AMY STUTZ
  • Theatre
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
    • Features
  • Travel
  • About
  • Published Work
  • Theatre
  • Travel
  • About
  • Published Work
4K Followers
0 Followers
Subscribe
AMY STUTZ
AMY STUTZ
  • Theatre
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
    • Features
  • Travel
  • About
  • Published Work
  • Theatre

REVIEW | Once… | Edinburgh Fringe

  • 24th August 2016
  • No comments
  • 2 minute read
  • Amy
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

A physical theatre performance centred around the idea of love and longing, Derevo use a unique style of European storytelling to portray the idea that it is better to be heartbroken than heartless. Derevo’s vintage piece is revived at the Fringe 20 years later, its combination of slapstick comedy and physical theatre brings the tragic love story to life.

It is a fairytale that appears to be set in the corrupt mind of Anton Adassinsky’s clown, who falls desperately in love. Clearly created with European humour in mind, it is eccentric and lacks a strong narrative. Nevertheless, its absurdity mirrors that of Slava, as it appears pointless but has a strong underlying meaning.

It features a bedraggled cupid, who fails to hit his arrows in the right direction, causing much aggravation for the clown. Whilst the rugged clown’s love dreams of meeting a handsome and charming young man, she overlooks his attempts to win her heart. The series of events that unfold include feral policemen dressed in leather and angels.

It is a playful performance that has the style of a nightmare clashing with a cartoon. There is an abundance of characters chasing each other around, and dramatic entrances and exits. However, it is a heart-rendering performance as we witness moments of sheer emotional suffering, that are at the core of the piece.

The lighting plays a huge part in the performance, designed intricately it captures the more sinister moments of the show. When the piece begins, the theatre descends into complete darkness, creating a sense of apprehension.

Once is a truly quirky show that has a very hit or miss style of humour, although some may argue it is timeless, I felt it was slightly dated and it needed pace.

**** 3 Stars

All reviews also appear on Hiskind

Tickets can be found here.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • derevo
  • Ed Fringe
  • Edinburgh Fringe
  • Fringe review
  • longing
  • love
  • Physical Theatre
  • Storytelling
Amy

Previous Article
  • Theatre

REVIEW | Yeti’s – Demon Dive Bar | Edinburgh Fringe

  • 24th August 2016
  • Amy
View Post
Next Article
  • Theatre

REVIEW | Like Clockwork | Edinburgh Fringe

  • 24th August 2016
  • Amy
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Reviews
  • Theatre

REVIEW | Women in Theatre’s ‘Women in Lockdown’

  • 16th November 2020
  • Amy
View Post
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Theatre

Sleepless – the new musical about hope, love & magic that we all need right now

  • 26th August 2020
  • Amy
View Post
  • Features
  • Theatre

The West Midlands Work Together on the Arts and Culture Comeback

  • 18th June 2020
  • Amy
Back to the Future musical at Manchester's Opera House review
View Post
  • Reviews
  • Theatre

REVIEW | Back to the Future | Manchester

  • 12th March 2020
  • Amy
View Post
  • Reviews
  • Theatre

REVIEW | Poet in da Corner | Birmingham Rep

  • 12th March 2020
  • Amy
View Post
  • Reviews
  • Theatre

REVIEW | A Monster Calls | UK Tour

  • 4th March 2020
  • Amy
View Post
  • Interviews
  • Theatre

INTERVIEW | Ammar Duffus on Why A Monster Calls Opens up Important Conversations Around Grief

  • 1st March 2020
  • Amy
View Post
  • Reviews
  • Theatre

REVIEW | The Prince of Egypt | West End

  • 28th February 2020
  • Amy

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Search
about
Amy Stutz
Follow Us
AMY STUTZ
UK Arts, Culture and Theatre Blog

Input your search keywords and press Enter.