Cryocycle
Thu, 5 July 2001, 12:38 amWalter Plinge3 posts in thread
Cryocycle
Thu, 5 July 2001, 12:38 amLike most of Dave Ryding's productions, "Cryocycle" was provoking and entertaining. I'm still not sure I understood all of it (but then I'm hardly qualified to) but it was original and made you concentrate in order to follow the plot - always more fulfilling than being spoonfed.
Achingly funny in places, the majority of the laughs came from... Simon Keen (?) Sorry, there were no programmes - or at least, none that I was aware of, and it's been awhile since I saw Simon and even then we had a counter separating us. Simon's crazed US Army General (sorry, is that a tautology?) spent much of the play trying to convince a hijacked scientist to complete her cryocycle. (That's not as rude - or as cold - as it sounds.) The cryocycle was originally conceived as a cheap, clean energy source, but the military want to turn it into the ultimate weapon. Our "innocent" scientist was brought to life by a lovely lady (in a lab coat, no less!) who I saw and liked in Arena's "Wyrd Sisters". She does a damn fine Scott Tracey impersonation, too. It was hard work acting against such other dominant characters and she did a good job, pretty much being the only sympathetic character.
The General's Private (heh heh heh) was also hilarious, providing a lot of the slapstick humour. The other guy (geez, I should have written this the night after I saw the show, when I remembered all their names) playing a journalist tracking the cryocycle, started a bit weak, I thought. However, later he EXPLODED into life - it's rare to see that much energy on stage. He was obviously playing it subdued for effect earlier on.
The set was wonderfully effective as an outback desert (hiding the General's secret base). Lights and sound were excellent with the minimal equipment available - Dave's shows are always atmospherically pleasing.
Very weird, very funny, just under an hour in length and well worth a look if you fancy something new and challenging.
JB
Achingly funny in places, the majority of the laughs came from... Simon Keen (?) Sorry, there were no programmes - or at least, none that I was aware of, and it's been awhile since I saw Simon and even then we had a counter separating us. Simon's crazed US Army General (sorry, is that a tautology?) spent much of the play trying to convince a hijacked scientist to complete her cryocycle. (That's not as rude - or as cold - as it sounds.) The cryocycle was originally conceived as a cheap, clean energy source, but the military want to turn it into the ultimate weapon. Our "innocent" scientist was brought to life by a lovely lady (in a lab coat, no less!) who I saw and liked in Arena's "Wyrd Sisters". She does a damn fine Scott Tracey impersonation, too. It was hard work acting against such other dominant characters and she did a good job, pretty much being the only sympathetic character.
The General's Private (heh heh heh) was also hilarious, providing a lot of the slapstick humour. The other guy (geez, I should have written this the night after I saw the show, when I remembered all their names) playing a journalist tracking the cryocycle, started a bit weak, I thought. However, later he EXPLODED into life - it's rare to see that much energy on stage. He was obviously playing it subdued for effect earlier on.
The set was wonderfully effective as an outback desert (hiding the General's secret base). Lights and sound were excellent with the minimal equipment available - Dave's shows are always atmospherically pleasing.
Very weird, very funny, just under an hour in length and well worth a look if you fancy something new and challenging.
JB
Walter PlingeThu, 5 July 2001, 12:38 am
Like most of Dave Ryding's productions, "Cryocycle" was provoking and entertaining. I'm still not sure I understood all of it (but then I'm hardly qualified to) but it was original and made you concentrate in order to follow the plot - always more fulfilling than being spoonfed.
Achingly funny in places, the majority of the laughs came from... Simon Keen (?) Sorry, there were no programmes - or at least, none that I was aware of, and it's been awhile since I saw Simon and even then we had a counter separating us. Simon's crazed US Army General (sorry, is that a tautology?) spent much of the play trying to convince a hijacked scientist to complete her cryocycle. (That's not as rude - or as cold - as it sounds.) The cryocycle was originally conceived as a cheap, clean energy source, but the military want to turn it into the ultimate weapon. Our "innocent" scientist was brought to life by a lovely lady (in a lab coat, no less!) who I saw and liked in Arena's "Wyrd Sisters". She does a damn fine Scott Tracey impersonation, too. It was hard work acting against such other dominant characters and she did a good job, pretty much being the only sympathetic character.
The General's Private (heh heh heh) was also hilarious, providing a lot of the slapstick humour. The other guy (geez, I should have written this the night after I saw the show, when I remembered all their names) playing a journalist tracking the cryocycle, started a bit weak, I thought. However, later he EXPLODED into life - it's rare to see that much energy on stage. He was obviously playing it subdued for effect earlier on.
The set was wonderfully effective as an outback desert (hiding the General's secret base). Lights and sound were excellent with the minimal equipment available - Dave's shows are always atmospherically pleasing.
Very weird, very funny, just under an hour in length and well worth a look if you fancy something new and challenging.
JB
Achingly funny in places, the majority of the laughs came from... Simon Keen (?) Sorry, there were no programmes - or at least, none that I was aware of, and it's been awhile since I saw Simon and even then we had a counter separating us. Simon's crazed US Army General (sorry, is that a tautology?) spent much of the play trying to convince a hijacked scientist to complete her cryocycle. (That's not as rude - or as cold - as it sounds.) The cryocycle was originally conceived as a cheap, clean energy source, but the military want to turn it into the ultimate weapon. Our "innocent" scientist was brought to life by a lovely lady (in a lab coat, no less!) who I saw and liked in Arena's "Wyrd Sisters". She does a damn fine Scott Tracey impersonation, too. It was hard work acting against such other dominant characters and she did a good job, pretty much being the only sympathetic character.
The General's Private (heh heh heh) was also hilarious, providing a lot of the slapstick humour. The other guy (geez, I should have written this the night after I saw the show, when I remembered all their names) playing a journalist tracking the cryocycle, started a bit weak, I thought. However, later he EXPLODED into life - it's rare to see that much energy on stage. He was obviously playing it subdued for effect earlier on.
The set was wonderfully effective as an outback desert (hiding the General's secret base). Lights and sound were excellent with the minimal equipment available - Dave's shows are always atmospherically pleasing.
Very weird, very funny, just under an hour in length and well worth a look if you fancy something new and challenging.
JB
tomasfordWed, 15 Aug 2001, 12:16 am
RE: Cryocycle
I was just going through the reviews list and thougt I'd add my two bob to a review of a show I saw a fair while ago... Cryocycle raised some rather interesting themes and issues, but for some reason, my head was in a spin trying to understand what the hell was going on. While the plot was clear, what the play was trying to say was a little blurred in this production. Oh yes, and the movement sequences were a little too much to take, occasionally seeming a little meaningless (though I had just seen the excellent Healing By Heart and so had a very high standard to compare to, and this was a comedy and operating on a different level). The set was also quite well concieved, if a little sparse (for some reason the mime just didn't work when it came to the machine... maybe they were having an off night) and had imaginative use of light bulbs as a night sky. Very cool.
This script did however have a compelling plot, interesting characters and some form of point (even if it was a little obscure). With the smallest bit of editing, it would be a tremendous script to put on.
I enjoyed Cryocycle but I'd like to see that bit of revision done just to make it even classier. Nice.
This script did however have a compelling plot, interesting characters and some form of point (even if it was a little obscure). With the smallest bit of editing, it would be a tremendous script to put on.
I enjoyed Cryocycle but I'd like to see that bit of revision done just to make it even classier. Nice.
HammoWed, 15 Aug 2001, 06:29 pm
RE: Cryocycle
I'm sorry Ive got to disagree.
I loved the production but hated the script! Well plotwise at least. The comedy was, largely, excellent and the characters of Shilling and the Soldier fantastic but is that script or performance?
The design, performance and lights and sound were all classy and provided much to a piece of writing which i found largely innaccesible and in some places made little sense! Also it was a limited space which they made the most of. I especially loved the desert dust blowing up whenever someone hit the dirt
But of course I am only one opinion and maybe I didn't have my theatre thinking hat on that night! I got the feeling that if you saw it again you may get a better idea but who can afford that!
Maybe a bit of tweaking might have made it better? I don't know.
Bottom line. I enjoyed it and what more can you ask for? Especially love Thriller and the waiter!
I loved the production but hated the script! Well plotwise at least. The comedy was, largely, excellent and the characters of Shilling and the Soldier fantastic but is that script or performance?
The design, performance and lights and sound were all classy and provided much to a piece of writing which i found largely innaccesible and in some places made little sense! Also it was a limited space which they made the most of. I especially loved the desert dust blowing up whenever someone hit the dirt
But of course I am only one opinion and maybe I didn't have my theatre thinking hat on that night! I got the feeling that if you saw it again you may get a better idea but who can afford that!
Maybe a bit of tweaking might have made it better? I don't know.
Bottom line. I enjoyed it and what more can you ask for? Especially love Thriller and the waiter!