Presented by Sound & Fury
Reviewed 2 March 2018
We Adelaidians have come to expect certain things to occur each year with the coming of Fringe: such things as the Garden of Unearthly Delights, Gluttony, RCC, street parties, road closures, traffic jams, that car race, and (since 2002) Sound & Fury hilariously destroying the classics. If Fringe were ever told that they could only have one show a year, it had better be Sound & Fury.
This year the American comedy troupe consisting of Richard, Patrick and ‘newbie’ Clayton thumb their noses at the great Romance classic, Cyrano de Bergerac with their version, Cyranose!
It doesn’t matter if you know the true version or not because the boys have broken the story down, swept up the pieces and flushed them down the toilet, as only these lovable zanies can. Did you know that sarcasm was invented in the 1600s or that Shakespeare wrote Cyranose! ? Sound & Fury did!
We know we are in for sheer hysterical lunacy when members of the audience are handed bits of dialogue as they enter, which they must read aloud at the beginning to start the play, reacting in Pavlovian style to a bell.
The secret of success with this type of comedy is that the audience must always be kept wondering if what they are seeing is in fact what they are meant to be seeing. Is it improvised? Is it scripted? Was that a mistake or a very carefully rehearsed piece of business? Was the guy who blew his car horn loudly on Grenfell Street on Opening Night at a very appropriate ;inappropriate’ moment paid? If not, he should have been!
Richard and Patrick impress with their comedic skills as always, but it is the new kid on the block, Clayton, who is a standout (Opening night was his first ever performance with the boys). His various accents and characterisations make him a ‘keeper’.
If you are fans of Sound & Fury, you won’t be disappointed. If you have never seen Sound & Fury but like your comedy broad and excruciatingly funny, go see Cyranose! because you won’t be disappointed.
Reviewed by Brian Godfrey
Twitter: @briangods
Rating out of 5: 5
Venue: Tandanya Arts Cafe at Live From Tandanya
Season: Until 18 March 2018
Duration: 60 mins
Tickets: $19.50 – $25
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/sound-fury-s-cyranose-af2018
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