A History of Drinking

A small studio, chairs lined up along the walls, a line of bottles on a shelf, a fridge, a freezer, a body sprawled gracelessly across the middle of the floor. The body does not stir as the seats fill; people sip from glasses of water placed handily on coasters. Once the door closes, life returns to the crumpled wreck, and he rasps prose poetry as he staggers around the aftermath of the night before. Rapidly switching to the role of game show host, Fowler perkily and chirpily asks trivia questions of the gathering. The winning answer has a sullen, surly barman sent out to take their order (chosen from the menu in the event’s program). The barman preparing the order has his patter for each drink, a guided meditation for sencha, a discussion of the Prohibition-era background of the martini, a story of marital woes for a Bloody Mary and a desperately sober pretty young thing for the soda water and lime. The night wears on, drinks are mixed, served, swallowed, and then we’re surrounded by that amazing party, and it all gets a bit much and we leave, stepping around the body on the floor…

Well, not quite, as the audience was far too busy applauding Jeffrey Jay Fowler for his astounding solo show, A History of Drinking. In a twist on the cliché of the barman wanting to be an actor, here was an accomplished actor wielding an RSA with panache. The richly worded prose poetry that took us to places as diverse as childhood memories of an alcoholic father, the loneliness of a hotel bedroom in a loveless marriage, and the immediacy of a hangover on a bright morning, was dense and delivered with full weight. The recurring character of Jamie, the good-time girl, was astutely observed and presented, and the overlapping storylines of various lovers intrigued. The discussions of alcohol in cultures ranging from ancient Egypt to modern Poland were entertaining and delivered in a light and engaging manner. Most compelling, though, was Fowler’s ability to switch quickly and smoothly from one role to another, working his dialogue and mannerisms around each drink order. Each request came with a surprise for the audience, but each and every segment was delivered perfectly (with the drinks served full measure).

The constraints of the venue put the technical desk outside the room, production staff observing through an open window. This made the highly responsive lighting work all the more impressive, with subtle changes for each section of each drink-directed performance. Sound work was sparing, with the bump and grind accompaniment to the cocktail order for the Orgasm being a highlight, but the lack of backing track was the ideal accompaniment to Fowler’s rich monologues.

A History of Drinking may have sold out with the promise of alcohol on the poster, but Fowler’s assured performance was the star of the night.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights and Mythophobic Productions

In association with PICA present

A History of Drinking

Written and performed by Jeffrey Jay Fowler

Production Manager: Emily Sky Stokoe

Technical Manager/Operator: Rupert Sewell

PICA Tower Studio, Perth Cultural Centre

11 – 23 February

 

Fringe World 2013

www.fringeworld.com.au

25 January – 24 February