Presented by: raeandwill
Mr. Bean meets Albert and Costello in this quirky and thoroughly enjoyable piece of new indie theatre
Reviewed by Justin Clarke
Hetzel Room (at State Library) at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
Thu 06 Mar – Sun 09 Mar: 6:00pm
Tue 11 Mar – Wed 12 Mar: 6:00pm
Tickets: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/masterpiece-af2025
Type: Mime, Comedy, Slapstick & Clowning
If you liked: Mr Bean, The Play That Goes Wrong
3.5 STARS
Creeping quietly in with the live instrumentals of Tchaikovsky, two workmen are tasked with the very simple task of hanging a portrait in a gallery whose masterpiece is yet to be unveiled. Unfortunately for the gallery, and fortunately for us, these two workmen are clowns.
Performed by Rae Colquhoun-Fairweather and Will Bartolo, we see the unfolding mishaps and troubles that unfold in this simplest of tasks. Dressed in white shirts, gloves and dark pants, they both enter hidden behind a large, wrapped portrait. Only their legs are revealed as they two-step dance their way into the scene. It’s a quirky entrance that only escalates in quirkiness as the piece continues.
Colquhoun-Fairweather is the cutesy clown who would much rather have a few laughs along the way. Once stunned by the audience watching them both, her mission moves from hanging the masterpiece, to getting as much glory from the audience themselves.
Bartolo plays the Bert to Rae’s Ernie, he’s the Moe out of the Stooges: serious and focused entirely on the task at hand. Throughout, the much tested formula produces hilarious results as the two push and tease each other, slowly breaking through the invisible wall between audience and performer. Eventually, we become as much a part of the show as Rae and Will.
There perhaps isn’t as much high stakes that could have been pushed when it comes to the “masterpiece” itself with some sections feeling out of place, or requiring a long gestation to reach the 60-minute mark. But for a piece of consistent mime, accompanied by a one-man live orchestration, it’s beautifully played out.
Masterpiece plays out like a golden bit of Mr. Bean comedy meets Albert and Costello. It’s a pleasing and enjoyable indie theatre that rewards its audience who venture outside of the Gluttony and Garden of Earthly Delights section of the Adelaide Fringe Festival this season.
Want more from the Adelaide Fringe Festival? Explore all the shows on offer this year here.
