CHATTER, presented by Theatre Shop Productions (fringe, comedy, Glennie Hall, today at 6.30pm):
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
CHATTER is basically an old fashioned English mistaken identity farce, but updated using modern technology.
Having emigrated years ago, Albie (Asher Stoltz) returns to South Africa to marry Tiglet (Alex Halligey), a woman he’s only met on the website Second Life. He doesn’t know what she looks like, or even her real name. However they have already been “intimate”, having had cyber sex.
Albie’s met at the airport by his estranged brother Adler (Wayne van Rooyen), who is also about to meet someone he’s only communicated with through modern technology, business client Tillie (Shannon Esra).
The two brothers haven’t spoken since the incident which prompted Albie to leave South Africa in the first place, the murder of their father.
With Albie’s cellphone having been stolen and Tiglet being out of airtime, the four people are reduced to communicating through two phones, adding to the confusion.
Of course when the four meet at Casablanka night club, it’s obvious that the wrong partners are going to end up at the wrong tables.
Tiglet (aka Amy) is appalled by the way Adler is reducing what she thinks of as a romantic situation to a business negotiation, while Tillie is disgusted by how lecherous the guy she was expecting to conduct a deal with is.
Add to the mix Tillie’s best friend internet cafe manager Madelien (Stacey Sacks) and Amy’s school teacher friend Karien, both of whom are confused by what is going on, and you have all the ingredients for a hilarious farce.
What really sets this production apart is the projection of the characters’ email, Facebook, 2nd Life and SMS communication onto a big screen behind them.
This works quite well, however with different colour text representing the different characters, some of it is almost impossible to read – particularly the parts written in purple.
Tonight is the last night of this productions’ run, so if you have ever flirted with someone online, only to worry whether your message may have been sent to the wrong person, then this is the comedy for you.
Tags: comedy review, cyber sex, Facebook, farce, internet cafe, mistaken identity, SMS
