Hector's House: Lip Service :Edinburgh Fringe
Hector's House by Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding: Lip Service: George Square Theatre (venue 37) 16.10 'till 24th August 2003
Review: Mark Courtice, 14 August 2003
0131 662 8740 www.edfringe.com
1 hour 15 minutes No Interval
Greek-style fun could have more flavourMaggie Fox and Sue Ryding, who are Lip Service, have a rare record of taking a sideways view of things and coming up with a new take that is both funny and clever. In the past they have done the trick with the Brontes, and the B movie among others. Here they try the Trojans with a live Greek Style tragedy.
This show has lots of laughs, but I missed the wit that Lip Service have brought to their other satires. Here the instruments seemed much blunter. Helen of Troy with a beard, gags about the small cast, statues that lose their arms are all grist to the mill, but work better if there is some real comment about the originals too.
There are lots of pleasures, though. They include the relationship between Audrey and Olivia (Fox and Ryding) as they struggle to keep the show on the road, a splendidly over the top matinee idol from Oliver Beamish, who can also turn his hand to an engaging Helen of Troy. All three performers have that knack of making a point with just the right gesture, as well as effective comic timing.
Props and set both offer huge fun, either being cleverly apt, or threatening to derail the whole enterprise. There's lots of audience participation, ranging from the very Greek welcome in the foyer to the use of random phrases solicited before we go in. The very experienced hands of this company mean that these are used most effectively. The cunning ploy to create a fleet of 1000 ships to be launched by "that face" is fun, too.
There is energy, skill and silliness galore that make this canter through the Trojan wars worth going, it's just not as inspired, this time.
With
Maggie Fox, Sue Ryding, Oliver Beamish. Nick Lumley on video
Directors: Gwenda Hughes, Mark Chatterton
Designer: Richard Foxton
Composer: Mark Vibrans
Lyricist: Malcolm Raeburn
Lighting Design: James Farncombe
2003-08-17 10:30:41