Review: (Ottawa) Against Gravity (Fringe)

Shadow Puppet Musical
by David Currie

There should be a disclaimer before this show - Warning: Show Contains Absolutely No Narrative Flow.  If you understand that in advance you might enjoy this shadow puppet musical a little better.  There also has to be a good audience, this show requires a high level of audience participation in-order to help suspend disbelief otherwise it will be an unbearably trite and a naive experience.

Which is too bad because Against Gravity obviously took work, thought and so much gumption.  It is the kind of show I really want to like.  Chloé Ziner and Jessica Gabriel are obviously very talented people.  Their sound design and puppetry choices were delightful, they are both charismatic and really brought as many people as they could through their art with them. Technically, this show is magnificent, charming even.

“Follow your heart.” said the Snail

“Ok, might as well.” said the man.

When the show begins, it feels like fun incarnate.  The performers introduce it as a “Sound blob Puppet show.”  For several minutes, I loved it.  However, the show stagnates very quickly. Evidently suffering from a lack of writing experience, the sounds and visuals do simply blob together. There is nothing really to care about.  No reason to be there.  And that’s when you realize you are watching two people play with a projector they probably stole from their high school.  When they finally get to their second act, completely abandoning the story they were telling, the hilarious antics of human being versus puppet cannot save the experience.

Look, these people seem wonderful, go support them.  Invite 20 of your friends, if you smoke marijuana then do that and have a fluffy, vapid shadow puppet show musical experience with your friends.

June 19 - 29