Presented by The Adelaide Show Podcast. Historian Hotel. 17 Feb 2019
Sometimes, life is better away from the unearthly crowd. Coromandel Place could not be more out-of-the-way really, being noted only for a deeply bohemian artists’ collective and the charming little Historian Hotel. But this is the alley where the cats are at play: Two Cats on a Hot Fringe Roof. And since they started playing, the Historian Hotel’s rafters have been rocking and the walls reverberating with laughter.
The Two Cats are desperately, wickedly, absurdly funny.
Now this is not your run-of-the-mill Fringe comedy show. It is decidedly Adelaide-insider humour. It suits the older crowd although it is emphatically PG.
It’s a double act stand-up comedy show about the early days of live TV shows, particularly those for children. Hence, the funny bones it tickles are those who can remember going to bed with Fat Cat. Indeed, Fat Cat is its star. Ralf Hadzic was one of those brave performers who steamed for years inside the Fat Cat suit. And while Fat Cat didn’t talk back in the day, he’s sure talking now. It’s an anthropomorphic expose. Hadzic has stories to tell, children. Talking of which, Steve Davis performs in Playschool attire since he is one of the world’s great students of the dramatic art of Playschool. He has experimented with its styles and philosophies and is now the great Playschool method actor; in real life, if one is to believe his schtick. Well, it must be seen to be believed. Similarly his Mr. Squiggle. Oh, my. It is rib-ache funny.
Secret ingredient to the excellence of this production is slick professional direction by Glynn Nicholas, another Adelaide legend with strong links to the old children’s TV days. It’s quite a team. While it seems superficially all very in-group and casual, it’s a tight show with lovely comic timing.
So there we have it, off-Broadway, so to speak, an Adelaide Fringe jewel, with very nice pub dinner deals into the bargain.
This is for you, boomers.
Be quick. It’s a short season.
Samela Harris
4 Stars
When: 17 to 27 Feb
Where: Historian Hotel
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
EDITORS NOTE: Samela Harris is partnered with Steve Davis in his capacity as an Adelaide Theatre critic. They do reviews together on Peter Goers’ SMART ARTS Radio 891 Sunday morning radio program.
