Reviews

Elton John: Your Song, featuring Matthew Hadgraft, is a Faff & Sass Production. Their aim is fabulous live entertainment, and to kick off my month of fabulous Fringe, starting with a well-crafted tribute to the iconic, legendary Elton John, was an uplifting treat.

Henry Naylor’s writing career began in comedy. He honed his skills as a writer for British comedy giants such as Griff Rhys Jones, Lenny Henry and Hale and Pace, as well as the satire classic Spitting Image. In 2002, rocked by events in a post 9/11 world, Naylor turned his attention to playwriting. Now an accomplished playwright, and winner of at least a dozen Fringe Awards, Naylor returns to Adelaide to perform in the World Premiere of his latest work, Afghanistan is Not Funny.

The scene is set at Pymble Players with builders' equipment strewn around the entrance to the theatre. This theme is continued with debris on the stage and two bricklayers who seem to be rather lackadaisical in their work. Indeed Mark (Andrew Cougle), and especially Piper (Curtis Harrild), spend probably half of the production having tea breaks and eating an extraordinary amount of biscuits. This explains, in part, why the homeowners are endlessly waiting for their extension to be finished.

In Breaking the Code, playwright Hugh Whitemore used his skill with words to craft the poignant story of Alan Turing, a man forced to hide his real self as clandestinely as he had to hide the secret work he did for his government during World War II. It is an ill-fated story and one Whitemore told with caring honesty and understanding candour.

Director Anthony Skuse embraces that caring and understanding in his incredibly creative and sensitive production of Whitemore’s play.