|
|
|
Edinburgh reviews |
|
|
Three
Weeks. August 9th 2004. I've tried to explain the idea of 'Hedwig' to many people before, and when you say it's about an East German Transsexual Punk Rock Singer, they lose interest. Even when you say, "But it's amazing, immense, one of the best things I've ever seen," they just think you're weird. Well I'm not weird and you have to see this show. Yes, it's a bit odd, but the songs are fantastic, her/his story is touching, the stage dynamic is incredible.
This Hedwig is a bit less glamorous than the definitive Hedwig but still
great, and Yitzhak has a phenomenal voice. If you've seen the film, you've
probably already got your tickets, if not, see this and head down to Blockbuster
the next day.
Edinburgh
Guide. August 7th 2004. Reviewed by Julian Davis There were many present who felt it was about time that this cult Shock-Rock musical was brought to Britain and all credit to Rose Tinted Productions for presenting this in Edinburgh some 10 years after John Cameron Mitchell first conceived it in Manhattan and delivered it to critical and cultic acclaim as the best “off Broadway” musical. The show is being delivered at venue 231 alias Greenside Church where the accommodation gives great interaction between performer and audience and the setting is just a gentle two minute stroll from the popular pubs and restaurants at the top of Leith Walk. Stepping down the stairs to the right into the sub sanctuary you immediately become aware that this warm, cosy enclave gives you nowhere to hide. This is an intimate tale and there is no way you cannot become part of the unfolding drama. For those not already devotees of the tale, there is a loose parallel between the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961and Platonic theory which postulated that we were dual beings once – male/male (children of the sun), male/female (children of the moon) and female/female (children of the earth). When Zeus overruled Thor and punished the humans for their pride by splitting them all apart with lightning he left them dazed, confused; they had difficulty coming to terms with the situation – just like the Berliners felt when the city was torn apart. This is probably where the overt politics stop and the music takes over to make it very much up front, in your face and personal. Canadian Matthew Tapscott has been persuaded to fly over and take on the lead hero/heroine, Hedwig in this British production which premiered at Brighton during early May. The rest of the cast nucleate from a talented Sussex band, The Lick. Together they have gelled into a cast which takes no prisoners. The music was inspired by the generation which saw the likes of David Bowie and Lou Reed’s Velvet Opera, both dealing with the same personal crisis of coming to terms with their own sexuality and challenging our concepts of a cosy world of accepted sexual values. This is a cry for empathy rather than sympathy to those who feel that life has left them with only an inch when they expected a mile. Between the music, Matt pours his heart and soul into the story and runs the whole gambit of emotion from hope and expectation to a feeling of power, to abandonment and disillusionment. It is a tale of a botched sex change as she attempts to have a better life. When Hedwig sings of being sewn up does she really mean she’s been stitched up? Stitched up by her country, by her lover, by her sexuality, by her situation, by her friends? You decide. It is post-punk, Goth Rock at its most high octane energetic inspiration. Be prepared to be confronted and challenged. Be open to feel for the lament of Hedwig. Be up and dancing with your hands in the air by the end. If you are not, you have probably already been struck by Thor’s hammer. It is honest emotions, even brutal in its honesty – it’s brilliant. Wham, bam thank you mam! British
Theatre Guide. 9th August 2004. Reviewed by Rachel Lynn Brody Growing up in East Berlin before the wall came down and seduced into a botched sex operation by an American GI, the title character in this rock musical is the glorious, transsexual, wig-adorned, vodka-swilling Hedwig (Matthew Tapscott). The show, Hedwig's attempt to tell the world about her betrayal by the trailer trash rock star who's made it big by stealing her tunes, shows the transformation Hedwig has undergone both physically and mentally, from the naïve young German boy to the world-weary and cynical half of a relationship which eventually results in the reclaiming of both Hedwig and "husband" Yitzhak's (Mel Farmery) lost genders. As Tapscott, in high-heeled boots and an incredible variety of wigs, parades not just around the stage but also out into the audience, viewers may get a false sense of security about the kind of participation that's expected of them. For the most part the performers are gentle with their audience, and the audience repays this in kind - responding without much prompting when, rock-show-style, Hedwig or the other players request an answer or help with a sing-along. Projectile tomatoes and vodka spit-takes are the exceptions to this rule, so the front rows should watch out. What this production of Hedwig does so expertly is capture the energy of a rock concert without the audiences' needing any kind of pre-show familiarity with the performers or storyline. Tapscott, Farmery, and Lick (made up of Steve Lockwood, Lee Farmery, Stu, Marcus Lane, and Tesco, who together play The Angry Inch) manage to gain the near-complete loyalty and devotion of their audience; after the closing number the entire audience stayed put until the performers came back out for an encore. The staging takes place in the basement of a church (bit ironic, really), but this doesn't prevent the technical spectacle from being almost as dramatic as that of the performance. Video projection is used to highlight the critical plot points early in the show, though it's not used much in the middle of the story. Luckily, by the end of the show Tapscott's performances - as both Hedwig and her ex-lover Tommy - are so well differentiated (Tapscott uses completely different personalities for the German transsexual and the American-trailer-park-trash-cum-rock-star) that the video is hardly necessary until final scenes where it returns to create a stadium concert atmosphere. Between
Hedwig's late start time and extreme subject matter, some audience members
may shy away - worried either about getting their beauty sleep, or about
being offended. But with an eight day run - two of which have already
passed - there isn't time to worry about these things. Don't take too
long to warm up to the idea of checking Hedwig out, or it might be too
late to catch this incredibly hot show. -------------------------- Audience comments"More
of a professional production than a fringe performance - the voices, costumes,
band and rock concert sound could all have come straight from the West
End" "The
most amazing fringe show I have ever seen. "An
unusual fusion of rock and theatre that far exceeded my expectations.
More suited to the West End in terms of professionalism, so I guess we
were lucky to see something this good at the Fringe. I would recommend
this to anyone as a must see" "The
most amazing gig I have ever seen, worth well in excess of 5 stars. The
singing and the band were exceptional. A pity for all those of you that
missed it - you missed out on something sensational" "Just
got home from 2 weeks fringing and had to write something about Hedwig.
What a stunning show, I knew nothing about it apart from being intrigued
by the programme description. The acting, sound, lighting, costumes -
in fact everything about it just blew me away. For me it stood above anything
else I saw. Congratulations and thank you" "More
than words is what's needed to describle this electifying production.
I was spell bound for the whole two hours, the standing ovation was richly
deserved. 5 stars doesn't do it justice" "I
have seen several productions of this show in the United States and Rose
Tinted Productions is one of the best" "What
an excellent way to end the weekend. The final festival performance of
Hedwig on the 14th August. The atmosphere was electric, the audience clearly
there to enjoy themselves and a FIRST RATE production. The whole crew
and cast must be congratulated!" "The
people I was with and myself all agreed that this was the best production
we have ever seen at the fringe. If they ever come back I will make sure
everyone I know get the Hedwig live experience. The film is a pale imitation
of what I witnessed up on stage that night" "I
was fortunate enough to see this production and I wanted to thank you
for an amazing experience. I bought the CD and I havent stopped listening
to it and the poster is on my wall. This was a truly jaw dropping show
and I cannot tell you how much seeing it meant to me. Thank you again.
I cant wait to see what you come up with next" "This
superlative production was a midnite masterpiece of music and spectacle" |