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Theatre listings > TYPO. - Montreal, Canada Company, Tour & British Premiere. Part of the Childrens' International Theatre Festival. Creator and main performer - Jamie Adkins. Co-directors - Jamie Adkins, Gypsie Snyder, Yves Dagenais. Set & Costume Design - Guillaume Lord. Music Composer and Arrangements - Lucie Cauchon. Lighting Design - Nicolas Descoteaux. Cast - here . Company - Theatre T. & Co, Canada Company Website. Venue and Times - Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh 27 May at 10:30am & 7pm, 28 May at 2:30pm & 5:30pm. Touring details - www.jamieadkins. Run Time - approx I hour NO interval. Suggested Age - 5 -14 years old . Reviewer - Lauren McKie. Artistry and great versatility. Unexpectedly sparse the stage looks like something out of the Buster Keaton era. What is there is very evocative of the circus: a white circle on the stage itself, two high points at either side and a gold curtain as a backdrop. The most incredible thing about clowning is the ability of the performers to interact so creatively and ingeniously with the objects around them - but the stale-look of the initial set elements (an office desk, a chair and a waste-paper basket) is initially quite surprising. The children are respectfully quiet when the house lights dim - so everyone is able to take in the series of "snapshots" which establish the story so far: Jamie - who seems to be a struggling writer - is trying to produce some new ideas, and as he writes, more obscure elements appear on the stage. This simple premise allows the children to concentrate more on the artistry and great versatility of the main performer - Jamie Adkins. Children in the audience react to everything Adkins does, even if he is merely saying his characteristic disaster-response "It's okay!" He bears the Buster Keaton similarity into his own performance, with a remarkable physiognomy and physicality and an extremely well-carried comic relationship with his musical counterpart, Anne-Marie Levasseur. The original stunts and tricks are very well timed while the music is very much in the same vein as Yann Tiersen's (Amelie) work and is performed very competently by Levasseur who simultaneously interacts with the audience and Adkins. Though Levasseur could be a bit more animated in her short "spotlight" scene, as the children inevitably become a bit restless and bored - we also find later that she is able to perform "rope work" very well. Levasseur is evidently a skilled performer in her own right, but in such a fast, physical piece there is no place for "pregnant pause". Also - contrary to first impressions - the interaction with set elements is so amazing that at one point I have to cover my eyes; no comedy-designer installs a large hanging lampshade without having a head for it to inevitably bump into. Hopefully Theatre T & Co. will come back soon, as many more will want to see Adkins and Levasseur when their friends tell them how amazed they were. ©Lauren McKie 27 May 2005 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com Cast - Jamie Adkins and Anne-Marie Levasseur. Theatre Editor, Thelma Good's e-mail is thelma@edinburghguide.com Although every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in these pages, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions. Theatre listings >
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