| “Wonderful, Playful, Thought-provoking, Terrific Acting" |
Wales at Edinburgh Fringe in the 2020s |
| Horse Country- Flying Bridge Theatre with Guy Masterson , Assembly George Square Studios, Edinburgh , August 30, 2022 |
Flying Bridge's fruitful collaboration with Guy Masterson continues. The relationship made “A Regular Little Houdini” into a hemisphere-spanning event. “Horse Country” was to be seen in the first post-pandemic days at Wilton's Music Hall. From Fringe Review: “Bob and Sam sit drinking, talking and philosophising while they think about playing cards and much, much more. They are instantly recognisable characters. There is the childlike, scruffy-haired and dishevelled Sam in his dungarees. Then there is the smarter, more cynical, cool and collected, hat and tie wearing Bob. Like all great double acts, they are trapped in a world of their own making and they are nothing without each other. Like Laurel and Hardy, winners and losers, and fish on bicycles this duo work perfectly together and they are highly entertaining. There is another double act at work; the writing and the performance. For writing that is this good the acting has to be good too, and it is. The talking is non-stop, with quick-fire patter and exchanges that are reminiscent of comedy from a time gone by. The delivery is flawless with supporting physicality, facial expressions and timing that provides a masterclass in acting and theatrical clowning. Fishing and the cowboy scene with wind in the hair and the question “do I look like a cowboy to you?” are two stand out scenes from many that are staged effectively, supported by subtle changes and shifts in lighting. There is even some magic too. “The writing is tight, entertaining and mesmerising. On the surface we have some funny and smart dialogue that can at times feel like a nonsensical surreal stream of consciousness that takes us from one topic to the next. There are snippets of conversational ping pong that seem to make sense but then at the same time do not. But deeper down and between the lines there is a message and a conundrum to be solved. At one point the characters challenge themselves and the audience when they say “we are talking, but what are we saying?” and that really is the central question. We are also warned “there is too much thinking”. “Well, take care because this is dramatic art that prompts you to think, to fill in the gaps, and to pull together the pieces and interpret the work in your own way. Where are Bob and Sam in place and time? What are they trying to say? Are these characters two separate people or just two halves of a greater whole of nothingness? Perhaps more importantly what is a “redemption carrot” and where is that nine of diamonds?” From Everything Theatre: “C J Hopkins’ Horse Country returns to the festival having made a Fringe First and Herald Angel winning debut in 2002....Sam and Bob are two Americans waiting. “I don’t know what I’m saying, words are just coming out of my mouth” says Sam. On one level, that’s exactly what this play is about, just saying things. Horse Country is rightly often likened to Waiting for Godot, but with much more grounding in place. “...Whether that’s listing sandwiches or remembering vague battles and recounting glorious victories on the field or in business, theirs is an over-the-top American tone. Sam, in blue overalls and Bob, in a red velvet jacket are archetypes clearly defined enough to pass as the basest satire on America and the American Dream, which will probably never go out of fashion. “Isn’t this a great country?” says one, “what we need is more guys with guns, and women without clothes” responds the other.” “...Actors Daniel Llewelyn-Williams and Michael Edwards do a great job of keeping up with the pace of the play, which has the pair bouncing off each other and around the stage, in what makes for a manic hour of knockaround fun. From Bohemian Britain: “Two things became rapidly obvious from the start. The quality of the cast - and the quality of the direction. And when they got to the joke about "How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb?" it started to dawn on me what was going on....Bob (Dan Llewelyn Williams) takes the straighter role of the two, but perfectly foils, criticises and lovingly relates to the more clownish Sam, played brilliantly and touchingly by Michael Edwards. “Director Mark Bell gives the surreal show a solid base, with inspired movement and physicality. Mark is perhaps best known for directing The Play That Goes Wrong, so has a deft and talented touch. Which means that even if you don't get the twenty-year-old references to capitalism, it's worth the price of a ticket for the magic, missing playing cards, fishing and sea lions. Oh yes, and genocide. And Adolph Hitler makes an appearance too.” From the Fringe site audience feedback: “Both actors are skillful and wonderful. They are bursting with talent.” “Wonderful, playful, thought-provoking and terrific acting.” “The actors were incredibly skilled and energetic in their delivery of these two characters who have nothing to do and nowhere to go. The survivors of an apocalypse, maybe? A disaster of their own devising, possibly? The bored, lonely and manic pair devise ways of passing the time. Very engaging and intriguing.” Reviews cited with thanks: http://fringereview.co.uk/review/edinburgh-fringe/2022/horse-country/ https://everything-theatre.co.uk/2022/08/review-horse-country-edfringe-2022.html https://bohemianbritiain.substack.com/p/horse-country-at-the-edinburgh-fringe |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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