable opened with a clear circus vibe and slapstick clowning on full display.  As the narrative evolved, punters were drawn into rich stories of loss and pain as performers threw their bodies around the stage with impressive degrees of difficulty and skill.

The remarkable versatility of the cast was on display with aerial tricks only the brave would dream to master. Punters were treated to hair-raising stunts with silks, tightrope and trapeze.

To present the show in such a fun and mesmerising way is testament to the show’s creator and cast.  Sometimes it was difficult to hear the narrative over the music, however, the tricks more than made up for this technical issue.

Unsuitable harnesses clever use of emotive movement while not taking itself too seriously. Splashes of slapstick and comedy throughout the show culminated in a finale highlight which had the audience in fits of laughter.

Sharon Burgess

Chris Henry: Around the World in 80 Dates @ The Shambles at Fringe Central

8 Feb

How can a comedian find love in the modern dating world? Scottish comedian Chris Henry is determined to find out with his brand new show about his search for ‘the one’. Join Henry on his journey as he scours the globe, providing plenty of priceless anecdotes of what has led him to this point. Sure to culminate in a new story of his latest escapades in each city he visits, this show ventures into the somewhat awkward aspects of dating – and Henry’s knack for comedic timing ensures that nobody leaves feeling entirely comfortable with his experiences.

Tash Edge

BUTT KAPINSKI @ The Blue Room Theatre

8 Feb

A darkened room full of slightly nervous audience members, squished into a spiral of chairs, watching a corner of the room flail about to impersonate ‘body organs’. Butt Kapinski, the noir murder-mystery comedy may rely heavily on audience participation, but there’s no taking away from the performance or ability to drive comedy from seemingly nowhere with which Deanna Fleysher brings to the oddball show. Littered with dark humour and constant boundary pushing of audience comfort, Butt Kapinski is murder-mystery theatre for those who enjoy the much wilder side of Fringe.

Mark Beresford

Colin Ebsworth @ Sunset Veranda

8 Feb

Colin Ebsworth has been hailed as one funny fecker and, like any comedian of worth, has a natural ability to effortlessly segue from one subject to the next.

V8 supercars, steroid loving dudes in Kuta and rat's tails were all explored by the beer sipping comedian. His self-deprecating style only served to enhance his appeal, especially on the rare occasions when half-roasted jokes failed to win over the audience.

There’s no doubt stand-up comedy is a tough gig to master. He is in his mid-twenties, yet Ebsworth is a dude with over a decade of stand up experience under his belt. The man deserves a big tick of approval for entertainment and comedic skill on this occasion.

Tom O’Donovan

Bubble Show for Adults Only @ the Black Flamingo at the Pleasure Garden

9 Feb

This bubble show is guaranteed to be unlike anything you remember from childhood. Kurt and Iulia, aka Dr Bubble and Milkshake, shed their wholesome act set aside for the kids’ show during the day, and bring a whole new genre of kinky bubble play to the stage. Expertly crafting each bubble with speed and finesse, the pair showcase their talent for bubble artistry and performance art in a crazy hour of entertainment that is definitely as the title suggests - for adults only. This show is a great example of what makes Fringe so much fun each year.

Tash Edge

Circuscision @ the Black Flamingo at the Pleasure Garden

9 Feb

Bringing some of the best circus acts from across this year’s Fringe World, the boys from Head First Acrobats have outdone themselves with this collaboration. It’s almost a shame that each night has a different lineup as Friday night’s show was so outstanding - though if Friday’s quality of picks is anything to go by, each night should be just as good. The trio from Head First are extraordinary and the show is peppered with short acts from each of them - so no matter what, you’ll be guaranteed an incredible show from them at the very least.

Tash Edge

Briefs: Close Encounters @ The West Australian Spiegeltent at The Pleasure Garden

10 Feb

Bringing together their unique brand of burlesque, comedy, drag and circus, the boys from Briefs are back and (if possible?) better than ever. Get up close and personal, and enter the glittery mothership to escape with the fabulous and iconic performers that have sold out shows around the world. Using this as a forum to challenge perceptions and cut through the bullshit, the boys astound and astonish with their unparalleled knack for lacing each performance with breathtaking art, circus and physical theatre that left everyone hooting for more and in the case of Saturday night’s show - a standing ovation. 

Tash Edge

Chris Forbes: Unquiet Mind @ the Red Room at Brass Monkey Hotel

11 Feb

Kicking off his Australian solo debut over the weekend, Glaswegian Chris Forbes opened with a small but engaged crowd on Sunday night. Featuring the best and worst of his very own ‘unquiet mind’, Forbes recounted tales from his past – that often led to his total humiliation as the best comedy stories often do. With his unique charm and quick wit, Forbes feels like the kind of Scot you’d love to have a beer with over a mutual love of Brad Pitt and Pizza Hut. His show feels like an easy conversation with a firm friend – not an easy feat for a comedian.

Tash Edge

BODYMAP @ Casa Mondo at the Pleasure Garden

11 Feb

One of the more outrageous shows at this year’s Fringe World, BODYMAP is jam packed full of passionate rhetoric from nude host Glitta Supanova. Tales from a woman who has truly lived, the show is a roadmap of Glitta’s experiences; a truly authentic (and often hilariously ludicrous) take on societal expectations, self-discovery and politics in the modern age. Though initially jarring in presentation, over the course of the hour Glitta worms her way into the hearts of the audience through her brutal honesty and performance art that sits at a whole new level of strangely endearing.

Tash Edge