FRINGEWORLD 2023 | Buona Sera Signorina: Italian Music Meets Jazz | 4 Stars

Review | Laura Money

Ciao Bellas! How are we this evening? Ready to pull up a chair in the State Theatre of WA‘s Courtyard and see a brilliant concert? Then you are in the right place! Buona Sera Signorina: Italian Music Meets Jazz is your one-stop shop for amazing vocals, a brilliant band, and fantastic musical arrangements of all your favourite Italian songs. Think ‘Hey Mambo!’, ‘That’s Amore’ and ‘Volare’ – although apparently that’s not the name of the song! The stunning Etta D’Elia is your guide to Italian culture and music. Backed by a phenomenal band and back up singers, D’Elia takes you straight to the streets of Italy in her skilful blend of stand-up comedy and vocal prowess. Her entrance sets the tone – proving this loveable goofball is all about having fun. The comedy is in her introduction – looking at the cultural differences and how Italian Australians grow up – making tomato sauce, drinking three espressos a day. There is a lesson in hand gestures that is genius in tone, and a fun dance that gets everyone up close and personal.

Even though the tone is convivial and a bit tongue-in-cheek, D’Elia’s beautiful and powerful voice renders the classics her own. The jazz arrangement of ‘Hey Mambo’ is a stunning version of a fan favourite, and her voice lends itself perfectly to the gorgeous ‘That’s Amore.’ The band is top-tier – from the cheeky Tony Celiberti jauntily teasing D’Elia with his piano to the versatile Steve Searle playing every instrument available (flute, saxaphone, trumpet etc) he nails every single solo and improvisation. It’s the arrangements that make this show stand out. Combined with D’Elia’s hilarious attitude – at one point you could be mistaken for thinking you’re watching Eurovision if there weren’t more than five people on the stage – and the pure talent of every single person on stage, Buona Sera Signorina: Italian Music Meets Jazz is one very special show.

You can join in all the exotic fun at the State Theatre Centre WA until 4th February 2023. TICKETS

Keep up with The Fourth Wall on Facebook and @fourth_wall_media on Instagram to see what we’re up to this FRINGEWORD 2023.

The Fourth Wall acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land we engage in storytelling on – the Wadjhuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay respects to their elders past, present, and emerging.

FRINGEWORLD 2023 | The Sensemaker | 4.5 Stars

Review | Laura Money

The Sensemaker is an absolutely stunning piece of avant garde theatre fused with dance. It’s a unique piece that questions the very fabric of time, our sense of autonomy, ambitions, and the concept of waiting. The set comprises of a rotary telephone and a single chair. Waiting patiently is performer, Elsa Couvreur in neatly presented office attire – a bit of a blank slate – anticipation mounting in both her and the audience. Couvreur’s neutral face is lit up with hope as the phone rings – shrill and jarring through the empty space. What follows can only be described as pure genius. Moving to a choreographed piece that loops around and around, the phone message mixes and moves in a mash up of pop culture soundbytes from different media. All the while, Couvreur continually moves – matching up each segment with the familiar dance.

It’s a disarming and stunning examination of internalised motion – each piece of popular culture imbibed in an almost ritualistic routine. After this flurry of excitement there are intense silences and moments of pure confusion and frustration. Couvreur is almost in a heightened state of patience, never wavering, yet questioning notions of boredom. Every time she attempts to take control or make an autonomous move, the phone rings or a voice message puts her firmly back in her place. Couvreur’s movements border on erratic at times, joyful and with gay abandon at others. The huge sequence where she follows every ridiculous instruction is so bizarre that it’s brilliant. It’s a scathing commentary on how beaurocracy and authority control us while also demonstrating Couvreur’s mini rebellion as she takes back a tiny bit of herself in victory.

The Sensemaker is a surreal journey of autonomy and identity with commentary on authority and structure that is also just a really fun and confusing show. Don’t miss this call!

You can see The Sensemaker at the State Theatre Centre WA until 5th February 2023. TICKETS

Keep up with The Fourth Wall on Facebook and @fourth_wall_media on Instagram to see what we’re up to this FRINGEWORD 2023.

The Fourth Wall acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land we engage in storytelling on – the Wadjhuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay respects to their elders past, present, and emerging.

FRINGEWORLD 2023 | Love Slaps: The Ultimate Improvised Comedy Romance | 4.5 Stars

Review | Sarah Soulay

Have you ever struggled to find the one? Do Rom-Coms not give you the same comfort they used to? Do you need two gal pals to express the highs and lows of love in an improvised and comedic way? Well look no further because Love Slaps: The Ultimate Improvised Comedy Romance is here! Love Slaps features the comedy stylings of Tamara Creasey and Elise Wilson as they take the stage and improvise a 50 minute comedy spectacular about all aspects of love. With full blown energy and enthusiasm from the get go, the two take suggestions from the audience to build their show. With the help of the wonderful Maddy on piano and the special guest performer Esther Longhurst, they steal the show and our hearts. However, like every great show, there is a twist: one of the performers will get… slapped.

No two shows are ever the same because the audience dictates three key aspects of the performance; who, what and where. It was kismet as a Fine Arts Graduate that I happen to watch the version of this brilliant show that was centred around the art world. I believe it made the show even funnier than it already was as I was able to relate to the absurdity. Another great thing about this performance is that they don’t let scenes drag on, thanks to the help of a party blower they each possess. When the scene begins to lose momentum they quickly change to the next, creating non-stop laughter while showing a great level of professionalism. It was excellent to see how the performers organically flowed with each other, and took on whatever idea or scenario that the other had created. It is a testament to their talent and work ethic that they can create these scenes without missing a beat and be absolutely hilarious in the process.

Tamara Creasey’s old British man voice is an absolute treasure and will live on in my head forever. Creasey had some killer one liner’s and side-splitting physical comedy. If you ever need to price your worth remember to add a cup of tea and a scone on top. Not to mention Creasey’s beautiful improvised musical number “When You’re Faced With Phalluses You Close Your Eyes.” Elise Wilson is an absolute pro at establishing the scene and providing contexts for the viewers. Wilson has a flair for directing the flow of a story and is absolutely hilarious while she does it. A wonderful natural performer.

Guest performer Esther Longhurst was brilliant. From her clever quips as a ‘curator’ to her perfect physical comedy as a cat, she was a delight. Every night Creasey and Wilson have a different guest performer, so even though you might not get Longhurst, you will have the pleasure of experiencing another comedic genius amidst the hilarity of Creasey and Wilson. Maddy was on the piano and was absolutely excellent. Her musical skills are second to none and I commend her for constantly playing and flowing through each scene accommodating the atmosphere that the other performers create.

Love Slaps is the type of show that you can watch every night because no two shows are the same! I highly recommend this show, if you want to cry from laughter and completely lift your mood about all things love. Get your tickets to Love Slaps: The Ultimate Improvised Comedy Romance before they sell out!

You can catch all the slaps at the State Theatre Centre WA until 4th February 2023. TICKETS

Keep up with The Fourth Wall on Facebook and @fourth_wall_media on Instagram to see what we’re up to this FRINGEWORD 2023.

The Fourth Wall acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land we engage in storytelling on – the Wadjhuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay respects to their elders past, present, and emerging.

Five With Fringe | Etta Delia | Buona Sera Signorina: Italian Music Meets Jazz | FRINGEWORLD 2023

Etta Delia is the frontswoman for an amazing band of Mediterranean and Aussie misfits who love to bring the sounds of Italy to life. We caught up with her ahead of the show to find out what we’re in for!

What is your show about?

Buona Sera Signorina is a show that is between a jazz performance and a stand-up comedy. We will be performing jazz renditions of very popular Italian tunes (‘That’s Amore’, ‘Mambo Italiano’, ‘Volare’) with a stellar line-up of jazz musicians – Steve Searle, Tony Celiberti, Manoli Vouyoucalos, Francisco Munoz, Asia Bisi, and Alessandra Nigro.

‘Buona Sera’ is also a show that talks about Italian Culture and Italian customs! For example, I have created an “Italian hand-gesture guide” and during the show, I prove that it is possible to have a full conversation with an Italian, without saying a word, just by using hand gestures. There will also be a “dance” moment and much, much more. 

Favourite part of the show, no spoilers!

In “Buona Sera Signorina “ the audience has a principal role, so it will be surely amazing to see how our audience will react/interact with us!

What do you think people will get out of your show?

In this show, people are allowed to dance, to sing along, and to be “loud”…

Italians will identify with most of the stories and jokes we will talk about, but also non-Italians will, as they will probably remember that time when they went on that Italian Holiday and something bizarre happened…

On a deeper level, Buona Sera Signorina talks about a different Country and a different Culture. It is a hymn to embrace multiculturality in all aspects. It is a celebration of Italian heritage but also a tribute to all the Italians that came here many years ago and worked very hard to establish themselves so that today we can all be proud of being Italians! It is also an invitation to rejoice for the presence of ex-pats in Australia (not only Italians) as they bring cultural diversity and personal enrichment.

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

I would recommend all the shows that are part of the State of Play – The Fringe World Season programmed by the State Theatre Centre of WA

Describe your show in 3 words:

Fun, Engaging, Exotic

You can join in all the exotic fun at the State Theatre Centre WA until 4th February 2023. TICKETS

Keep up with The Fourth Wall on Facebook and @fourth_wall_media on Instagram to see what we’re up to this FRINGEWORD 2023.

The Fourth Wall acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land we engage in storytelling on – the Wadjhuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay respects to their elders past, present, and emerging.

FRINGEWORLD 2023 | Otto & Astrid Play The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert You’ve Ever Seen | 5 Stars

Review | Laura Money

Otto & Astrid Play The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert You’ve Ever Seen. Review done. Kidding, although in all fairness I really could leave it there! Otto and Astrid are a hilarious punk rock sibling duo from Berlin who get everything right. Yes, there is comedy – in fact that’s the cornerstone of this act – but they are absolutely legendary musicians. Every original song is equal parts hilarious and musically brilliant. Their banter is on point and their every move an exaggeration of avant garde punk aesthetic. Astrid cracks you up from the get-go with her failure to ascend her drum platform in a dignified fashion. Otto takes himself a little more seriously – if you could consider any of this parody serious! – with hilarious serious face hand gestures and getting frustrated when Astrid throws in what she claims to be dinosaur sex into their opening song.

The music is great – every lyric is mind-meltingly funny – from robot lions to drinking songs that get everyone involved, Otto and Astrid are genuinely brilliant songwriters. Their dance moves are funny, and their attitudes are funny but it is all the asides and banter that make this the show of the season. They take sibling rivalry to extremes in every interaction. Otto & Astrid Play The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert You’ve Ever Seen is not really a flex if it’s true, right?

You can catch all the sibling rivalry and rock n roll at the State Theatre Centre WA until 5th February 2023. TICKETS

Keep up with The Fourth Wall on Facebook and @fourth_wall_media on Instagram to see what we’re up to this FRINGEWORD 2023.

The Fourth Wall acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land we engage in storytelling on – the Wadjhuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay respects to their elders past, present, and emerging.