The Hermitude of Angus, Ecstatic
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
08/03/2011 - 12/03/2011
12/10/2012 - 13/10/2012
Production Details
Darkly funny, tragically enthusiastic, weirdly inappropriate and strangely moving, this critically acclaimed show is about an odd boy with a murmuring heart. A “must-see” (The Age, 2010) physical comedy, “Angus, Ecstatic” was awarded Best Comedy at the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival, as well as the 2010 Brisbane Powerhouse Comedy Award.
Combining comedy, dance, music, clowning and reading, this is a story show unlike any other. In ‘Angus, Ecstatic’, physical comedy is woven into a unique read-along experience that moves between page and stage. Sitting somewhere between live picture book and lovingly arranged mixed tape, The Hermitude of Angus, Ecstatic is visually and musically stunning. The noteworthy soundtrack is a character in itself, and brings together under-appreciated pop classics from Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson and Smokey Robinson, which in the show are beautifully off-set by the bittersweet musings of Erik Satie and Laurie Anderson.
This production showcases the formidable talents of two of Australia’s most exciting artists. Spirason and Brotchie (Slow Clap) form 2/5ths of multi-award winning Melbourne-based comedy group Vigilantelope.
Writer/performer Vachel Spirason is a “comedian, musician, and dancer-extraordinaire.”(Artshub, 2010) In 2009, he was a Raw Comedy State Finalist, and is an accomplished writer, actor and choreographer.
Writer/producer Stephanie Brotchie was awarded the Auspicious Arts Award for Best Emerging Producer at the 2009 Melbourne Fringe Festival, and has established herself as one of Victoria’s most promising Emerging Writers.
The pair have established a cult following through appearances around Australia at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, The Adelaide Fringe Festival, the Brisbane Comedy Festival, the Last Tuesday Society, the Emerging Writers’ Festival and internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
“This is a triumph of exceptional acting, direction and production. To Vachel and producer, co-writer and visual artist Stephanie Brotchie, my hat goes off. I just think what you’re doing for the world is wonderful.” – Rhum, 2010
“A show as inspired and inventive as one would hope from these emerging, but already highly celebrated talents.” -Artshub, 2010
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland CBD
Tues 8 – Sat 12 March 2011, 10pm
Contains occasional strong language and sexual references
09 361 1000 or www.iticket.co.nz
All Tickets $20*
*Service fees apply
Find Slow Clap on:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/slowclapprod
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/slowclapproductions
Blog: http://slowclapproductions.blogspot.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/slowclapproductions
2012
Nelson Arts Festival
Suter Theatre
Fri 12 – Sat 13 October, 7pm
1hr
Ecstasy and chocolate cake
Review by Anna Pearson 20th Oct 2012
You see, hear and read all sorts of things doing this job, but last night was the first time I had seen a man make love to a chocolate cake.
I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to take Vachel Spirason as Angus, a socially-awkward outcast with mismatched socks. [More]
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Hard to resist
Review by Janet McAllister 09th Mar 2011
But Spirason and co-writer/producer/designer Stephanie Brotchie are tender towards their mostly speechless idiot-savant character and he’s funnier and far more loveable than Mr Bean, while negotiating his formula for the universe, trying to make friends, dancing and hiding from his dastardly alter ego, Manabohzo.
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Absolutely brilliant theatre!
Review by Stephen Austin 09th Mar 2011
Performed with frantic glee by Vachel Spirason and held together by the expert eye of Stephanie Brotchie, this wonderful surreal world is realised with all of the vibrant joy that this company can muster. Told with dance, mime, bizarre regionalised gibberish, picture-book serialised storytelling and cream-pie-to-the-face humour, all is blended to create a private world of universal truths. This could so easily be described as “early Rowan Atkinson doing Forrest Gump”, but there is so much more going on here than either.
Spirason is boundless in energy and takes it to extremes in the hour-long performance. His changes into myriad characters are exacting, so each and every moment from each and every persona is captured and given the full attention it deserves for full understanding and maximum comedic impact.
The dance sequences have an amazing freedom within the relatively confined space of the Basement. From uncontrollable-magical-shoe tap, to Michael Jackson parody, to free-form joyous flailing across the stage, the performer’s precision and detail are a revelation. I’m exhausted just watching him.
Sound cues are used to keep the story of Angus and his nemesis/alter-ego, Manabohzo, on track, but are easily diverted from as the actor cheekily improvises with the audience, while keeping completely within the moment. Lighting is handled expertly to transport locales and communicate time-frames.
I’m a bit of a cynic at times, so a production that gets me squealing with laughter and on my feet by the end is rare. This did both and had me hanging around afterwards to dance with Angus and enjoy his simple company and boundless joy some more. This is absolutely brilliant theatre!
I’ve never seen an audience leave a theatre so… well… ecstatic! I just hope he’s having a really nice day too!
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This review kindly supported by The James Wallace Arts Trust http://www.wallaceartstrust.org.nz/
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