Follow the story of Victor Spartan, a blue collar worker who by day is a drone but at night, hears the poetic sounds of revolution. A skilful exciting combination of live music, poetry, hip-hop, beat-boxing and comic book illustrations featuring live music. A unique festival experience.
Review
The company behind Death Boogie promote the show as political romp where Pee-Wee Herman meets Che Guevara.
In a sense yes I see that; the child-like nerdy simplistic exterior of Pee Wee that hides hidden depths and the ‘get-the-message’ political rhetoric of Che. But I think that does this electrifying show an injustice. It is something quite unique on the Fringe – a multi-layered experience that you will enjoy as much if you are a fan of hip-hop, poetry, graphic novels or want to look for the more interesting political depths.
Death Boogie combines live music, poetry, hip hop and comic book illustrations (at this point I should say much kudos to the technical team who manage to incorporate the complicated background graphic cartoon illustrations flawlessly into the action).
It’s many themes involve musing on the notions of subjects such as martyrdom, altruism, futility of war, drudgery of most of our daily lives and courage through the stories and characters led by ‘everyman’ Victor Spartan and his brother John. The action and narrative is wrapped up in some live jazzy rhythms supplied by double bass and violin.
There is I felt real anger at our current political situation(s) here but it is presented in a way that is never so in you face that you feel you are being preached at. In fact the quality of the writing, poetry and music from Darian Dauchan and his collaborators is of such a high quality at times I could almost imagine I was watching a video of the latest chart-toppers.
Saying that the show has none of the sexism or posturing you often see in this music and underneath everything is Dauchan who has the soul of a poet.
The show is rich, textured, multi-layered and something of a sensory overload but it is a unique fringe experience and one that I suspect has a life long after the fringe finishes
