**** (4 stars)
“A Brilliant Show!”
Oh my gosh this is a brilliant show, sheer delight from start to finish!
Wordless, indeed, but not soundless – there’s a constant stream of burbling, a little bit of singing, and a mind-boggling array of sound effects as our three performers weave their way through an ever-changing succession of scenarios.
The young girl in front of me was in fits of laughter from the start, as two of the three performers from the Lang Spot community arts centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, attempt to co-ordinate their explosive first entry on to the stage. I ran out of paper in my notebook as I tried to keep track of the multiplicity of scenes, incidents, and encounters between the three characters.
The imagination, invention and artistry are simply superb; the expressive faces and bodies awesome; the virtually non-stop transformations mind-boggling – it’s a real treat for anyone who enjoys the absurd, the rib-tickling, the Just Plain Silly…
So many characters, human and non-human alike; so much acute observation to create them. There were some wonderful birds, a couple of really excitable dogs, a sheep; at least one bicycle, a bus, a plane, an evil mad scientist, a truly terrifying teacher, and a number of very recognisable [and some very objectionable] school pupils. There’s even a brisk canter around Edinburgh in August…
The two energetic young men who opened the show gave way to a very old lady, who hobbled her way around the stage with her [invisible] zimmer frame and had to put in her false teeth before she could start to do anything. This seemed somewhat random – until the final seconds of the show, where everything became crystal clear. On the way we visited a school [many times] and had a wonderfully kaleidoscopic journey through all manner of scenarios both real and [we hope] very well imagined.
I tried but failed to find the names of the three performers, and I’d love to know how they and their tech person came together, and how they brought their show to Edinburgh. Pity.
Never mind: they are utterly wonderful and you really shouldn’t miss them! I was laughing most of the way through, and the rest of the audience, adults and kids alike, were held spellbound by the cast’s skill and artistry, flexibility and sheer all-embracing talent. The finale is both heart-warming and poetic justice – I’m so very happy for the heroine of the piece, and absolutely enchanted with the final-moment reveal that brings us full circle and sends us out satisfied and very, very happy.
A lovely start to my day!
Shhh! (A wordless comedy), The Fringe, The Lounge, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Runs until 31st August for more information go to: Shhh! (A Wordless Comedy) | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
ScotsGay Arts 