TTI & Guy Masterson Productions @ Adelaide 2007


	Fern Hill & Other Dylan Thomas Holden Street Theatres - 19:30 (20.40) February 21 - March 15 Guy Masterson's award winning performance of the "other" works of Dylan Thomas. Under Milk Wood Holden Street Theatres - Hindmarsh- THREE SHOWS ONLY! Guy Masterson's world acclaimed interpretation of Dylan Thomas' enchanting masterpiece returns for a 3rd sell-out season! "one of the most remarkable inventive performances of the decade!" (Times) "A mesmerisingly brilliant tour de force."(Scotsman) "Simply bewitching!" (Three Weeks) FERN HILL - ADELAIDE FRINGE FESTIVAL 2007: "Compelling and beautiful... Guy Masterson is arguably the world's leading stage exponent of Dylan Thomas. We had his Under Milk Wood last year (and again in this Fringe) and now we have his alternative Thomas performance - a range of stories and poems which, in some ways, is yet more rewarding. Masterson is an athletic and highly animated performer who imbues even the character of passing mention with a sense of style and personality. He has the rich nasal timbre of classic Welsh delivery, one which, with a purse of the lips, he can transform to Richard Burton and even Anthony Hopkins. He has the agile tongue for the rapid ebb and flow of Thomas and the artistry to bring to vivid life each and every word of that superb master of the language." (Samela Harris, Adelaide Advertiser, March 2007) "This is a charming and delightful production of works by Dylan Thomas. The much-lauded, amiable and amazingly productive Guy Masterson presents a one-man show of energetic readings of the famous Welsh booze-hound's poetry and short stories. On a bare stage with nothing but his beautiful voice and vigorous physicality, Masterson launches into 'Holiday Memory', an enchanting story of a family holiday at the beach. As we warm to Masterson, we are drawn into this nostalgic and appealing tale. Masterson bounds about - grinning, puffing and twisting - bringing the words to life. And so he continues, reciting Thomas' poems with verve and affection. Particularly effective are 'The force that through the green fuse drives the flower' and the sad, elegiac trio of poems 'Death Shall Have No Dominion', 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' (which builds stirringly from a reluctant whisper to a plaintive cry of uncertain bravado) and 'Lie Still, Sleep Becalmed'. The real star of the show is Dylan Thomas. Masterson's charismatic and vivid evocation of the poems makes us appreciate Thomas' great gift." (John Wells - theatreguide.com.au) After seeing his Under Milk Wood in 2006, I felt compelled to see more of Guy Masterson's work. So this presentation of Dylan Thomas' lesser-known works - or, as Masterson put it, "the not-Milk Wood Thomas" - afforded me the opportunity to see the man/men at work again. As per previous efforts, Masterson recites Thomas' works with boundless energy, roaming the stage with swoops and sweeps, his face alive with obvious gleeful appreciation. He covers around ten pieces, each displaying Thomas' evocative style - but the words are just an outline for the performance; Masterson adds gobs of colour with his oration, texture with gesticulation. Genuinely remorseful for Thomas' death, Masterson makes the poems his own. But what really made this performance for me was the casual nature of the performance. Dressed in dark board-shorts and a t-shirt, Masterson intersperses witty asides to the audience with the poems; a true gem was his comparison of various renditions of Under Milk Wood, successfully aping Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and even Dylan Thomas himself. In short: brilliant. See it. Go on, there's a FringeTIX link up there; click it! (A super-duper added bonus for me, of course, was listening to a bunch of first-year TAFE students pontificate about the performance afterwards. "He was oooooooookay - not as good as I thought he'd be, though. I mean, what's with the one-man-show?") (It's also worth noting that this is a much better venue for Under Milk Wood - much more intimate than the cavernous Union Hall. If you didn't catch UMW last year, give that a go as well.) (Festival Freak - 07/03/08) Punter's Reviews from Adelaide Fringe Festival, 2007 (source: talkfringe.com.au) Just wonderful. This is a guy working at the top of his game. The words tripped from his tounge like diamonds, caressing the audience into a captivated adoring harem! I sat in the front and I swear I got special treatment! Just wonderful stuff!(Aunt Em) We saw Under Milk Wood last year and LOVED IT. so we went to see Fern Hill and it was GREAT. Well worth the small $$$ that Masterson asks. (c_r_mau) A really great show, Guy Masterson is brilliant, a master performer. (Chrismac) Masterson say's this show is the least we can do for a dead poet. He's not wrong. Dylan Thomas is a genius and, even to the uninitiated, this show is simply a joy. The words tumble out of Masterson's Welsh lilting mouth like a cascade of life affirming energy. From the wild abandon of a child's imagination to the rueing of lost innocence, Thomas' musings are afforded perfect weight and style. Here's a master performer working at the top of his game with the words of a genius his muse. Wonderful! (Fred Fringe) Guy Masterson tells Dylan Thomas' stories with captivating brilliance. The language is beautiful and the performance not to be missed. (Anna) Masterson brings Dylan Thomas' beautiful words to vibrant life. See www.theatreguide.com.au for full review and more. (John Wells) I went to Under Milk Wood last night. Came back for this tonight. WOW WOW WOW! If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. I think it was actually better! WHAT A MEMORY! Mr Masterson convinced us that Dylan Thomas is a genius. But Masterson is completely at home with this material. He has the perfect voice and style to bring the words to life. I was completely enchanted by practically every word. Enraptured! Simply a wonderful fringe offering! (Sylvia Marsh) I'll admit right off that I was doubtful about the idea of poetry performed as one-man theatre, but I was completely wrong. Guy Masterson is an utterly engaging and convincing performer. He makes the sights, sounds and characters of Dylan Thomas' works come alive without costumes, makeup, sets or props of any kind. Masterson evokes emotion and imagery with wit, energy and incredible vocal and physical talent. Go and see it! (The Village Idiot) Wow! Loved the Holiday Memories, Do Not Go Gently and the Child's Christmas. Beautifully presented and performed. Nicely broken up, never, never boring! (Hmmnnn) What a fantastic wordsmith Dylan was. Guy's very active reading was stunning, brought tears of sheer joy to my eyes! (Pete Whetton) Agree with everyone below. Not a lot more I can add. I was mesmerised! (Sandee) This was lovely! Just sheer pleasure. This guy is obviously enchanted by his material and he enchants us too. You could have heard a pin drop. My attention has never been held like that before! An amazing experience. And I will buy the poetry! Fabulous! (Denise) I went with Actorboy, and though I have NO INTENTION WHATEVER to be an actor, I agree with everything he wrote. I go to a lot of theatre and this was like nothing I have ever seen. Put simply it is just him and the words. He is great and the words are great. And you go with them. (HowardHater) Truly an amazing show. The imagery he created, the senses that he captivated, I can't find adequate description for this show. Truly a master at his craft, in the true sense of the word. His passion for theatre, the words of Thomas and his audience was strongly and keenly felt. Put simply, go see this show! (Sooty) WOW!!! How to be inspired and intimidated in one go! He blew my mind! I never thought you can act like that. It's freestyle rollercoasting. He just goes for it, miming, showing, describing until you are IN the stories with him. His characters are so clear. And the poetry is sublime. I was never drawn to poetry but now I feel like I want to buy books of it. An amazing night! (Actorboy) What can I say... I went again! Think I might be becoming a groupie! (at my age!) Worth it though! (Georgie) This was fantastic. Never seen a theatre like this but he was amazing on stage and had great rapport with the crowd. Worth seeing! (Tonestar) Guy Masterson is an energetic actor and his enthusiasm and joy in the work he is portraying comes through with every piece. He's an old man facing death, a donkey, a dog, a lovely innocent child, a tipsy aunt, self satisfied uncles and so many more that he peoples the stage with dozens of Dylan Thomas characters and his lovely, oh so lovely, lilting, language. (Valerie) This is just brilliant. He starts off with an empty stage and fills it with imagery and imagination. Top act! (Gio) Definitely nothing I have seen before.. Definitely something I would see again.. One man on stage entertaining and story telling like no one I have seen.. Love the Burton and Hopkins impressions... Definite must see of the Fringe!! (FringeFreak) Guy Masterson brings a selection of Dylan Thomas' poems and short stories to life. He doesn't just tell the stories; he shows them. One man on an empty stage, but a great theatrical experience. If only high school students could see Dylan Thomas like this! (Emcee) Saw this amazing performance last night. Saw his Under Milk Wood last year which was fantastic. You have to see him. If you like being told a good story then this is for you. Brilliant! (Georgie) An inspiring performance. A great show in a great venue. (Shane) I really enjoyed Fern Hill. Guy Masterson brings the stories to life in his own entertaining way. When he talks about a day at the beach, you are THERE. Saw Under Milk Wood last year and can recommend both! (Netty) UNDER MILK WOOD - ADELAIDE FRINGE FESTIVAL 2007: THEATREGUIDE.COM (15/02/07) "Dressed only in a pair of pyjamas, Guy Masterson takes to the stage and creates an amazing variety of characters in this classic Dylan Thomas play. As this was originally performed on radio, the language is descriptive, and each character is formed out of the text, enabling Masterson to slip seamlessly between all of the characters and both narrators! Masterson is a brilliant performer, and holds the audience spellbound through the one and three quarter hours of the show. Whether he is playing Captain Cat, the old, blind sea captain, or Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard dreaming of her dead husbands, his portrayals are completely convincing. The only set is a wooden chair, and the only props are a pair of sunglasses and a pair of drinking glasses. Using stark lighting with no colour in the rig, haunting shadows are cast on the black walls of the theatre, and a soundscape by Matt Clifford complements the text. What happens in a day in the village of "Llareggub?" Spell it backwards! Never has nothing happening been so spellbinding, entertaining and enjoyable." (Simon Slade) PUNTERS' REVIEWS: ADELAIDE FRINGE 2007: Stunning. That one man can create a visual picture of a village, fill the stage with characters and do so with love of the language, is beyond belief. Glad I gave up the theatre years ago this man has more talent than any other 5 actors I know! A dream performance that brought tears of joy. Oh what Dylan Thomas could have done if he had lived longer. (Pete Whetton) This is simply a five pig show. Possibly the best offering of Fringe 07? (Squealer) This was incredible! (See my review for Fern Hill!) Very little can be added except that he has to be the most exceptional performer we have on the Fringe this year? Or, given his 12 Angry Men in 2004 and his Milk Wood last year... EVER? Go and see this. It is extraordinary. (Fred Fringe) Amazing performance - I was stunned by this artist's ability to memorise nearly 2 hours of monologue, let alone his physical and emotional portrayal of the village characters. Well done!! Perspiring in pyjamas clearly better than a 3 piece suit! If you love Dylan Thomas, definitely see this. (MitchDJ) This was hugely enjoyable, I liked some of the quotes about life and death, and it was easy to paint a picture of this town. (Emma) I saw this tonight. The place was PACKED with people sitting in the aisles. The temp must have been over 30 in there and he did not miss a beat! Dripping wet for nearly two hours, he held us enthralled. Simply extraordinary! I've never seen anything like it. The words tumbled out of him in one huge lyrical splurge! It is a stunning piece of theatre. My hat is off to you Mr Masterson. Your energy and invention know no bounds! (Sylvia Marsh) Fabulous Acting. 5 Stars for the acting. I hadn't read or heard the play so it took a while to get my head around it. After reading about the play afterwards appreciated it even more. Great to see. (The Dude) A brilliant piece of theatre. Masterson's energy does not drop in the 105mins he is on stage, transforming from character to character wonderfully. The physicality coupled with the honesty of Masterson's performance paints a beautiful, touching picture of a day in the life of the townsfolk. A must-see! (Kate) I want to be an actor but after seeing this, I'm not sure I will ever be. Words cannot describe the virtuosity and versatility of this performer! A body that can play young girls and boys, sexy women, angry men, sad old sailors, whores, tramps and a voice that seems to have no bounds. And a genius memory! Part of me wants to give up the dream. The other wants to just do it. Masterson throws all of himself into his shows but it's never too much. So I will too. Totally inspiring. GO GO GO! (Actorboy) Guy Masterson is astounding. He plays all the characters and slips seamlessly between them. (Simon Slade) I saw this last year and was blown away and I simply can't agree with Lynn. The performance alone deserves 4 stars even if you don't like one-man shows. I am recommending this to anyone and everyone. We are lucky to have a performer of Guy Masterson's callibre at the Fringe. In Australia! He's an extraordinary talent of the sort that you only see rarely in life... So go and enjoy! You'll not regret it. (Georgie)