Adelaide Fringe Festival: Holden Street Theatre Collection

Holden Street Theatre Collection

Holden Street Theatre Collection Rating

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The Holden Street Theatre is in full swing, hosting numerous shows in this year’s Adelaide Fringe(running from 21st Feb to 23rd March), and we were very privileged to be granted the opportunity to review three distinct but high-quality shows in one day.

Shellshocked
Shellshocked has its Australian Premiere at Holden Street Theatre for the Adelaide Fringe 2025. This play is by Phillip Stokes, an award-winning playwright from Leeds. The British Library recognises him as a culturally significant playwright of the 21st Century.

This production stars Jack Stokes and Lee Bainbridge as Wesley and Mr. Lupin (Sir). It opens with Mr. Lupin on stage, staring at a blank canvas on a large easel. The rest of the settings are a desk, a table, a solitary chair, a coat stand, a carafe of whisky, and two glasses.

Wesley has returned from serving in the military in WW2 and needs a job to support his single mum and three sisters. So, he applies to the local portrait painter for an apprenticeship, and his mother delivers his portfolio.

Wesley suffers from PTSD, but he is happy to get the position at a very decent wage. As Wesley gets to know Mr. Lupin, or Sir as he sometimes likes to be called, you start to notice that something is not right in their relationship. You sense that Mr. Lupin, who had polio as a young lad, feels that he has been deprived of the war experience and all it entails.

Wesley is taunted by Sir quite a few times through the course of the play. We begin to see why there is a blank canvas on stage and no other completed artwork. And we begin to wonder who the better artist is.

It becomes evident that Lupin is a bully. Slowly, this story builds up to an interesting climax, which you need to see to know the outcome. Jack Stokes as Welsey is brilliant; his character development is intense. He is certain to be an actor to watch out for in the future. He is cast well against Lee Bainbridge, who is a very accomplished actor.

This show is a must-see at the Adelaide Fringe before it goes to Broadway. A 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Dear Diary
For about 75 minutes, Kay Proudlove entertains us with a collection of stories and a few well-crafted songs. This entertaining production is a look at Kay’s adolescent life. It starts with Kay being called back to the family home to empty her childhood bedroom, as her mother wants a sewing room. This is well represented with three costume racks filled with her clothes.

A key element is the diary from which her memories spring. Here, we hear her stories of being a teenager and all the issues that entails. It starts with Kay having a night off from work and a gig being cancelled, and therefore, she is at her family home going through the detritus of teenage years.

The delivery is nice and gentle—it is like chatting with an old friend. Kay draws the audience in with her humour in her stories and songs. We hear about boyfriends, girl power, and lost music gigs. The whole story is very relatable to the audience.

The audience appreciated this show’s gentle storytelling approach, effectively conveying the narrative without being overly forceful.

So, join the journey of self-discovery, and you will enjoy the show.

4.5 out of 5

Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse For England
This rollicking production well portrays the decline of a footy (round ball) fan. Alex Hill plays Billy and is directed by Sean Turner. Alex uses the full stage at Holden Street. Alex plays multiple characters, with Billy being the main one.

This is a very physical one-man show that leads us through the story of Billy, a shy, introverted lad who is introduced to football.

Football helps him overcome his shyness and takes his mind off his job. His interest in football leads him to a gang of football hooligans. This is all set against the Euro 2020 competition at Wembley, and for the first time in a long time, England is in the comps with a chance to win.

The title of the production is based on a true incident that involved a flare and someone’s posterior. His life becomes more aggressive as he follows the gang of football fans. He feels he is fitting in and belongs to a crowd of like-minded people.

He becomes intoxicated by the stupid stunts and violence that is part of the culture of football thugs. He is introduced to cocaine, and that releases him from his cocoon, and he meets a girl. Now he must juggle a more complex lifestyle, between a girlfriend or football and mates. There is a theme of fascism in the football gang as you are expected to join in, whether you like it or not.

This production gives you an insight into the football hooligan mentality but in a wonderfully humorous way. It is a worthwhile production. Alex is an amazing talent. He holds your attention for over 75 minutes, leaving the audience feeling nearly as exhausted as Alex. 5 out of 5 stars from me.

These shows alone are well worth getting out to see, but by all means, we recommend getting down to see as many Adelaide Fringe shows as you can. To book tickets to any of the upcoming Adelaide Fringe shows at the Holden Street Theatres, please visit:- https://www.holdenstreettheatres.com/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Hangmen

Hangmen

Hangmen Rating

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The turned-wood bar set is visible to the audience before the show begins. Ashtrays, partially drunk pints of beer, and a vase of silk flowers accompany a selection of era-appropriate music to initiate the immersive experience of the 1960s.

Opening with the heart-wrenching hanging of Hennessy (Trevor Anderson), it establishes the underlying discourse that questions the effectiveness of capital punishment when the line between innocent and guilty is unclear. Fast-forwarding to the abolition of this practice two years later, we meet the now-retired hangman Harry Wade who was responsible for said hanging.

Played superbly by Brant Eustace, Harry is a driving force of the play and a formidable presence to his regular customers, friends, and family. In an ambitious production that required the use of Northern English accents, Eustace commands the space with confidence and consistency, with the audience hanging on every boisterous word.

 

Helping to run the pub is his flinty wife Alice (Rachel Dalton) and naïve teenage daughter Shirley (Finty McBain), who add dimension and colour to the ensemble of regulars who frequent it. Among them are Bill, former Hangman Doctor and very convincing sot portrayed by Steve Marvanek, and comfortably indolent Inspector Fry by Russell Slater. Greg Janzow and Leighton Vogt provide some well-timed comic relief with the hearing-impaired Arthur and earnest Charlie, respectively, who often relays jokes for the former, only for Arthur to cut through to some uncomfortable truths.

This dark comedy is intensified by the fanatical tendencies of Joshua Coldwell’s performance as Peter Mooney. Contrasting unapologetically with a loud lower-class London accent, Mooney wafts comfortably into the pub and Shirley’s life, with chilling comments and claims that are Trump-like with their grandiosity. Leaving the audience unsure whether he is telling the truth, Coldwell creates a thrilling sense of unease and unpredictability as he interacts with the timid Syd Armfield, portrayed by Jack Robbins, playing with the themes of morality and justice. This is complemented with lighter humour in the form of Tom Tassone’s persistent reporter, Derek Clegg, and Gary George’s stage-stealing performance as Albert Pierrepoint, who makes Eustace’s Harry Wade look small.

Lighting was used to great effect to highlight specific areas of the stage to reduce set changes and to distinguish the times of day, with the inclusion of evocative 60’s songs to fill the blackout scene transitions. However, the overhanging section of the bar tended to create shadows over the faces of those leaning through from behind or blocking audience viewpoints with the pillars. Attention to detail in other elements, such as set pieces, costumes, and props, was a joy as they alluded to a specific time that appeared to be much loved.

 

Accents were understandably a challenge in this production, particularly as this reviewer has family in Yorkshire against which to compare. While Eustace and McBain reliably kept to their chosen region of Northern England, Dalton and Slater contained occasional tinges of Geordie, Irish, Yorkshire, and elements of Lancashire, but this didn’t detract from their character’s physicality.

The blend of comedy and tragedy in Martin McDonagh’s play ‘Hangmen’ is forefront in Fagan’s direction. This fast-paced evening of not knowing what to expect next bookends the controversial dialogue on capital punishment. This South Australian premiere, in an intimate theatre space, is not to be missed.

Book your tickets for Hangmen @ https://holdenstreettheatres.online.red61.com.au/event/890:17/

Season:- 26 October 2024-2 November 2024

Running Time:- 120 minutes

Venue:- Holden Street Theatres, The Studio

Photographer:- Richard Parkhill

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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