Jon And Jero: Stuff!

Jon And Jero: Stuff!

Accompanied by Reviewer Jr, my six-year-old daughter, we were keen to step into the Kingfisher at Gluttony and see Jon and Jero: Stuff! Why? The day before, Reviewer Jr had had a small interaction with them at the entrance to the complex and was immediately charmed by their antics. She should be charmed because Jon and Jero are absolutely fantastic.

The premise is simple; the show opens with Jero (Jeromaia Detto) playing a Neighbourhood Watchman in a beige trenchcoat, bragging about how good he is and, of course, failing to see the robber behind him stealing all of Jon and Jero’s stuff. The chorus of kids screaming “HE’S BEHIND YOU!” in the first moments of the show was hilarious and let us all know we were
going to have a very fun adventure together.

The play is in a loose choose-your-own-adventure style; as Jon and Jero discover the robbery, they have to head out into the big wide world, and the kids are offered an option every few minutes of where they should investigate. This format keeps the kids super engaged and makes me want to see another performance to see all the various options.

Jon (Jon Walpole) and Jero have exuberant energy and perfect chemistry and are very funny at all turns throughout the show. I was not the only adult in the crowd who was laughing the whole way through. The audience was so involved in every moment, and the kids were completely gripped even though they were yelling and giving advice the whole time. Reviewer Jr. had a smile as wide as Bass Strait throughout the entire hour.

Jon And Jero: Stuff!

The beats of the show – the hunt for a hot air balloon, a booger bog, a great sequence where Jero becomes a robot through the power of aluminium foil (as Jon said, “For $3 you can turn your friend into a robot too!”), their butts getting stolen, the cactus man, and more – have a sort of loose, improvisational vibe, but that’s absolutely fine. Jon and Jero seem able to roll with any punches and keep entertaining. The huge photo-real cutouts of each character that were employed any time the other needed to be off stage were some of the best props I’ve seen at this festival.

For Reviewer Jr., the highlight was going on stage and telling a joke; she looked over to me and gave me the thumbs up as she was about to tell her joke. Her thumbs up is like Ebert’s—a glowing recommendation. I take notes throughout each show to keep track of what I’m seeing, and I see my final note for “Jon and Jero: Stuff!” is “This show rules.” And it really does.

You couldn’t choose a better pair to entertain your little ones and keep you laughing. This is five-star family entertainment of the best variety, and I will definitely be seeing the next iteration when they (hopefully) return next year.

In the meantime, you can see Jon in “Butterfly” until the 10th of March at the WEA, and Jero in “MUSH”, until the 9th of March, at the Bally in Gluttony.

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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French Film Festival: The Edge Of The Blade

The Edge of the Blade

Ooh la la—it’s time for the 35th Annual French Film Festival. This year’s festival runs from 5 March to early to mid-April, depending on where you live. So, stock up on your favourite French treats, French Fries, Croissants, Baguettes and Escargot, and get into the spirit of this film festival. I was lucky to start the festival with a French Musketeer-flavoured film, “The Edge of the Blade.”

Set in Paris in 1887, The Edge of the Blade (French: Une affaire d’honneur) explores a world where duels have been officially outlawed but continue to be a regular practice as the only possible way to defend one’s honour.

Clement Lacaze, a fencing expert, desperately tries to prevent his nephew from engaging in an uneven duel with more experienced Colonel Berchere. Meanwhile, Marie-Rose Astie de Valsayre, a feminist fighting for women’s equality, challenges the notion that honour is solely a male affair. The movie effectively portrays various forms of duels, making it a highly conceivable experience.

The Edge of the Blade is Vincent Perez’s fourth feature, and he acts as both director and actor in his latest flick. Perez plays the film’s antagonist, Colonel Berchere, who defends his honour by duelling the main antagonist, Clement Lacaze (played by Roschdy Zem), and his nephew, Adrien Lacaze (played by Noham Edje). Doria Tiller appears as real-life feminist Marie-Rose Astie de Valsayre. Although interesting, seeing her life story depicted in her own movie would be additionally pleasing.

The Edge of the Blade

The Edge of the Blade is a fascinating look into a part of history that is uncommon today. It delves into the craze of duels and themes of honour and justice. The film also displays a backdrop of impending war and societal changes. Fight scenes are skillfully choreographed, and the production design adds to the film’s historical authenticity.

The Edge of the Blade captures the tension of a bygone era, where honour, pride, and equality intersect. Vincent Perez’s direction and acting contribute to a film that balances action, drama, and historical context. If you appreciate period pieces and enjoy a touch of swashbuckling adventure, this film is worth exploring.

Don’t go at a snail’s pace—check out The Edge of the Blade at this year’s Alliance Francaise French Film Festival before time runs out in April. Films and film session details are on the official French Film Festival website.

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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Adelaide Fringe – Meg in the Magic Toyshop

Adelaide Fringe - Meg in the Magic Toyshop

The Adelaide Fringe’s Meg In The Magic Toyshop is a G-rated children’s production showing in the Atrium at The Warehouse Theatre. Children’s shows are often a hit-and-miss. Especially when you start to compare them with Wiggle’s and similar. The set is simple and in lots of bold colours.

The two performers, South Australians Mia Ferraretto as Penny, the toy soldier, and Merrilyn Greer as Meg, the doll, have the characters down pat. You can easily recognise their musical theatre training reflected in the show’s excellent payoffs.

As soon as the cast entered the stage, the audience of adults and children settled down. Penny and Meg command the stage. The storyline is pleasant and straightforward, with songs and a bit of magic that keeps the audience spellbound. It is slightly old-fashioned, but that is the charm of the show.

Adelaide Fringe - Meg in the Magic Toyshop

The cast performed their roles impeccably and ensured all children were engaged from the front down to the back row. The presentation engaged the audience and ignited their imagination with its interactive approach, effectively incorporating educational elements.

This was a simple story of a lost glove and the quest to hunt down its location in the toyshop. This 45-minute show held the audience’s attention throughout, and in the end, you could see from the smiles of the adults and children that the show was a success, and the audience went home happy.

This short but sweet show was brought to the public by Vintage Vendetta Productions and was developed in South Australia. It is undoubtedly a production company to keep an eye on. And this is definitely a show for parents to keep their children entertained.

The remaining session dates and times for Meg In The Magic Toyshop are as follows:-
Fri 08 Mar: 4:30pm
Sat 09 Mar: 10:00am, 11:30am
Sun 10 Mar: 11:15am
Fri 15 Mar: 4:30pm
Sat 16 Mar: 10:00am, 11:30am
Sun 17 Mar: 11:15am

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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Adelaide Fringe – Fringe For Kids

Adelaide Fringe - Fringe For Kids

Stepping into the (mercifully cool) Octagon at Gluttony was an exciting event for Reviewer Jr, my six-year-old daughter, and she was absolutely stoked to witness various circus performances in this great venue.

The crowd was lively and excited, and the atmosphere in the room was great. Fringe For Kids is a basic variety show – each day, there are different acts, so one can only really judge it on the day you saw it. The day we saw it was good but could have been better.

The host was Minnie Andrews, whom Reviewer Jr immediately recognised. She was described as a mix of “Powerpuff Girls and My Little Pony,” she did quite well. The kids seemed to turn off a little when she sang some jazz standards throughout the show – Reviewer Jr wanted to leave for a breath of air when she sang her second song; however, as we took the air, she said she was suitably charmed by Minnie.

Following Millie was some outstanding aerial work by Nicole Walker, which was absolutely mind-blowing to Scoop Jr; she was deemed “ABSOLUTELY AMAZING”, and this accolade was well deserved. I’d venture she was the highlight of the afternoon.

Adelaide Fringe - Fringe For Kids

The magician, Jordan Brooks, was poorly pitched for a kids’ performance; he suffered from some tech issues, and his second trick failed to connect with the audience. Reviewer Jr didn’t really get what the point of his tricks was supposed to be. Another circus performer did some great balance work, which was a little less well-received, it seemed, and a major highlight was the fantastic hoop work by Hannah Indigo. Indeed, the crowd favourite, Reviewer Jr, was ready to don twelve hoops immediately to replicate the feat.

The show culminated with a dance party presented by Life Long and Sparkle, where all the performers and the audience went crazy doing Nutbush on the stage – certainly the best moment for Reviewer Jr and a great way to end a decent afternoon of entertainment.

For bang for your buck and something that will appeal to kids aged 3 – 13, Fringe for Kids is a good bet. I found it a bit hit or miss, but some of the highlights definitely made up for the lowlights. Reviewer Jr said, “It was amazing, especially the hoops and the circus ladies. Four out of five.”

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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