VELOCITY. To 26 August.

Edinburgh - Fringe

VELOCITY
by Scott Ardizzone, Mark Lonergan, John Socas and Brian Torrell

Gilded Balloon Teviot Bristo Square To 26 August 2002
5.15pm
Runs 1hr No interval

Impressive athletic high-jinks with a less persuasive through-line.Near alike in hairstyle, identical in dark city suits and identikit flamboyant green tie and breast-pocket handkerchief, the three company members commute to their offices, sit and calculate at their desks, take a break and go to lunch with absolute uniformity.

Only, as regular daytime manoeuvres become exaggerated, and as time presses, the three performers impressively develop these mundane routines into sequences of tumbling, somersaulting and near-missing each other.

They're known just as A,B and 3. Wherever three get gathered together, there has to be one. And 3's the one who keeps getting it in the neck, often enough literally.

So far, so exciting. But then, it seems, this material runs out and we're off to Heaven and Hell. The material then has to run on less substantial stereotypes than when the guys were still in the city and it shows in the more desperate quality of invention.

It's a problem that arises when a set of routines looks for a through-line. But when they're good, these guys are very good. And when they're athletic, they're tremendous.

Performers:
Scott Ardizzone, John Socas, Brian Torrell

Director: Mark Lonergan
Designer: Scott Ardizzone
Lighting consultant: Phil Monat
Sound: Peter Fitzgerald and Sound Associates
Costumes: Randall Klein
Puppets: Tom Keegan

2002-08-18 21:35:01