Categories: humour, theatre, mime
Date: 23 January 2009 22:06:11
...chainsaws, masks and a cast that at times made Basil Fawlty look positively cuddly. Mr M and I enjoyed watching Famille Floez's 'Hotel Paradiso' this week. Performed entirely in mime, this piece of mask theatre was well....weird . As their site puts it: "The road to heaven leads through hell... Strange things happen at “Hotel Paradiso“, a time-honoured mountain resort kept alive with some difficulty by an old lady and her family.
While a mineral spring promises relief from physical and mental pain and the hotel proudly boasts four stars, dark clouds are nevertheless gathering in the bright sky. The son dreams of his great love while fighting his sister in his effort to gain control of the hotel. Meanwhile, the maid is in the habit of stealing the hotel guests' valuables, and the cook chops up much more than just pork..."
If you can imagine something like a kind of macabre Fawlty Towers on half speed, you'll get the picture. A great time was had by all, actors included. (They have been stifling underneath those masks!). Though I did notice one little boy - the audience was mostly older schoolkids - being hustled towards the bar afterwards by his mother, presumably scarred for life by the experience.
Another treat this week has been Radio Four's adaptation of an old favourite of mine, John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, courtesy of the BBC's i-player. (All 5 episodes are up for viewing for the next few days of so, though I don't know if they can be accessed outside of the UK). I'm one of those who dislikes film or radio versions of novels. There's just so much that gets lost in the adaptation. This one was different. True a good deal of background and characterisation had had to go, but overall, I felt that Irving's original drama was still very much there. However often I read 'Owen', it always reduces me to tears by tne end , and this radio version was no exception. So, well done BBC!