THE ATOMIC SQUID (Fringe, physical theatre, directed by Donovan Graham, starring Greg Parves. Gymnasium until June 30 and from July 3-5)
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
THIS is a bizarre comedic physical theatre production comprising seven small and completely unrelated scenes, each acted out by Greg Parves.
The first, Chimpanzee #3, is basically just an introduction.
Shellshocked is about a hermit crab trapped in the body of a human Spanish dancer. Parves‘s movements are hilarious, as are his accents. He does a Scottish octopus, an English seagull and an Afrikaans rugby fan.
In Zombie at Work an office worker complains that his new living-dead affirmative action colleague has stolen his stapler. When we find out what the zombie needed the stapler for is one of the funniest moments of the whole production.
In Wrecked – with great changes of lighting – he switches back and forth between the interaction between a barman and a drinker, and an imaginary scene where a sailor is battling a sea monster. The more drunk the man gets, the closer the movements between the two scenes get.
The fifth segment, Jacques the Mime, seems somewhat out of place, being more of a tragedy than a comedy. Parves, as a French mime, explains why he gave up his calling after losing the love of his life.
The last two scenes are an Australian story of a boy who turns to boxing after his bullying father prevents him from having a pet dingo, and the lament of a superhero who never gets a quiet night at home because he keeps getting called to save the day.
Parves is hilarious throughout, although since this is a one- man show, the gaps while he goes off stage to change outfits break the flow of the show.
But still, it is definitely worth seeing and is bound to leave you with a smile on your face.
