Edinburgh Fringe 2015
Woolley Eyed Turtle 3D
Cantankerous Theatre
Genre: Comedy, Fringe Theatre, Physical Theatre, Storytelling
Venue: Cafe Camino, Venue 65, Little King Street, Edinburgh
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
“Cantankerous brings you ‘Woolley Eyed Turtle, in 3D’. This comedic duo weave seamlessly and at times both hilariously and awkwardly from character to character to tell you the story of a stupid and ridiculous place in Ireland called “Flackinaslackin” and all the people in it.”
Review
These two zany women perform a creatively devised show full of characters set in a community care home in Ireland. This show is part of the PBH Free Fringe and you will meet Liam, Noreen, Grace and others as the exuberant Maeve Bell and Emily Johnson take you on this journey. It’s comedic and fun, for sure, but also witty and heartfelt.
The Saint Mary Magdelene Mother of Hope Care Home’s motto is “What fills your day, prolongs your stay” so we first learn about the activities that will keep everyone not cantankerous. As the carers go about their work they discover the patrons’ life stories and take on the characters themselves, which is very entertaining – it is then that we are invited to put on our 3D glasses.
Although Maeve and Emily are nowhere near the ages of the characters they portray, they do a great job switching between several characters. Wearing dark green unitards and the same short black hair style, they become male and female characters of all ages moving easily between various accents. This is quite a feat because they don’t even add costumes – there’s no time – but their strength is in the physical aspects of telling the story, so they simply adjust their posture and facial expressions. Maeve Bell has some particularly exaggerated expressions – sometimes her eyes seem to pop out of her head, while her mouth contorts – it’s hilarious!
There’s music and movement too – Contemporary / Irish dance mash up, which add to the playful absurdist nature of Cantankerous Theatre. Both performers take turns narrating directly to the audience and it’s very effective and authentic. They also integrate objects into their storytelling such as the bit with a toy plane, which is fun.
What sets this show apart is how the performers relate to each other – they are Yin and Yang, complementing each other well. There is mischief, charm and warmth in the show coming from how Maeve and Emily interact, really listening and reacting to each other and the audience. They enjoy what they are doing and therefore, this ripples out to the audience. The story, packed full of fascinating intergenerational observations, is well developed, and although some moments are probably improvised the structure is solid and they stay on track – women on a mission! Oh, the woolley eyed turtle? Well you’ll have to go and discover that for yourself – it will be worthwhile.
The PBH Free Fringe 2015 is producing a lot of theatre shows this year. Therefore, this show – Woolley Eyed Turtle 3D – is free, no tickets or reservations required! Cafe Camino is a few minutes from Edinburgh Waverly.
