As the Adelaide Fringe reaches the final quarter of its four-week life, the tempo of the event changes. The audience and the artists are tired and weary. Some are elated. Some are just waiting to be newly discovered. With over 1500 shows on offer, it can be difficult to be heard above the noise of such a vast choice.
Luckily, some venues such as the Courtyard of Curiosities behind the State Library are known for the more off-beat and quirky shows, as well as the highly successful Orpheus and Eurydice in the beautiful three story Mortlock Library. It is here that you can find the essence of the Fringe. Hidden away upstairs in the library compound, is The Crawford Room. Inside this tiny room, the stage spills out into the audience. It is covered in musical machines and looks like a room in a messy musician’s house. A manic looking guy is dressed in a dark suit and wears a painted white face. He’s fussing over the loop machines like his life depends on it.
The show is called bed bug and is described as “A heartbreaking, experimental electronic folk concept album played live, storying the collapse of a decade long relationship & the metamorphosis into something nightmarish”. It stars UK artist JACK BRETT with electric alien rock music by DINNERLADYYY. What unfolds is a sonic journey that “dissects our toxic human behaviours & celebrates our capacity for positive transformation”.
Which is a fancy way of saying that the show delves into the inner recesses of a twisted mind in a jarring and confronting way. Interspersed with moments of calm and love. This is something David Lynch would do. The red metallic curtain dividing inside and out, adding aa 90s vibe. A reflective moment on the guitar and loop pedal reminding us of how even Ed Sheeran talks of his early days in small clubs with that very setup. The literal baring of the soul, the drift back into normality, the wild-eyed stares; the show is fascinating to watch.
The discordance, the self debasement, the aching love, the desire- these themes are delivered from a face smeared with the excited grin of a madman. It’s like a sonic fabric, woven with angst and passion. bed bug is not an “easy” show to watch, nor should it be. It is for those that enjoy scratching at the itch of what makes us human beings.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The reviewer attended the show on March 17. bed bug plays at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the State Library – The Crawford Room
Final show: 22nd Mar at 8:45PM
Tickets on the Adelaide Fringe Website
Cover photo by John Goodridge
