Who is Jean? Go the Distance: Fringe Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less sketch show and more comedy theatre, Who Is Jean present a surrealist tale about a running race where all manner of unusual events occur along the way. With an absurdest approach to comedy, laughs are attempted through the bizarre and spontaneous nature of their material. Unfortunately, many of their jokes fall flat as they seem to rely on the randomness of their content rather than its quality. As scenes are viewed with a mixture of confusion and bafflement, it is only during sparse moments that genuine laughs are found, more often than not as a result of a mistake or corpsing on the part of the cast. It remains clear that a lot of work is still needed.

The Banshee Labyrinth, 6 – 27 Aug (not 17, 24), 4.45pm (5.45pm), free non-ticketed, fpp165.

tw rating 2/5

This article was written for Three Weeks, but unfortunately was never published.

Rowena Haley: Nothing to Write Home About

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accompanied by a baby-blue guitar and a collection of holiday snaps, Rowena Haley goes through the ups and downs of her past. Delivering her material in a somewhat cynical manner, she blends songs with stories to reasonable effect. Moments of her show shine with wit and intelligence but unfortunately the rest is hampered by Haley’s adherence to humour surely only fit for friends and family, complete with in-jokes and references that are difficult to follow. It’s really frustrating when it is obvious that she has a lot to offer in the way of comedy. Perhaps if she focused more on a general audience rather than those who are close to her, she would see herself achieving far more success.

Southsider, 6 – 27 Aug, 5.45pm (6.35pm), free, fpp144. 

tw rating 2/5 

Taken from Three Weeks, published Tue Aug 23rd 2011.

Three Weeks 2011 – Daily Edition #19, Aug 23rd

 

2 Comedians, 1 Bucket – Free: Fringe Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Considering that this is a debut Fringe performance for these two upcoming Irish comedians, they do well to pack out the small venue and produce an hour of comedy that as promised, “isn’t shit”. They have very differing comedic styles, but Marcus Olaoire and Lucy Montague-Moffatt are both versatile and have a good grasp of comedic pace and timing. With its rather crude subject matter, this is not a show for families, but for those that like a bit of the inappropriate, this is a show that won’t disappoint. A performance that – though very far from perfect – has great potential and, best of all, doesn’t cost a penny.

Bar 50, 6 – 27 Aug (not 11, 18, 25), 9.30pm (10.30pm), free, fpp162.

tw rating 3/5

Taken from Three Weeks, published online Tue Aug 16th 2011.

Crush – Free

Crush – Free

Lizzy Mace/PBH’s Free Fringe

An innovative idea, with its combination of spoken word and video clips: Lizzy Mace offers an interesting concept although one that ultimately feels more akin to a self-help class in relationships than a production. Being asked to recount memories such as those of the very first crush you ever had offers the basis for a pleasant nostalgia trip, as one is able to recognise and empathise with many of the experiences mentioned. The underlining message of the production appears to be the importance of being a WOTM (woman of the moment) to an attempt to lead a fruitful life; it’s a congenial performance but one which unfortunately didn’t present much in the way of comedy.

The Banshee Labyrinth, 7 – 28 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 1.10pm (2.00pm), free, fpp 51

tw rating: 2/5

published: Oct-2010

[Alistair  Quaile]

Taken from Three Weeks

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