I went to see Fricative on Saturday night and I was completely blown away! (Sad that it was such a small house. These guys should be packing them in.) This production IS the very definition of Fringe.
8 performers, dressed in formal attire, deliver a crazy surrealist smorgasbord of sound that had me sitting there with my jaw open and on the floor. The performers stand in a symmetrical pattern behind their music stands looking as if they're about to deliver a choral piece - ha! not even close - it's better than any stuff-shirted recital or chorus...it's just uttered (spoken) sound, I don't think I even heard a real word (at least not any that made sense to me). But that didn't even matter, I found myself with my eyes closed just floating around on the vocal patterns they created.
The only disservice I think this company has played has been that they have not better advertised what they do. (Their poster mentioned nothing about what their show was about.) Lucky for me that a friend dragged me along. And I'm darn glad I went.
This show is funny, well crafted, concise, gripping and entertaining. The best hour I have spent at the Fringe in all the years I have attended.
fricative ...is...is..WOW. Frickin' astounding. Eight 'sound poets' -their description- create sounds w/ just their vocal chords and mouths. Sounds such as "bpff" and "sktttt". Go ahead-pronounce those, and make someone laugh when doing so. And laugh you should for an hour.* A seat high and to the side allows you to see the subtle body language and dramatic expressions that create the humor while saying "ggnrr" in 5 octaves. Really!
I closed my eyes at one point to better focus on the unusual, rapid-fire sounds shooting around the stage, but shucks, I missed whatever had the whole audience laughing, children included.
Pick a poet- maybe the big guy in the back or the sleek-haired woman on the right- and watch just him/her for 20 seconds. Your 20 seconds won't be wasted.
* Tables were almost turned at their 1st show when not one laugh or giggle emanated from the audience! That nearly disrupted the performance as the poets struggled to not laugh because the audience wasn't laughing! Did they think it was a music lecture??
Listen for the frickativers busking on the Ave-or go straight to TOTS: Wed @ 6, or Sat. @ 3. Hmm..think i need to see/hear them again.
This show made me feel like I was high. That's never happened to me before. Fantastic! Go see it. They'll make noises you only dream about. My favorite show this fringe.
I went to see Fricative on Saturday night and I was completely blown away! (Sad that it was such a small house. These guys should be packing them in.) This production IS the very definition of Fringe.
ReplyDelete8 performers, dressed in formal attire, deliver a crazy surrealist smorgasbord of sound that had me sitting there with my jaw open and on the floor. The performers stand in a symmetrical pattern behind their music stands looking as if they're about to deliver a choral piece - ha! not even close - it's better than any stuff-shirted recital or chorus...it's just uttered (spoken) sound, I don't think I even heard a real word (at least not any that made sense to me). But that didn't even matter, I found myself with my eyes closed just floating around on the vocal patterns they created.
The only disservice I think this company has played has been that they have not better advertised what they do. (Their poster mentioned nothing about what their show was about.) Lucky for me that a friend dragged me along. And I'm darn glad I went.
This show is funny, well crafted, concise, gripping and entertaining. The best hour I have spent at the Fringe in all the years I have attended.
Hats off!
fricative ...is...is..WOW. Frickin' astounding. Eight 'sound poets' -their description- create sounds w/ just their vocal chords and mouths. Sounds such as "bpff" and "sktttt". Go ahead-pronounce those, and make someone laugh when doing so. And laugh you should for an hour.* A seat high and to the side allows you to see the subtle body language and dramatic expressions that create the humor while saying "ggnrr" in 5 octaves. Really!
ReplyDeleteI closed my eyes at one point to better focus on the unusual, rapid-fire sounds shooting around the stage, but shucks, I missed whatever had the whole audience laughing, children included.
Pick a poet- maybe the big guy in the back or the sleek-haired woman on the right- and watch just him/her for 20 seconds. Your 20 seconds won't be wasted.
* Tables were almost turned at their 1st show when not one laugh or giggle emanated from the audience! That nearly disrupted the performance as the poets struggled to not laugh because the audience wasn't laughing! Did they think it was a music lecture??
Listen for the frickativers busking on the Ave-or go straight to TOTS: Wed @ 6, or Sat. @ 3. Hmm..think i need to see/hear them again.
It's a "MUST SEE". Read the other two comments. The audience I was a part of was small but mighty. We jumped to our feet with a standing ovation.
ReplyDeleteThis show made me feel like I was high. That's never happened to me before. Fantastic! Go see it. They'll make noises you only dream about. My favorite show this fringe.
ReplyDelete