Jason and the Argonauts (grown-ass men playing with dolls)

Not in the show.

So I meant to update this website a lot more and review all the shows I saw in Ireland.  It's been on a to do list and this is the first one where I left and said, Holy Shit.  I need to tell everyone about this.

It's a show that reminded me of what I want to be when I grow up.


Jason and the Argonauts

Actors: Simon Donaldson & Tim Settle



Yeah, just two men, doing a Greek EPIC all by themselves.  Just two clowns and dolls...


Go here for real pictures.  Auguste is the one in suspenders and Whiteface is the one in a vest with red hair http://www.visiblefictions.co.uk/


BEST SHOW EVER.   This blew me out of the water.  This is exactly the kind of theater that I live to see.  The story was great, the two actors (only two) told the entire in an incredibly funny way.  It was just the best thing I ever saw.

And it was basically two grown-ass men playing with dolls in front of a wagon.

It started with one guy, we'll call him White face, running onto the stage after a really long wait, as if he had forgotten.  He informed us he was going to tell us the story all by himself, and began it very seriously.  This is interrupted by a second man, we'll call him Auguste, who comes in and says "who are they.  What are you doing?  You didn't tell me we had a show tonight."  Auguste then proceeded to screw with Whiteface's version of the story by mixing it with the opening of Star wars and spider man (including once when he was twirling a rope around and hit himself in the eye with his web-shooter).

Together these two told the story, switching between the characters.  For example, the story begins with them as the two kings (Jason' father and Peleus) and they had a sword fight, with sticks! Whiteface is the dad and Auguste, suddenly very serious is Peleus and wins.  At the end of this very dramatic fight, with dialogue to let the kids know who the baddie is and what not, Whiteface rises from the dead and is like, wasn't that scary?

When they introduced Jason, they introduced the concept of using dolls to represent the Argonauts.  Literally Ken dolls (including several jokes about Barbie and how she was not coming).  I guess they didn't like that one chick.... the really fast one who was an Argonaut.  Hera was also portrayed very positively in this (she was the main goddess and not Athene).  But back to dolls (spider man was one of them, but Auguste was trying to work him in and Whiteface wouldn't let him).  It was ingenious and very funny.  I think the kids really related and enjoyed that part as well.  They would make the dolls mimic their gestures and when Heracules was introduced with ... I think a Thing doll, Auguste adopted his posture which was great.

Speaking of physicality, this show was tops!  Though they changed who they portrayed (without ever changing costume), it was never confusing who was who because of the dialogue.  Medea was Medea because of the way she held her hand and swayed no matter which of the men were playing her.  At one point of time, they cycled through being a harpy and being a blind man beset by the harpy, switching back and forth which added to the sense of confusion and helplessness of the blind man.  Towards the end, the created a dragon by making one of those air socks (long and green) and attacking a fan like a drum over the august's shoulder so that the waving air sock was his tail. Whiteface attacks it with his sword, is doing a great job killing it, when he gets tangled in it's tail.  Then the auguste (dragon) becomes jason tangled in the tail and the Whiteface becomes Medea.  She held Jason slay the dragon by casting a spell over the plug and unplugging it.  It was gold.

Another example of the great meta-fiction and physical comedy was when Jason has to sail through clashing rocks, the Auguste takes two slabs of rock (or fake rock) and stomps around and bangs them crushing the other ship.  When Jason was sailing through, they pretended he was crushing the other actor's fingers.

They set was incredible.  It looked like a wagon... but was so much more.  It unfolded to become a newspaper ship,  it moved on it's wheels to spin and change location on the stage, it came off it's wheels to become the tree the fleece hangs on and the walls of Peleus' castle.  There was also a truck that held all the dolls, ships, and spiderman paraphernalia.

The story was great, the actors were AMAZING, technically the best and very good an improv.  The auguste especially, he noticed I was laughing and singled me out from the start, even pointing at me at one time. Right after they make the wagon a paper boat, he said, yeah anyone of you can do it at home.  Just a couple of folds.  (The Whiteface was struggling to make on of the folds come out, not sure if it was scripted of not.)  Some of you might need help.  Definitely you."  That was me.  And I fell out of my seat laughing.

It was like watching children at play, only the story they were telling was cohesive.  I remember sitting in the lobby before the show watching the kids chasing eachother like zombies and using their own coats and candy bags as shields and weapons and thinking 'this is it's own kind of theater.'  I had no idea the people who had created the show had seen and thought the same thing.

Anyways... it was awesome.  http://www.visiblefictions.co.uk/

Check these bitches out.  They tour internationally and if they ever get near AC, ya'll should see what black box theater is all about.