FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHERETTES. To 5 February.

Bath

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHERETTES
by Forkbeard Fantasy

Theatre Royal 5 February 2006
7.30pm
Runs: 1hr 30min No interval

TICKETS: 01225 448844
Review: Hazel Brown 26 January at Exeter Northcott

Surreal silliness, but this is a must see, funny, multi-media show.
Judging by the capacity house in Exeter, Forkbeard’s brand of surreal silliness is a must-see multi-media show for many people and I’ve joined their ranks. This production seamlessly blends theatre, film, music, cartoon and puppetry to fine comic effect. There’s fun too in spotting references to mainstream films, early films, film scores, Shakespeare and much more.

The show tells the story of a rare, lost, medium, Liquid Film, stored beneath the crumbling Empire cinema - guarded by three sisters, the gruesome Usherettes. Film buff Mr Earlobe has been summoned to the cinema by his old friend, Lilyhair Usherette, the sisters’ brother, to help him escape. Once in the cinema, Earlobe decides to find the master bottle from which all liquid films are made and remade. However, the sisters have other ideas and decide to trap him in a loop, the fate befalling other visitors, including the unfortunate milkman - principally for his besetting sin of talking in the first person past tense narrative.

Moments to savour include the sisters pursuing Earlobe from the side of the stage into the film, which shows a corridor of doors through which they chase one another, Earlobe running on the spot to escape with film-images rushing past him, and every time a character disappears into, or reappears out of, the film. Bed scenes, with Lilyhair jumping in-and-out of a vertical bed and Earlobe’s head in a four poster floating on a developing tank, are hilarious.

There’s a brilliant cartoon history of Liquid Film and a great joke when one sister decides to ‘pump’ her brother to find out where the master bottle is – his head gets blown up to the size of a gym ball. Throughout the action, the cinema is sinking into a boggy tarn, which brings about the final, spectacular fall. The set is ingenious: a revolving cube flanked by huge statues holding up the portico. It metamorphoses into cinema screens, bedroom and film library, besides masking costume changes.

By the end all the characters realise the truth, that they are all trapped forever in a bigger loop. I urge you to go and see them before they succeed in making good their final escape.

Cast: Chris Britton, Tim Britton, Ed Jobling

Directors: Forkbeard Fantasy
Designer/costume: Penny Saunders
Lighting by Marcus Bartlett
Cinematography: Robin Thorburn
Animation: Tim Britton
Organ played by Gail Britton

2006-01-30 00:06:35