ED FRINGE 2011: Fitzrovia Radio Hour – Gilded Balloon Teviot

Writers: Jon Edgley Bond, Tom Mallaburn, Phil Mulryne, Martin Pengelly, Alex Ratcliffe

Music: Tom Mallaburn

Director: Phoebe Barren

Reviewer: Selwyn Knight

The Public Reviews Rating:

Imagine a time of innocence when radio was king, when the difference between good and bad was black and white (with positively no shades of grey allowed), when villains were easily recognisable by their failure to speak the King’s English, be foreign, or, – heaven forbid! – both, and when plucky schoolboys could overcome the might of the German navy. This is the world the Fitrzrovians transport us to. With painstaking attention to detail, they recreate the era through costume, props, live sound effects and cut-glass accents, bringing tales of derring-do to hilarious life. All this with tongues firmly in cheek, inviting the audience to be their co-conspirators against the forces of darkness.

It is quite exhausting to watch the ensemble of five, immaculately dressed in evening wear, play a massive cast, from upper class amateur ‘tecs to American tycoons and German firefighters – the audience are helped to keep track through the use of headgear appropriate to each character. The same cast also perform, live, all of the sound effects, wielding watering cans, bottles, and a variety of fruit in a slickly choreographed performance that fairly rattles along. There is so much going on on stage, from the credible plays to the preparation and wielding of the props that it is easy to miss something, though this is hardly a weakness.

We are treated to four stories: ‘George Albion and The War of the Roses’, ‘Nazi Firemen in Westminster’, ‘Tin!’ (unnervingly like ‘Dallas, but set in a Cornish tin mine), and the sinister and cautionary tale, ‘House of Clocks’. The interplay between the characters is also a joy to watch as we are able to see the ‘rivalries’ between cast members, and the ‘secret drinking’ of another. Just occasionally, the individual stories felt a bit long, but this was quickly corrected with the hilarious adverts for ‘Clipstone Ceylon Tea’, and its clumsy product placements.

Overall, this is a hugely enjoyable romp that is well worth seeing, thoroughly recommended.