The Voice of Things - Toilet Paper

Physical theatre down the pan

The solo performer waters her toilet rolls, wears a toilet paper skirt and crown, drapes toilet paper across the stage and generally loses herself, and the audience, in the slow and painful process.

Are Underbelly trying to fill their rooms or just fulfil their quota of dance and physical theatre, serving up the wackiness that Fringe tourists feel they ought to see? This sort of performance must be criticised for the defence of the genre as a whole. The Voice of Things grates as the idea of physical theatre, just as the tartan and bagpipe shops grate as the idea of Scotland.

Hayan Theatre make it very difficult to know what they are getting at – so it’s hard to know whether they get there or not. But this is cringeworthy and hard to watch, and not in a bowl-me-over build-me-back up, Incarnat kind of a way. (Tom Tàbori)

Underbelly, 0870 7453083, until 26 Aug, 1.10pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8).

More: Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Festivals, Fringe, Hayan Theatre, Physical Theatre, The Voice of Things - Toilet Paper, Contemporary Dance (Dance)

Comments

1. Shoshy – 7 October 2008, 7:38pmReport

I thought this show was amazing! Chiara De Palo has an incredible voice... There were only about 10 of us in the audience, but it seemed a shame that only me and my partner "got it"... The others were silent while we were either in fits of hysteric laughter or in tears! She really made a compelling show out of little more than her singing voice and movement. It was simply great storytelling, though I couldn't tell you what it was - it was too hard to describe because of her stunning imagination... I don't really understand how it could be cringe worthy to watch - it totally enthralled me! I wish I could see it again, or she would do another similar show. Hugely talented woman.

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