The Whole Arrangement
MALCOLM JACK
:: VENUE 13 :: MUSICAL comedy: The Whole Arrangement hasn't exactly been dealt the best of hands at the Fringe, taking place late morning in an airy community centre when it would be better suited to some smoky nightclub stage deep in the wee small hours. It is, after all, the story of a cabaret singer - neurotic, sultry Miss Lulu (Lisa Louttit).
Jilted by her lover, wracked by self-doubt and frazzled on a cocktail of pills, Lulu is in a downward spiral and isn't making a secret of it.
We witness her stumbling and slurring her way through a performance, accompanied by her long-suffering musical arranger and pianist (Josh Charney), one in which she effectively hits rock bottom bumming notes, mumbling existential non-sequiturs, giving out to her young, glamorous backing singer (Esme Allen), throwing back dirty martinis and even removing her clothes.
She's a mess of contradictions: vain yet self-deprecating; attention-seeking yet shy; nasty yet sweet; strong yet fragile - and absolutely loveable for it.
Loutitt is an unquestionably gifted actress, capable of evoking Lulu's tragic and comic sides in perfect balance, as well as belting out the remarkably impressive original songs with aplomb. It makes for a genuinely funny and unaffected play - one that's perhaps only let down by its less than sympathetic staging and time slot.
• Until 19 August. Today 5pm
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Autopilot
ANNA MILLAR
 :: VENUE 13 :: INSPIRED by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, Autopilot is a stark examination of the isolation of trauma brought on by war, and follows the journey and consequent delirium of 24-year-old Pilot, found after six days missing in Basra.
The very concept of an autopilot being a system used to guide something without assistance from a human being is an emotive frame of reference here. Some clever staging is used to powerful effect as a silver chair navigates the stage with the inventive use of a pulley as the actors play out the action.
Rich metaphors of sheep, whales and fish are all sprinkled throughout the script to poignant effect, so too the deeper connotations of the hospital/interrogation room in which this two-man piece is played out.
The play's emotional impact is hugely reliant on the strength of the actors' delivery and to their credit, Jesse Bonnell and Sonny Valicenti as Pilot and Stranger do little to disappoint.
However, the balancing act of such a tense script alongside special effects, including projectors, cameras and a pulley can, at times, be overwhelming, causing the audience to lose focus on what is at times a remarkable play.
• Until 19 August. Today 6.30pm |
