Mavericks, Madness and Murder Most Foul!
From the moment we’re given our lanterns and follow our guide, Tarn, we are immersed in the after-dark experience of a large cemetery. It’s filled with the remains of, and monuments to, famous and unknown residents of the city of Adelaide, from its first days as the land of the Kaurna people, to the founding fathers and mothers of the modern city – up to the present day, in a still-working cemetery where a plot can be bought for perpetuity, for less than the cost of your suburban home (just).
The stories of its residents and how they came to be there are brought to life by our guide’s expert narration, aided by the lanterns: capable of more than just changing the colour of our lights, as we walk between graves - one of the group’s lights will throw a crack of thunder, or a cawing crow, or a mysterious voice reminding you that you don’t want to be alone out here amongst the dark gravestones. The lanterns engage in conversation across the group when we’ve stopped, providing an eerie aural dramatisation of the often terrible events. It’s a terrific and well-executed immersion into the stories.
And then in the most startling way, the stories are told by the people themselves (or at least, actors playing their parts). When the younger bride of Colonel Light stands among us and tells of his death, her tears are real – as is our emotional response. Likewise, our fear of the violent man who killed another when drunk; the sinister, dark-edged humour from the self-made, larger-than-life man who takes up two plots in the graveyard – they are all superb in building and sustaining the tension of their lives and deaths.
The seventy-five minutes of the tour goes far too quickly, but our hosts – our guide and fellow performers – hang around afterwards to answer our many questions and regale at least as many stories as on the tour itself. None of these people are just performing from a script: every one of them has a genuine passion for and knowledge of the history of the place. It’s exceptional, both in its education and entertainment.
Another sell-out Fringe season means you will have to wait until their regular monthly tours resume, but I promise you it will be worth the wait.
Mark Wickett
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