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ED2011 1/5 Reviews ED2011 Theatre Reviews
The Pretender (El Toro Theatre)
By Jessica Lambert | Published on Sunday 14 August 2011
Watching a man slow dancing with a lit teacup to Antony And The Johnsons is funny for about ten seconds. Only it’s not meant to be funny, it’s meant to be beautiful. And he carries on doing it for another five minutes, by which point it’s just incredibly awkward. ‘The Pretender’ is one man on stage, interacting with a series of projected films and very solemnly saying very silly, faux-profound things. Pasting the words “Past, Future, Decisions” up onto a screen, unfortunately, is not meaningful. Entitling a short film ‘Childhood’ and then showing close-ups of creepy looking dolls fails to convey anything meaningful. This is a play that thinks it’s avant-garde and unfortunately, is just an embarrassment.
Underbelly, 4 – 28 Aug (not 15), 1.45pm (2.45pm), £8.50 – £10.00, fpp289.
tw 1/5
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