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Simply Fancy
Written by Craig Thomson   
Published on Saturday, 09 August 2008

A FRIEND WHO SAW Simply Fancy tells me that he noticed it had only provoked a single user review on the official Fringe website, and that it was for only one star – so he gave it five stars, to balance things out.  What this serves to demonstrate is that some people will love this show, while others will either hate it or just not get it.  If the terms ‘surreal’, ‘absurd’, ‘fantastical’ and ‘Australian’ turn you off... perhaps best to avoid.

For the rest of us, this is a surreal and frequently absurd fantasy, delivered by Australian comedy trio Pig Island.  From the start, it is endlessly inventive; the opening time-shifted scene of the play-within-the-play is a particular delight.  As the story unfolds, a family is split up as they search for the ideal birthday present, each confronting a different challenge drawn from a mythos of gods, seasons and manta rays.  It’s difficult to relay much of the story without spoiling some element of the surprise, but I think I can safely set a challenge to see how long it takes to understand the ‘scariest story ever told’ – a lot of other people seemed to know what was going on a long time before I finally clicked!

Another surreal moment comes courtesy of the venue: stepping in to The Turret at Gilded Balloon’s Teviot House headquarters, you walk straight on to the stage, facing the audience.  This also means that it’s quite impractical to get out while the show is going on – if you need to leave early (either because nature calls, or because you have no imagination), wait until only one of the three actors is out, and they can shepherd you behind the curtain.

The stiflingly hot Turret may not be the most prestigious venue, but it adds to the feeling of a Fringe classic in the making – this is a fine example of structured comedic writing, with exuberant and well-timed performances to match, and the cramped surrounds really do add to the immediacy and involvement the audience feels.  During the performance I attended, we had one walk-out, and about twenty who gave Pig Island uproarious applause at the end of the hour.  I’ll take those odds.

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