Familiarity supposedly breeds contempt. Maybe that was true a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. But time and again contemporary artists are seeking to create new works by parodying, condensing or creatively rehashing well-known old ones. And as history would have us expect, audiences continue to be enthralled.
For nearly five years Charles Ross has been a darling of the international fringe festival circuit, performing his critically acclaimed One Man Star Wars Trilogy on both sides of the Atlantic. As the title suggests, the show features one man (Ross) portraying the characters, dialogue and plot-lines from the first three Star Wars films – Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). At just over an hour long the show is performed without props, sets or costume changes, and with only minimal lighting. The frenetic pace is enhanced by Ross’ imitation of spaceship special effects, music and occasional commentary on the movies.
