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Total Theatre November 2006
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OINK!
SPLICE
TOSSED!
LABYRINTHINE
All reviews translated from German to English by Kian Ganz
From Manfred Koch’s article "Sinnlich, schraeg und skurril"
The Anglo-German co-production "Oink!" was quite text-heavy
[compared to other shows] but very entertaining: the fable of the
seven deadly sins to which villagers have succumbed, was performed
as a surreal, twisted and serious as well as comical show with an
enormous effort of props and costumes.
Eva Lindner: Spur der Todsuenden
The coproduction "OINK!" of the English group Pants on
Fire with the Erlanger dramatists Ines Haeuser and Marina Kopp, however,
ensured an assault on the senses.
In the experimental theatre, the group flooded the audience with a
flow of text and pictures, truly in the "flood" spirit
of the festival.
In the dark fairy tale the disfigured boy Grub looks for love, but
only finds the embodiment of the seven deadly sins in an eery village.
Related thematically to Patrick Suskind’s "Perfume",
the five actors play over two levels of the theatre in 30 different
roles. The ensemble changes roles, costumes, props, language and set
with breathtaking speed. The viewer is often left behind. The viewer
finds himself in a hurly-burly of body- and puppet-theatre, song and
music and would be all-too-aware of the theatrical process. The complex
change of sets is always visible to the viewer. The energy and slapstick-numbers
of Pants on Fire are familiar from their previous year’s piece
"Splice", however, the performance was more harmonious
back then without the German support.
Pornographie und Wollust
Sure, the piece is relatively text-heavy, as if the actors did not
quite trust the wonderful set-designers. But this is a completely
unfounded worry. The "Pants on Fire"/"Arena"
co-production "Oink!" is visual theatre of the most entertaining
kind. The tale of the seven deadly sins that have taken hold of several
villagers yonks ago, is told by flashback from the point of view of
someone looking for love. Almost everything here is in permanent movement,
props and costumes become impossible to count, but nevertheless everything
is hunky-dory. Tragedy and humour in a detailed and atmospheric sequence
of scenes.
Todsuenden in Farbe, by Christiane Hawranek of Erlangen Nachrichten
Deathly Sins in Colour: Preview Piece of the Rehearsal Process
At the "Arena" festival, that started yesterday evening,
there is an international coproductio nevery year. 2007 the English
group Pants on Fire developed the piece Oink! With English and German
actors.
"Oink oink!" are the tones in both German and English
that a pig makes. In the eponymous play, children shout "oink
oink" at a boy with a pig’s nose. Three actors from London
and 2 from Erlangen have slipped into the roles of 30 villagers. Until
the premiere on 28 June in the experimental theatre, the rehearsals
in Buckenhof will be flat out. Peter Bramley carries and pushes 12
man-tall black wooden boxes onto the stage. "A good warm-up,"
he grins.
The 36-year old London is author, director and actor all in one, nevertheless
he sees the show as more of a "group process." His country
woman Sarah Owen sits at the keyboard and makes Erlangen student Ines
Haeuser keep singer the same part of a song: "More fear into
your voice!" After all, the piece is about a dark fairy tale
in which an entire village falls prey to the seven deadly sins one
after another. British humour is included.
Sarah Schulze describes how they are making costumes and why.
Both have worked behind the set already since summer 2006: "when
the English won the Arena audience prize for their Cinema parody,
it was immediately clear to us that this was the right troupe for
our traditional coproduction," says Schulze Darup. The ensemble
Pants on Fire from London was also immediately up for it.
They saw each other again in January in Erlangen. In a casting the
Londoners originally wanted two men and woman for oink, but however,
the two theatre students Marina Kopp (19) and Ines Haueser (20), came
out on top. The prize: two tickets to London and the great opportunity
to act in an international production.
Bramley admits that he initially had doubts: would the young Germans
cope with the English text? He had to rewrite his piece because the
ensemble was now smaller than originally anticipated. Instead, however,
there was now a spare seat on the plane for Miriam van der Ham, who
is also a theatre student.
"Without her, the show would never have been as colourful,"
emphasizes Bramley. The 22-year old [Miriam] designed and sewed grandiose
costumes so that for every deadly sin the scene appeared as though
it had been drenched in a different coloured pot of paint: sloth for
instance is symbolized by the colour orange, right down to the smallest
ashtray. Since the end of May the Anglo-German group has been reunited
and has been practicing almost daily. "I found it especially
amazing how my rough draft of the set suddenly stood before me in
real life," says Bramley. The wooden boxes serve as bed, door,
shop-counter, classroom and abbatoir. After the "Arena"
festival they will be transported back to the UK because Oink is also
to be performed in English festivals.
"Mit der Arche durch die 'Sinnflut'"
"This year’s co-production "Oink!" and the
wide-ranging programme [surrounding it – other shows going on
w/ connection of festival] are also worth getting excited about."
Arena, July 12th 2006
-Erlanger Nachrichten
"...It was practically clear that SPLICE, the pantomimic parody
through the history of film, wouldn’t miss out at the ARENA
award ceremony, so enthusiastic were audience and critics.
"And in fact: The english groupe Pants on Fire were happy to
not only take the ARENA'06 - audience award back to London, but also
to receive the invitation to work on a ARENA co-production for the
festival in 2007..."
Arena, July 10th 2006
-Erlanger Nachrichten
"The English, as we know, like it ironically and bizzare. And
so does the groupe Pants on Fire with their show SPLICE in the Garage,
as they act winking through one hundred years of film.
"Over fifty films in almost the same time of showminutes –
a breathtaking pace, where the bustling cut of some of the hollywoodfilms
comparatively seem to be slow.
"Histarically funny is the affected mime of the heros from the
silent movie era, as well as Spielbergs early films, when suddenly
E.T is eaten by Jaws, or when the digital films are presented on stage
with neat created handmade props. You almost forgot that you are sitting
in a theatre, not in a cinema. For all the marvellous ideas and a
great performance the audience replied with a thunderous applause."
The Guardian (Fringe round-up), September 2005
"Splice a "theatrical ode to cinema" at the Underbelly,
is no more than a string of visual allusions to movies. But while
the show isn't executed with seamless precision, it's ingenious and
diverting. One nifty routine conjures the twisty staircase in Vertigo,
another sees an actor's stomach fat become Jabba the Hut."
Edinburgh Guide, August 15th 2005
read
online review
Fringe Report, 9th August 2005
read
online review
Three Weeks, August 2005
"The very energetic show, 'Splice' achieves the daunting task
of cramming famous scenes from over 60 movies into a single hour.
The range of techniques on display make this impressive viewing -
showcasing the talents of the four performers who are skilled in mime,
puppetry, impressions, singing, acting and almost every form of stagecraft.
Most impressively, they use simple propls, set and lighting in elaborate
ways enticing plenty of 'oohs', 'aahs', and 'isn't that clever' form
an enrapt audience. The added fun of guessing which films are being
presented and some great spoofs - the scouse 'James Bond' and 'Barber
Shop Quartet Star Wars' - ensure that anyone who has set foot inside
a cinema will enjoy themselves."
The Scotsman, Fringe 2005
BRIEF ENCOUNTER - Two fringe companies talk movies. Will there be
a happy ending?
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full interview (PDF 3.4M)
Total Theatre, Fringe 2005
"A feelgood mime show racing through the history of cinema –
from Chaplin to The Matrix via Hitchcock's The Birds and about 100
other examples. Watch out for the dancing screens doing Diamonds Are
A Girl's Best Friend."
download
complete schedule (PDF 1.1M)
Interview with Reduced Shakespeare Company, August 6th 2005
read
online review
The Stage, June 13-July 2 2005
read
online review
Time Out, June 23rd 2005
"Wonderful and improbable…all that's missing is the popcorn!"
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full article (PDF 460K)
What's On, June 23rd 2005
"A talented cast bring their own inventiveness to a humorous
canter through 63 films...a truly magical box of delights"
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full article (PDF 1.3M)
UK Theatre Network, 23rd June 2005
read
online review
Metro, London, June 20th 2005
"Hits just the right note of invention and humour… Pants
on Fire are capable of the purest of theatre"
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full article (PDF 600K)
Out & About, ES Magazine, Evening Standard, London, June 2005
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full article (PDF 750K)
more on SPLICE (2001-2002)
Total Theatre Magazine, Autumn 2005
read online
review
Time Out, May 4th 2005
"There's magic in the air
at People Show Studios. Here is Fringe Shakespeare that is innovative
and at times even breathtaking. ‘Tossed!' is actually just a
new name for The Tempest: It's company Pants on Fire's first production,
and by concentrating all its recourses on the supernatural elements
of this barmy little play it's found rich ground on which to unleash
its combined creativity.
"Its major coups are casting six actresses as the sprite Ariel,
and a system of screens that provides cover as she sows confusion
among the ship-wrecked enemies of Prospero, her wronged master. In
a favourite manoeuvre, several black screens are portered across the
black stage in coordination, revealing different Ariel's at different
times. And blow me, doesn't it look like she's teleporting herself
from spot to spot! The renaissance style polyphonic score by Lucy
Egger - exceptionally well sung - enhances the mystique on all occasions..."
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full article (PDF 1.1M)
Out & About, The Evening Standard, 2005
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full article (PDF 1.7M)
The Stage, 21st April, 2005
Profile on Adam Peck (cast member)
read
online
The Guide, South East London Local Magazine, July 2006
Profile on Adam Hemming (Director of The Space).
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article (PDF 500K)
Extra Extra, June 2006
read
online review
UK Theatre Network, June 2006
read
online review
The Wharf, May 25 2006
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full article (PDF 1.1M)
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