Fringe 2016: Theatre – That Siege in Adelaide – The Bakehouse – 3.5K

‘That Siege in Adelaide’ is a farcical tale similar to those of Dario Fo. Over the top characters and witty commentary of the state government and media’s response to a ‘violent’ stand off.

There were stand out performances from Todd Gray and Cassandra Scalzi, the two  journalists on the scene of the seige. Gray’s voice acting in particular was a clever mockery of the voice all to familiar ABC voice. As the tension mounts and the journalists uncover the truth of the situation the humour builds to an outrageous crescendo. A few mistimed cues and dropped lines did draw the audience out of the scene but for the most part the acting was entertaining and well choreographed.

Where this play excelled was the writing. The media and Adelaide based jokes worked well with the crowd who revelled at the ludicrous limits the two networks were willing to go in their quest to retain fictional viewers. As the satire went on it became ever more political, drawing in clever depictions of State and Federal politicians. Towards the end some technical elements did let the writing down a little, but overall the humour still shone through.

Overall a witty and enjoyable show with many laugh out loud moments. A cutting portrayal of the state of the mass media industry in Australia and around the world. Well written, concise and light hearted this show will have you reevaluating your choices of media consumption.

Kryztoff Rating   3.5K

 

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