Fringe Online 2021
Selene
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Genre: Film, Fringe Online Performance
Venue: RCS On The Verge Festival
Festival: Fringe Online
Low Down
We begin with a duologue over the images of the star – the city of Glasgow as we hear of a woman to be chased. Our vocal pair are in pursuit of her and then we meet her on a snowy rooftop where she is joined by one of the voices. Their dialogue, shaky at first, becomes an equal telling of an original tale that then moves into further montage. From there sequences follow between which we have two men in a graveyard with puzzles, the problem of moving in with a grandfather’s grandfather clock, giving things to an ex, more gravedigging, making up in the street before the jigsaw of a discussion between her and the other voice ends it.
Review
This is a mix of poetry in word and vision. With the beginning of the piece setting the gentlest of tones, it takes us on a journey round a city of reality. At time we get glimpses of a holiday destination we all must feel is unattainable for reasons beyond it is unaffordable at the moment.
Robyn Faye, Morgan Hooper and Andre Silva have combined to create something which I loved.
I found it a thing of beauty. It has the gentlest of touches and the quirkiest of imagery with walking between pillars, having blue and red doors behind them and a bizarre rooftop location amongst many others. The Necropolis in its glory serves as a frequent backdrop but the wet of the city has a glorious place alongside the haunting beauty of the night.
But they all have to be captured on film and that is done so well. Ironically where the film work was a tad shaky was in some of the duologues particularly the one on the rooftop. It does, however, manage to hint Scandi Noir when in long shot.
There were also a few issues about sound, but this is minor as they tended to be when out in the open rather than when recorded in a more secure place.
But these are minor irritations when considered with the script which I though was fantastic. The visual mix between the imagery and the performances, the acting which was always both believable and engaging and the editing, slickly done was enticing.
Presented by students as part of the always innovative On the Verge Festival at the RCS, things look good and very positive for the future should any of the three involved here be used in anything over there in the future.