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What a title! Let’s face it, I’ve to start out there. I used to be instantly with out realizing a factor in regards to the present. It seems that We Didn’t Come to Hell for the Croissants is a group of seven tales, all carried out by Jemma Kahn, from seven famend South African authors. Okay, there are six South African writers and one considerably extra native, who gives a comedy spotlight, however finest allow you to discover that one out for your self. After an introductory comedy burlesque by which Kahn engages with the viewers and units the scene as being slightly meta,…
Rating
Excellent
Wonderfully offered and entertaining journey by way of the seven lethal sins
What a title! Let’s face it, I’ve to start out there. I used to be instantly with out realizing a factor in regards to the present. It seems that We Didn’t Come to Hell for the Croissants is a group of seven tales, all carried out by Jemma Kahn, from seven famend South African authors. Okay, there are six South African writers and one considerably extra native, who gives a comedy spotlight, however finest allow you to discover that one out for your self.
After an introductory comedy burlesque by which Kahn engages with the viewers and units the scene as being slightly meta, we transfer by way of an illustrated story. Kahn shows these illustrations in a wood field at centre stage whereas narrating, with a incredible collection of impressions, the story of a disengaged lazy younger man by way of to his abrupt ending.
There is a quick interlude for Kahn to elucidate Kamishibai to us. This is her tackle a Japanese custom which roughly interprets as ‘paper play’. Using the small field within the centre of stage, tales are narrated whereas Kahn reveals a sequence of a whole bunch of illustrations (Kahn, Carlos Amato & Rebecca Haysom) to accompany the tales.
Our seven tales for the night are based mostly on the seven lethal sins. The vary of the sins and the tales gives a showcase for Kahn’s wide-ranging expertise, mixing comedy with impeccable timing, bodily theatre, expressive reactions and a few not-so-light violence in opposition to fruit and greens. Kahn is magnetic and we can not take our eyes off her. What’s extra is that she’s not counting on the identical presentation for every story. While the instruments of the Kamishibai may be the identical, she doesn’t do the identical impressions or the identical reactions all through, however shifts every time and makes it simple for us to neglect she is only one individual.
It can be a problem to select a spotlight, since all of the tales are humorous and biting. Pride, the story written by Kahn herself does stand out for being stripped again slightly bit. There is much less use of narration, the art work tells extra of the story, and this private piece hits the viewers laborious. The art work is excellent all through, with the ditty about slightly kitty giving us the hilarious picture of a golden fish contained in the kitty! The present is marked for adults solely and as we come in the direction of the top, you may end up questioning why, in spite of everything, the burlesque at first is extra comedy than titillation. But worry not, as a result of the ultimate story leads down a path of debauchery with a really graphic description of a threesome and the usage of food and drinks to intensify pleasure!
We Didn’t Come to Hell for the Croissants is totally in every single place – by intent. There is slightly little bit of whiplash from the fixed flux, a way of surprise about what we simply noticed and the way on earth somebody got here up with all of it, but it surely’s massively humorous and entertaining and peculiar. Even with the nice number of theatre in London, Kahn’s model of Kamishibai brings one thing completely different and distinctive. She has been presenting this efficiently everywhere in the world for years, however that is her London debut and it’s lengthy overdue.
Written by: Nicholas Spagnoletti, Justin Oswald, Tertius Kapp, Jemma Kahn, Rosa Lyster & Lebogang Mogashoa
Directed by: Lindiwe Matshikiza
Artwork by: Jemma Kahn, Carlos Amato & Rebecca Haysom
We Didn’t Come to Hell for the Croissants performs Riverside Studios till 4 February 2023. Tickets and additional info could be discovered right here.