Exeter Northcott, 25 March 2010
Nonsense is a difficult concept to pin down. Forkbeard Fantasy propose to stage it’s ‘colour’, and boy do they manage that. ‘The Colour of Nonsense’ brings to life a vibrant world of visual (and audio) madness where cartoon blends with reality in tirelessly colourful synchronicity.
Loosely based on The Emperor’s New Clothes, the story envisages three artists commissioned to create a special centre-piece for a ‘Nonsense Exhibition’. Their creation, the world’s-first invisible artwork, sparks artistic controversy and a cacophony of fallout effects. In this production, however, plot acts a vehicle for stunning aesthetic qualities.
A total of seven projectors, ranging from the latest technology to classic classroom OHP’s, are used to bring a mostly fabric set to life with images, videos, cartoons and colours. Forkbeard Fantasy’s thirty four year history certainly seems to have learned them well how to use all this kit for thoroughly magical purpose.
Whilst occasional moments dragged on marginally longer than necessary, and comic intent often became overshadowed by confusion, most of the 80-minute performance provided a spectacular masterclass in the art of staging nonsense.
(‘The Colour Of Nonsense’ Tour has just come to a close, but Forkbeard Fantasy will undoubtedly be back soon to showcase their latest production – Look out for that! Meanwhile, there are some great images and videos of ‘The Colour of Nonsense’ available here.)
