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Assembly Checkpoint
A joyous celebration of the afterlife carries more value for its slapstick comedy than acrobatic feats.Summary
Rating
Good
After the first act of Party Ghost, the packed auditorium at Assembly Checkpoint is buzzing with anticipation. If the opening is something to go by, we’re in for a treat! Upon arrival we have been greeted in the space by a drag widow with remarkably high stilettos. She goes around the seats with a tray of cucumber sandwiches and a pack of Kleenex. A picture surrounded by candles on a table at the entrance suggests that we’re attending a wake. There is a disproportionate mound of used tissues on stage, which will be key in one of the most freakish scenes.
As the audience settles in and the lights go down, the widow initiates a fantastic routine at the trapeze. Dress off, stilettos firmly on, the music fills the room with a relentless beat. The acrobatics are stunning and sexy, everyone is cheering loudly, immediately on board.
The rest of the performance is a madcap comedy, with bits of slapstick clowning, mime and all sorts of physical abuse, including a few severed limbs. The party might be dead, but this is a romp that encompasses them all, from the birthday celebrations to a school dance. Bedsheet ghosts are initially quite funny but end up overstaying their welcome on stage.
Both Jarred Dewey and Olivia Porter are seasoned pros on the circus and cabaret circuit. My colleagues highlighted the quality of Dewey’s trapeze work on Closer as early as 2016 and then again in 2018 on Circa’s Peepshow. I first spotted Porter at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, when she appeared in Blunderland and this year she presents a similar number but is not received with quite the same warmth. It’s a shame, as her ability to juggle beanbags with her hands, feet and various parts of her body is insane. One doesn’t even begin to think how many hundred hours of practice are required to flip them around with such unflinching confidence.
With so much skill and experience between them, it’s a real pity that they don’t dare to impress. For example, they only offer two – very solid – figures of acrobalance and the audacity of the first exploit is never to be seen again.
Overall, it feels more like a display of party tricks than a professional show at the most competitive arts festival in the world. Nonetheless, the high attendance and general response from the audience suggests that it works well as a crowd pleaser.
Directed by: Nicci Wilks
Produced by: Cluster Arts and Double Take
Party Ghost plays at Assembly Checkpoint for EdFringe until 27 AUgust, 2:55pm. Further information and bookings can be found here.
