FRINGEWORLD 2022 | Alex and Evie and the Forever Falling Rain | 5 Stars

Review | Laura Money

Imagine a world where it is always raining. You couldn’t really do much except snuggle in blankets, drink milo, and cuddle your cat – right? That’s what Evie thinks. Portrayed by Courtney Henri, she begins the show silently protesting the forever falling rain, sultry in her window under a pile of cozy blankets. Unlike new neighbour Alex (Jeremy Hansen) who loves the rain! He bounces exuberantly about making new friends with the kids in the audience, playing with his ball, and delighting in making paper boats to race in the streams created by his beloved rain. Presented by every other theatre company, Alex and Evie and the Forever Falling Rain is a heartwarming tale of friendship and courage, and the power to persist even if it gets scary before it gets better.

It’s a charming story, narrated by the lazy cat Amadazeus (Gemma Sharpe) in the beginning to discourage Evie from going out into the rain. But the plucky Evie is determined to stop the rain long enough to have her birthday party the next day and recruits Alex to help her journey up the top of the big hill (perfect for sailing boats down), leaving the grumpy Amadazeus sulking at home. The story is lovely – it encourages bravery and resilience but above all it teaches the value of friendship and camaraderie. Sharpe’s mannerisms as the tetchy cat cleverly disguise the underlying source of their reluctance – a feeling of being jilted.

Alex and Evie’s journey sees them encouraging each other through adversity – when Henri expresses vulnerability before stepping out the door, Hansen’s optimistic response that ‘yes, something bad might happen, but something good could happen also’ shines through along with his brilliant smile. Later, it is Evie who encourages Alex to see things differently and provide friendship for the shadow creatures – perhaps taking the lesson she is learning with her new friend Alex and applying it to the situation. Friendship and feelings are explored further with Rebecca Fingher as the Stormkeeper, addressing hurt feelings and what being there for someone really means.

Alex and Evie and the Forever Falling Rain is a delightful story with all the epic elements – a talking cat, a quest with tasks and challenges on the way, and a charming fable-like premise that encourages listening to one another and developing friendships. It’s beautifully staged and performed with gusto, and will definitely encourage you to go home and race paper boats next time it rains.

Unfortunately Alex and Evie have ended their FRINGEWORLD 2022 run, however you can keep up with every other theatre company HERE.

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

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 | Dean Lovatt | Bogan Shakespeare Presents: Julius Caesar

Dean Lovatt is part of the hilarious crew from Bogan Shakespeare – a troop that takes classic plays from the Bard himself and gives them the bogan treatment. This year they’ve chosen Julius Caesar. We caught up with Dean to see exactly how they do it.

What is your show about?

Each Bogan Shakespeare is a satirical retelling of the original works. We take the plot and reimagine it set within modern day WA. It’s absurd, its exciting and a surprising amount of people always get murdered. This year we are doing Julius Caesar set down in Busselton at the local Bunnings.

Favourite part of the show, no spoilers!

Honestly, it’s a particular scene that will probably get cut for time. It’s a super self-indulgent reference to a running joke from previous years about a couple of incompetent cops. It’s so dumb and I love it. I hope we don’t have to cut it. But we probably will.

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

It’s a lot. Personally, I feel I have kept my head above water quite well. I’ve been luckier than most. But the nature of this business is you never really know the opportunities you would have had. You can only be thankful for the successes you do have. It’s tough but the arts aren’t going anywhere. WA has too many incredible talents, some of whom I am lucky enough to know, for that to happen. Just gotta keep doing what we do and hope that people out there will come to enjoy it.

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

Improv DnD (Improv and Dungeons & Dragons, nuff said. I’m in it so bit of bias here)

TOD talks (TED talks but completely made up on the spot, good fun. Unless I don’t get through my heat, then they can screw off for all I care)

Captain Spaceship (Improv plus SciFi, what else could you want. Other than Dungeons & Dragons that is)

The Odyssey: The Epic Tale of Odysseus on his Super Long Journey Home (Similar to Bogan Shakes but with less bogan and a focus on Greek fables)

Hot Nonsense (Matt Storer is always a good laugh)

Booze & the Bard: The Shakespearean Drinking Game (Should be obvious why I’d like this one. Plus, I can tell you personally they have a real talented team working on it)

Describe your show in 3 words:

Shakespeare but Bogan.

You can catch all the high vis and tools at the STCWA until 29th 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 | Every Other Theatre Company Crew | Alex and Evie and the Forever Falling Rain

every other theatre company are anything but! They specialise in local productions with real heart and are presenting Alex and Evie and the Forever Falling Rain for FRINGEWORLD 2022. We caught up with them ahead of the show to see what it’s all about.

What is your show about?

Tomorrow is Evie’s birthday, but none of her friends can come because she lives in a place where it’s always raining. So Evie decides to stop the rain.

Favourite part of the show, no spoilers!

Building the storm armour!

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

Artists are strong. If anything, this time has taught us the importance of community and friendship. And maybe that message has leaked into this little play…

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

For the little ones: Elliot’s Big Nose and the Snot That It Grows.

For the bigger ones: Time Capsule.

For the bigger sillier ones: ALLSTARS.

Describe your show in 3 words:

Whimsy. Wonder. Wet.

You can catch Alex and Evie and the Forever Falling Rain at the STCWA until 29th 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

FRINGEWORLD 2022 | Bogan Shakespeare Presents: Julius Caesar | 4 Stars

Review | Laura Money

Scene: There is a power vacuum at the top. Pressure is in place to replace all the old leaders with ONE leader in charge of all. There are snags to sizzle, aprons to press, and lowest prices to guarantee. That’s right – Busso Bunnings is promoting Jules Caesar to Manager of Managers! So begins Bogan Shakespeare Presents: Julius Caesar – a clever Aussie rendering of Shakespeare’s classic historical play about power struggles, murder, and bizarrely accurate prophetic visions.

Back for the seventh time, Bogan Shakespeare turns their attention to Caesar – making all the salad jokes from the offset – and shows how it’s really just a universal story. Bussleton Bunnings management sees Jules (Dean Lovatt) a bit gormless but a loveable everyman just trying to be good at his job, taking the plunge into work politics, going for the top job. His co-workers Brutus (Harrison Mitchell) a bit wet between the ears, bloodthirsty Casca (Maiken Kruger), and the ever scheming Cassius (Jess Lally) get wind of this and rather than complain to HR or try to go for the job themselves, they go for a few beers and a whinge and escalate their solution from spitting in his Passiona to stabby stabby no more Jules.

Lovatt’s calm and easy-going style endears him to the audience early on, collective groans amassing because we all know his fate. The Bogan Shakespeare crew have a strong crowd work game. From Lovatt’s knowing glances to Kruger’s hilarious fourth wall break as Caesar’s lover (one scene only), and of course the master of improv and crowd engagement Jess Lally. The knowing looks and hilarious asides from the bitter Cassius are so funny and fresh. Who knew that Julius Caesar would work as a hardware store drama? Of course, everything gets a bit Hunger Games when Antony (Sarah Courtis) discovers Jules’ stabbed corpse and the perpetrators enjoying a victory Tim Tam. After spilling the beans on the murderous crew, the co-workers attack with the lowest priced tools at their disposal. There’s a Ryobi trimmer that needs its battery charged, and gardening guru Costa makes a hilarious cameo but justice is ultimately served with the help of some backyard tiki torches.

Bogan Shakespeare have a clear sense of their audience and have created a brand that hits the mark every time. Whilst I wouldn’t consider much of the language to be bogan per se, there are enough bogan elements to get them over the line. The Bunnings setting lends itself to a heap of gags which are pulled off with a knowing wink and a self aware smile. The entire cast have a great chemistry and it’s a joy to watch them make each other laugh even after doing this for seven years. Bogan Shakespeare Presents: Julius Caesar is a riot from start to finish, it takes a classic play and Aussifies it taking tall poppy syndrome to the ultimate level. As plastered on the walls of the set: We came, we saw, we beat it by ten percent! You’re in for a doozy of a time.

You can catch all the high vis and tools at the STCWA until 29th 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

FRINGEWORLD 2022 | Impro Musical BangTown! | 4 Stars

Review | Laura Money

Want a banger of an evening with nonstop tunes and sick beats that will get stuck in your head as hilarious earworms? Look no further than Impro Musical BangTown! an evening of improvised music games and parodies culminating in a fully improvised musical. It’s hilarious, they’re quicker than a quick brown fox, and feels a little like a love letter to all things musical theatre. And just in case you think that sounds a bit daggy, rest assured that the three piece band has plenty of street cred they can lend the players!

It’s a pretty simple premise – a three piece band is just jamming away, improvising a bunch of music and then the crew of players burst out onto the scene. Led by Perth improv King, Geordie Crawley the roving line-up then improvise lyrics to the backing track provided. Everything is made up, including the band’s name. These guys are phenomenal improvisers – to come up with something on the spot is hard enough but to think on their feet with music adds a tricky element to the whole shebang. There’s structure to the evening, though starting out with a hilarious rhyming rap game that sees the crew rhyme like it’s a crime!

Then there’s ‘Cell Block Bango’ – a brilliant pisstake of the classic Chicago number. Each player gets a word from the audience and then they unleash their theatrical side with those iconic notes providing a visceral punch. You can tell that these guys love musical theatre and it’s a parody that comes from a place of love. They’re living out their musical theatre geek fantasies and they look cool doing it! Speaking of musical theatre dreams, an entire fully realised musical is performed every night. Yes you read that correctly – from big, sweeping, harmonious, exposition-driven opening number to contemplative ‘I Want’ songs, and questionably sexual group scenes these amazing performers are in their element and it shows.

Impro Musical BangTown! is such a good night out! It celebrates all things musical and ensures that you can’t sit still. The talented improv troupe are razor sharp, and ridiculously musically blessed. It takes a good ear, a keen way with words, and a genius level quick wit combined with a brilliant sense of humour to pull something like this off – Impro Musical BangTown! pulls off the covers and leaves you shivering with delight all night.

You can catch all the improvised music until 25th 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