Karate Man – A Brilliantly Clever Interactive Live Action Comedy

Karate Man

Karate Man Rating

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5

If you have ever played a video game, you’d feel the excitement of pressing a combination of different buttons on the controller and moving your character around the screen – to fight villains, explore different rooms and make decisions. The game always has a goal, often several, with riddles and various quests to complete before the goals are met, before you finally win the game. Perhaps it has taken hours to play. Imagine this. You know what I mean. Now think about the characters jumping out of the screen and are standing right now in front of you, swaying from one foot to the other, patiently waiting for you to give them a command on your controller. Your game has come to life – and you get to make decisions about what happens next. This is what happens in this comedic show Karate Man.

Co-creators and directors Bruno Dubosarsky and Daniel Scarratt have produced a truely unique and hilarious interactive play…and play we did! All audience members participated and became immersed into the story, by taking turns with the controller and pushing buttons, directing Karate Man to do what they wanted in response to the story’s many challenges.

The buttons were typical gaming commands such as kick, throw, punch, jump, grab as well as move left / right/ down and up, all of which Karate Man had to do immediately on command as soon as the it was read out by the game’s narrator. The sound effects added to the authenticity of a video game, complete with repeating sounds when the characters were waiting to be directed what to do.

 

This video game character was portrayed perfectly by Bruno Dubosarsky and done with such robotic fluidity that it was believable, his movements imitating the basic gaming commands of the 1980’s video games. As you can imagine, the fight between Karate Man, moving in a step by step controlled fashion (eg “right, right, jump, right, kick. Left, left, down, punch”) and his arch enemy Ross Roundkick, played with cheeky wickedness by Daniel Scarratt in the year 198X was hilarious and one of the highlights of the show for me. I was laughing so much as poor Karate Man was directed to move in ridiculous excess due to the audience still getting used to using the controls at the beginning of the show – it would have been exhausting for Bruno. At one stage, Karate Man was directed by the controller “left, left, left, left, left” right off the stage – the audience was crippled with laughter! I had never been to a Choose Your Own Adventure show like this before, and I loved it.

The story of Karate Man takes us into the lives of Karate Man and his wife Kara. Her name being half of his name seemed to be on purpose, and added to the cheesy charm of the show. Kara was played by Stephanie Ryan and her mannerisms of a video game character were spot on. Karate Man had to complete some challenges in this game and the audience was given three choices which led to different scenes and more goals to achieve. As the audience were making the decisions about where Karate Man was going to go next in our rendition of the play, I could see how the show would completely change on different nights. It would be interesting to return to experience another scenario and set of goals.

 

The supporting cast, Tim Dunk as the Time Fish, Juliet Rae Timmerman as Alex Coober and Maddie Atkins lent keen exaggeration into their video game characters and were very entertaining. All of the actors at different times were so funny, and I believe that some lines may have been impromptu.

The script was clever and contained some references to pop culture embedded. Prop designer Stephanie Ryan kept the stage simple. A few painted large posters were used, as well as a few other props, and was all this show needed as it was more reliant on the physical comedy and the script.

Shown as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival 2024, Karate Man was spectacularly funny and one of the most original interactive shows to hit the stage! Instead of playing video games at home, head out to the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists in Erskineville to have your own personalised adventure with Karate Man.

Show run: 17-21 September 2024
Tickets: $30 – $38
www.sydneyfringe.com/events/karate-man-a-live-action-video-game

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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Bum-Believable Fun and Chuckles Galore

The Bugalugs Bum Thief

The Bugalugs Bum Thief Rating

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1

‘The Bugalugs Bum Thief’. Go on – you can’t resist. Say it out loud. Relish the alliteration and feel the silliness spread across your face. Bum bum bum! Let’s be real folks – the word ‘bum’ is a universal delight! Kids and adults alike can’t help but crack a smile when they hear it. And we get truckloads of bums in this humdinger of a show that’s totally cheeky, totally funny, and totally bonkers!

Adapted for the stage from beloved Aussie writer Tim Winton’s picture book, it’s a wonderful comedic goldmine of humour and wordplay. Not to mention a lesson in surrendering to the ridiculous. With its lighthearted and playful wit, this show is bottomless fun (pardon the bum pun) reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously.

In the crazy crayfishing town of Bugalugs, Skeeta Anderson wakes up to a terrible crisis – his bum’s gone missing! And he’s not the only one – the whole town’s bums have been pilfered! And now they can’t sit down! (cue some fabulous physical comedy) Skeeta embarks on a hilarious hunt to track down the sneakiest thief in town and get his bum back.

The talented trio of Ziggy Resnick, Madeline Li, and Toby Blome truly brought the house (and their pants) down in their ability to tap into the childlike spirit of kids on a mission, perfectly capturing an appetite for the unknown and the mischief that defines childhood.

Ziggy Resnick as Skeeta, embodied the innocence and curiosity of a kid in a ridiculous predicament, defying the limits, bringing a refreshingly genuine spirit to the character that was both heartwarming and hilarious.

Madeline Li and Toby Blome, as Skeeta’s trusty sidekicks, channelled their inner Scooby Doo gang members, displaying some remarkable versatility. They breathed life into a vibrant cast of eccentric Bugalugs townsfolk, including a hapless cop, Skeeta’s bum bereft parents and the intimidating Mrs Misery – complete with fluro-pink dressing gown, shower cap and a terrifying hairbrush – just to name a few.

The Bugalugs Bum Thief

Stef Furnari, talented percussionist and ‘one-woman band,’ added an extra layer of excitement and energy with her dynamic and lively drumming. These infectious rhythms accompanied several humorous Bugalugs songs and conundrums to great effect.

Audience participation? Of course! Bugalugs school teacher, Mr. Wally took the lead. We played several games of “Heads, Shoulders, Knees” and learned that Mr. Wally’s rule – “keep the ending close to the beginning” – is a sanity-saver during kids News Time. Lauren and James, our brave volunteers, shone bright.

Lauren almost overcame stage fright to share her favourite food, while James regaled us with a harrowing tale of his car hitting a rock and exploding luggage (talk about a show stopping steal!) Then Mr Wally’s bright red boxer shorts made a memorable appearance and everything was back on track.

Kids go wild for bum jokes because they’re the perfect blend of teetering on rude without being crude so this revival is a perfect bum-tastic treat for the funny bone. A marvellous celebration of catchy tunes and all things delightfully playful, superb entertainment for little ones aged 4-12. Now, for the big question…… just who was the brazen bum thief? Nah – that would be telling!

For the answer and all things to do with Bugalugs Bum fun, see: https://riversideparramatta.com.au/whats-on/the-bugalugs-bum-thief/ for further information.

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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Once Upon a Grimm Night: Interactive Theatre

Once Upon a Grimm Night

Once Upon a Grimm Night Rating

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4

An interactive theatre experience is not a seated and static theatre show. Nor is it one where you are pulled onto stage to become a part of the show, like in a stage hypnotist’s performance.

The ‘theatre’ setting for Once Upon a Grimm Night was a beautiful heritage house, Lindesay House, with lush green landscaped gardens that overlooked Sydney Harbour. Odyssey Theatre has chosen the perfect setting in Lindesay House for their Otherworld meets Ourworld theatre experience.

When we arrived for our 5:30 p.m. session, we were greeted by the impressively large house, with warm lights emanating from the windows, giving it a welcoming glow. Dusky twilight oranges and pinks painted the background of the house and the huge tree in front of it, where we waited for the show to begin.

Our group was soon welcomed by The Narrator (Jared Gerschwitz) with his infectious enthusiasm. It is a credit to Jared, who outlined the storyline, clarified our quest for the night, and made our adventure into the house enjoyable while maintaining a wicked sense of humour. Other characters we met initially as we were swept into the story included Cly (Phoebe Lumley Tow), the earnest maiden, and Grimm Volkov (Harlee Timms).

Along with the heritage house, the details put into the costume design and hair styling stood out for me. The Maiden Cly’s hair was fairytale perfect, complete with the flowers in her half-up/down wavy hair. I noted the jewellery worn by The Narrator, Grimm and the Witch, who we soon met, all added to the idea of what a fairytale character would feel comfortable wearing. Look closely, to peek at some cleverly hidden clues in their costume and jewellery design!

The fourth character, the Witch (Emily McKendry), had her own back storyline, as did all the characters. One fun part of this interactive theatre involved the audience helping her brew a magic potion to help further their quest. The way that Emily guided this particular scene down in the basement of the house in the deep, cold, stone kitchen was highly entertaining.

Throughout the play, the audience was given several puzzles to solve that immersed them deeper into the storyline. Everyone had to work together to come up with the answer. The group I went through with were all good sports, and we had an opportunity to discuss what certain clues meant to try and figure out the answers. If you were someone who would rather observe than participate, I am sure that the cast wouldn’t have made you do anything.

All four characters appeared to be able to read the room, with their mannerisms tailored to the audience. Odyssey Theatre’s director and writer, Emily McKendry, creatively handmade the clue props, which stood out as original and made for interesting puzzles to solve.

The storyline would suit all ages, as a fairytale does not need to be just for children. I recommend Once Upon A Grimm Night for anyone who would like an hour of doing something different.

It was an interactive theatrical experience that was quite original and uncommon. We became part of the story, and there was something satisfying about it. I could see this experience fitting into a family night out, a unique first date, and everything in between.

All characters presented the story with humour, and their quick-witted quips felt spontaneous and fresh. Once Upon a Grimm Night plays three sessions every Thursday and Friday night throughout July.

Tickets: $49
Venue: Lindesay House
1 Carthona Ave, Darling Point NSW 2027
Season run: Thursday 4 July – Friday 26 July 2024

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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