FRINGEWORLD 2022 | Nuit D’Etoile & Wheatfield With Crows | 3.5 Stars

Review | Laura Money

Newcomers to the Perth scene, The Motiff Collection are a collaboration of musicians, performers, producers, and arts enthusiasts who wish to explore meaningful and beautiful things. Nuit D’Etoile and Wheatfield With Crows are their FRINGEWORLD 2022 offerings and the shows are a good strong start for this budding company. Beginning with an immersive music and visual arts experience that takes French songs performed by classical musicians, Nuit D’Etoile (Starry Night) sets the mood with a melancholy yearning for Wheatfield With Crows – a play about the life and death of Vincent Van Gogh. It’s poignant and emotional and well worth the visit.

The installation is elegant and stunningly rendered. Pianist Lydia Lai is wonderfully accomplished, her gentle tripping over the keys the perfect accompaniment to the elegant sopranos Charis Postmus and Jesse Chester-Browne. Their vocals are gorgeous, rich and deep sounds soar throughout the intimate space of After Dark creating a wonderful synergy with the cleverly motion-filled projections of van Gogh’s famous artworks. Nuit D’Etoile is a clever entree into the beauty of van Gogh’s works – reminding you of how special his talent really was.

After such a beautiful primer, Wheatfield With Crows sensitively and creatively explores the inner torment of van Gogh. Director Madeline Stephens has the young ensemble cast in black, expressing the emotions of the main script as dialogue occurs. This is a clever way to engage all actors rather than give them two-line cameos that also serves to communicate the deeper emotive undercurrent of the play. This isn’t always carried off as well as it could be, however I’m sure that it will be more nuanced as the players get more experience under their belts. Jacob Miles‘ portrayal of Vincent van Gogh is strong, if a little overdone. He expresses van Gogh’s inner torment and apparent synaesthesia in a controlled manner, turmoil painted on his face, yet is slightly lacking in control at the sections which require more subtlety.

Overall, the shows are very promising and I would consider The Motiff Collection a company to watch. They are all clearly talented and have great vision, and with more experience have the potential to become a powerhouse of entertainment in Perth. Watch this space!

You can check out Nuit D’Etoile and Wheatfield With Crows at After Dark until 22nd January 2022. TICKETS

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FRINGEWORLD 2022 | Hot Nonsense | 4.5 Stars

Review | Amanda Lancaster & Peter Spence

If there is one thing the world could use more of right now, it’s a little bit of silliness.  And there is no one that takes themselves less seriously, than Matt Storer. He’s a  well earned house hold name among the  comedic music scene – and for good reason! Quirky, quick witted and with quicker tongue sit back and be charmed by Storer’s own personal brand of Hot Nonsense.

It’s a show that somehow manages to be about something, everything and absolutely nothing all at once. Whether it be about magpies, the privilege of the opposite sex or Storer helping audience members out with the love song they didn’t know they needed, it is an absolute riot which has you in stitches. Interactive but non invasive the audience are invited to join in the musical mayhem. Fear not though, you aren’t being asked to sing merely to help the show along by picking the next combination of elements off the stars lyrical bingo style board. Like a choose your own adventure playlist if you will.

Storer is incredibly funny, charismatic, charming and a true delight to watch. Oozing talent and a wicked sense of humour, he is definitely one artist to keep a close eye on, as he is clearly going places. If you only see one show this FRINGEWORLD 2022, make sure you take the opportunity to get out and get into the hilarious hijinks that is Storer’s Hot Nonsense.

You can catch Hot Nonsense at The Pleasure Garden 7:30pm until 23rd January 2022. TICKETS

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FIVE WITH FRINGE | Saskia Glass | Sugar & Ice

Sugar & Ice is all about the aftermath of a girl group break up. It’s all about bubblegum pop and camaraderie! We caught up with Saskia Glass to see what we’re in for.

What is your show about?

Camilla Moore’s girl-group ‘Starburst’ has just broken up, and as the lead singer she embraces this change as her call to adventure, in the form of a solo career. There’s no doubt that Camilla is incredibly talented and produces show-stopping music, but it takes more than that to keep the cameras focused on her. Sugar & Ice follows Camilla as she encounters fake friendships and the fiendish media in her uphill battle to ultimate stardom. The show explores discerning who in the entertainment industry values you as a person or if they value how they can use you, as well as the dilemma many women face when deciding whether they want to start a family and what this means for their careers.

Favourite part of the show, no spoilers!

Honestly, this isn’t necessarily part of the show, but I think my favourite part of all of this has been how invested every single artist in Sugar & Ice is with this show. Our Musical Director Alicia Selkirk will show us a new track she’s made for the show, and cast members are literally crying with excitement, or our Choreographer Samantha Hortin will teach us a new dance that has the whole cast raving for hours on end. Everyone is so incredibly excited to be here and to be putting on this show that we’ve hand crafted, I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this family for FRINGE 2022.

These are unprecedented times, how does it feel to be a performer in 2022?

It’s nerve-wracking! I can’t lie! My last musical at FRINGE WORLD 2021 had a sold-out show cancelled by a snap lockdown, and when we came out of the lockdown it took a lot of work to build back up the excitement we’d fostered from our 5-star-reviewed opening night. There’s constantly the looming anxiety of losing 12 months of work to an outbreak, but I know the ambition and passion for this craft burns far brighter than any fears. So despite any concerns, I’m always reminding myself of how lucky we are to be in Perth where we still have opportunities like FRINGE FESTIVAL without (hopefully) the capacity restrictions, and to keep moving forward. We can’t take this for granted. 

Apart from your show, what other shows would you recommend?

One I’m extremely keen for is ‘Dirty Dingo’ presented by Unknown Creative Arts, who are very focused on building the community as well as creating confident, strong young females through dance! Which are essentially identical values of our show! ‘Dirty Dingo’ is an Australian rendition of ‘Coyote Ugly,’ so you already know it’s gonna be fabulously feminist and an absolute smoke-show. 

Also very much looking forward to ‘Wakey Wakey Eggs & Bakey,’ a premiere dance theatre work coming to Connections Nightclub that explores the micro-intricacies of morning routines. The show was spearheaded by Belle Collie, who I studied with at WAAPA over the past year and she is a force of nature, I already know this show is going to be so much fun!

Describe your show in 3 words:

Bubbly, electric and heartwarming!

You can catch Sugar & Ice at The Royale Theatre until 23rd January 2022. TICKETS

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FIVE WITH FRINGE | Liam Guiney | Club D’amour

Liam Guiney is part of Tone and Cheek Production House who are presenting the fabulous Club D’amour – a late night cabaret event. We caught up with him ahead of the show to see what it’s all about.

What is your show about?

Club D’amour – a back-alley French brothel where guests are treated to a night of fiery fun through a flirtatious fusion of dance, burlesque, circus, and live music.

Favourite part of the show, no spoilers!

The duo Lyra act featuring Natalie Oaks and Melina Mall is breathtakingly beautiful.

These are unprecedented times, how does it feel to be a performer in 2022?

It has made this experience even more special because we know how fortunate we are to get to do this with an audience and provide an escape for them. 

Apart from your show, what other shows would you recommend?

5.2 by Kinetica – incredible circus featuring a great narrative about long term relationships.

The Underground – a breathtaking dance show featuring Perth’s Best Dancers.

Jukebox Hero – Live Music Pub Quiz presented by KinkyFish, such a fun and entertaining show.

Drag Time Music Hall – which is a family friendly drag show. 

Describe your show in 3 words:

Flirtatious, debaucherous, & energetic.

You can catch all the heat at Club D’amour at The Pleasure Garden until 21st January 2022. TICKETS

Keep up with The Fourth Wall on Facebook and @fourth_wall_media on Instagram to see what we’re up to this FRINGEWORD 2022

FIVE WITH FRINGE | Gerard Maroney | Work It Out

Gerard Maroney is the hilarious neurodivergent comedian who has the most outrageous stories this side of Northbridge. We chatted with him ahead of the show to see what people are in for.

What is your show about?

An ADHD comic doing a fringe show, meaning there are a lot of different jokes/segways of themes. The show does not have one central defining subject.

Favourite part of the show, no spoilers!

There’s a darkly funny story about my Dad at the doctors in the waiting room for cancer treatment. It’s ridiculously funny and a bit weird like the rest of the show.

These are unprecedented times, how does it feel to be a performer in 2022? 

After the tough times of 2021, feels like I have a thicker skin for bad times. And perspective is always important I remember last year talking to my sister re: a short lockdown during fringe and saying this is bad. She laughed and said that lockdown is cute, she was in Milan and their covid lockdown had been much longer. 

Apart from your show, what other shows would you recommend? 

There are so many but if I have to pick a couple: The Motherhood are a lineup of amazing Perth comics and now there doing a show together its like a local comedy supergroup. 

And another recommendation Daniel Delby he has some many different shows his doing solo, comedy with Rap Who’s Rhyme Is it Anyway and a couple of other shows. That guy’s a hard worker. 

 Describe your show in 3 words:

Work It Out

You can check out Gerard Maroney as he Works It Out all over Perth until 11th February 2022. TICKETS

Keep up with The Fourth Wall on Facebook and @fourth_wall_media on Instagram to see what we’re up to this FRINGEWORD 2022