Tag Archives: Fear No Colours

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2018 – To Have Done with the Judgement of God, 22nd August 2018

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Here’s another performance that I think will be thought-provoking and disturbing – at least I hope so. It’s Fear No Colours’ production of To Have Done with the Judgement of God, at the Main House @ C Venues, C Too, at 20:15 on Wednesday 22nd. Here’s the blurb: “How many pounds of flesh does it take to feed a god? Something is stirring, pulsing, preparing to hatch. In the image of the gods, humans are bred in infinite numbers to feed their ambition, while feeding off an earth that can no longer support them. In the wastelands between, bodies crawl across the ground in a savage howl from birth to decay. Commemorating the 70th anniversary of Antonin Artaud’s death and his invaluable contribution to modern performance practice, Fear No Colours present a new physical adaptation of his final, staggering work.”

If anyone can tackle this kind of theatrical challenge, Fear No Colours can! I’m hoping to be confronted with all sorts of shocks and surprises – and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. The performers are: Harry Pearce, Kristupas Liubinas, Tingting Liu, Andrew Davies, Rhiannon Bird and Findlay Duff. Check back around 9.30pm to see our reaction. By then the next preview blog should be available to read too.

What I really admire about Fear No Colours is that they throw their heart and soul into everything they do. This incredibly intense and difficult piece of writing is brought to life in a most imaginative and daring way. There are sequences of highly physical theatre that take your breath away. Intriguing and a tough watch, but thrilling too. Highly recommended!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2018 – Tonight with Donny Stixx, 21st August 2018

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This is the second production that we will be seeing produced by the much respected Fear No Colours group. It’s Tonight with Donny Stixx at The Studio @ TheSpace at Jury’s Inn, at 13:40 on Tuesday 21st. This is what the blurb says: “Superstar Donny Stixx is finally in town! Prepare to be amazed and expect the unexpected as Donny goes down in history as the greatest magician of our time! But please, no questions about the incident at St Joseph’s. Donny is doing this his way and, besides, no price is too high for superstardom. Philip Ridley’s spectacular tale of Donny is a rollercoaster ride of emotion, both darkly hilarious and gut-wrenchingly honest. The play is a companion piece to Dark Vanilla Jungle, performed by Fear No Colours in 2016 to great critical acclaim.”

This does sound like one of those interminable American news-cum-satire shows that seem to be everywhere nowadays – however, I know it’s nothing to do with that at all, but a wannabe magician who’s done a terrible thing. but what? I really don’t know what to expect, but knowing Fear No Colours, I’m sure it will be thought-provoking. Donny Stixx is performed by Chris Duffy. Check back around 3.15 pm to see what it was like. By then the next preview blog should be available to read too.

That’s a fantastic, frenetic, disturbing performance of enormous skill and power. You’ve heard the phrase, “a one-man tour de force”? Well that doesn’t do it justice. Spellbinding, and really deserves a life after the Fringe.

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2018 – Bucket Men, 18th August 2018

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Our first comedy show for the week is Bucket Men, at C venues – C royale, Studio 2 at 17:45 on Saturday 18th. Here’s what it’s about: “A and B work hard, and they take pride in their work. Turn up, swap stories, share sandwiches, do the job, go home. If only upstairs would fix the bloody kettle. Surely if they stay obedient and unquestioning, it’ll happen eventually. And why wouldn’t they? It’s a living, after all. But something is wrong. Or maybe, everything is going exactly according to plan. Bucket Men is a brand-new, darkly comic, absurdist play about the banalities of evil and the storied cycle of brutality. Because at the end of the day, someone’s gotta do it.”

This is produced by one of my favourite theatre companies at Edinburgh, Fear No Colours, and they never fail to create drama that’s challenging, disturbing and inspiring. This is the last performance of Bucket Men so I’m glad we were able to squeeze it in on our first day. It’s written and directed by FNC stalwart Samuel Skoog, and I’m expecting something Beckett-like but with a very modern twist. It’s 55 minutes long, so check back after 7.00 pm to see what it was like, and by then the next preview blog should be available to read too.

Beautifully surreal, very thought-provoking, not entirely sure what it meant, but that really doesn’t matter! Rather uncomfortable at times (deliberately so) and some great performances. Their run has been extended into next week, and I’d really recommend it!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Mercury Fur, 25th August 2016

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Next up, what sounds to me to be a most intriguing play. To my shame I hadn’t heard of it before but it sounds full of the challenges I relish from theatre. It’s Mercury Fur, performed by Fear No Colours, at The Main Space @ C Cubed, Celtic Lodge, Brodie’s Close, Lawnmarket, at 13:00 on Thursday 25th. This is from the official website: “In the burning and blood-soaked ruins of London, two brothers prepare a child for sacrifice as their only means of survival. Philip Ridley’s savage masterpiece asks how far we will go for the ones we love.”

Not too much information there, but I’ve done some research and it looks to me like Mercury Fur might resemble an Edward Bond’s Saved for the 21st century? I’m primarily going to see it because we saw both Fear No Colours’ productions of two Sarah Kane plays last year and they were superb. By Edinburgh standards this is quite a long play so check around 3pm to see how it went and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Just like last year, the thing that impresses me most about Fear No Colours is their ability to create vibrant, passionate and indeed violent theatre in a very confined space with incredible physical control and accuracy. This is a gripping and engrossing production of a play that, personally, I feel isn’t a patch on the Sarah Kanes they took on in 2015. It has a fascinating concept of how you get your kicks in a post-apocalyptic London, and there are some riveting sequences, but on the whole I feel the play is about half an hour too long. It’s also not as eloquent as Edward Bond! Great performances though, and terrific ensemble playing. Not physically gory but you need a strong mental attitude to survive!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Phaedra’s Love

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On Tuesday afternoon we saw Cleansed, the first of the two Sarah Kane plays being produced at the Fringe by Fear No Colours. This afternoon we will be seeing the other, Phaedra’s Love. Here’s the promotional blurb: “News. Another rape. Child murdered. War somewhere. Few thousand jobs gone. But none of this matters – because it’s a royal birthday. When Queen Phaedra falls madly in love with her stepson Hippolytus, catastrophe is inevitable. The prince has no interest in anyone’s affections, and his apathy soon throws the nation’s morals into irreparable turmoil. Sarah Kane’s dark comedy turns Greek tragedy inside out – in surprisingly literal ways! Strongly visceral and experiential performance with movement and video.”

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I was inspired to book for these two plays on the strength of finally having seen Sarah Kane’s Blasted in Sheffield in February. Phaedra’s Love looks like it should be a very dark comedy indeed – I’ll be fascinated to see how the production treads the balance between shock and humour. It starts at 16:15 at C Nova Studio 2, so please come back around 5.30 to see our reactions. Our next show preview blog will be available too.

Update:

More shock than humour in many ways, but another excellent production from this company. A fantastic central performance from Callum Partridge as Hippolytus, a more charmless and depraved bloke it would be hard to imagine. What I love about this company is how they use every available inch of acting space and fill it to the gunwales. They portray the violence of the story with in your face fearlessness, and where they have to leave realism behind, represent Kane’s excessive imagination with an ingenuity that’s inspired yet still feels pretty disgusting. And it’s all performed with immaculate control. I hope they go from strength to strength and I look forward to seeing what they do next. PS Happy birthday Callum!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Cleansed

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Earlier this year we went to Sheffield and saw Blasted as part of their Sarah Kane season. It was the first time we had seen a Kane play – I had always wanted to – and I found it fascinating. It stimulated my interest in her work, so when I saw that Fear No Colours were performing two of Sarah Kane’s plays in Edinburgh this summer, I knew I had to book for both of them. So the first is Cleansed, at 13:00 at C Nova – Studio 1. Here’s the blurb: “Sarah Kane’s darkly passionate play turns the heart into a torture camp where losing love is a fate worse than death. And this love is the most violent thing in the world. Loss of love is the loss of self, and anything may be endured to avoid that. In a torture institution of the heart, the indestructibility of love creates a waking nightmare where not even death offers a way out. Explore the violence of love and love’s catastrophe in a language that pushes the boundaries of theatrical representation to the absolute extreme. Welcome to our sensible hell.”

Formed in 2015 by students and graduates from the University of Glasgow’s theatre department this will be Fear No Colours’ first appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe, and I’m looking forward to seeing the same group of young actors perform both plays in daily repertoire. That must be a challenge! It’s a fairly shocking play to read so I will be interested to see how the shock on the page translates to the stage. Check back shortly after 2.15 to see our reactions, and also to discover what delights await us next!

Update:

Was that worth seeing or was that worth seeing! Amazingly mature and technically brilliant performances from this young cast. This is very physical theatre in a confined space but they work every available inch of it with huge invention and terrific control. Sarah Kane doesn’t give you much to work on regarding stage directions but I can’t imagine how this play could have been better staged. If you like a challenge in the theatre this is a must see. Congrats all round!