Walk into the venue and sit down in Frankenstein’s Palace. Be prepared to spend an hour devoid of meaning. That last sentence sounds like a criticism of the show, but Alice Tovey promises this show will be free of meaning.
That doesn’t mean that in Seinfeld-style it’s a show about nothing. It instead means it’s an hour of pure entertainment – fun for the sake of fun.
The focus of the show is Tovey’s love of horror movies. She’s a generation younger than me, so it was interesting to see how wide reaching her horror knowledge extended: From The Exorcist to the Twilight Saga to Scream and beyond.
As a comedy-cabaret, Tovey peppered her show with original songs with outrageously funny titles, including I’m Afraid of Men and Super Gay Power Sluts.
Along the way, Tovey gave us some genuinely funny moments. And she involved the audience in some of those moments, while sticking close to her script.
I felt the beginning wasn’t as strong as it easily could be. Creative writers learn the concept of in media res – start in the middle of the action, then circle around to give any needed backstory.
Instead of a strong opening, Tovey meandered through some monologue before we got into the heart of the show. In terms of the production itself, the costumes, lighting, and audio-visual elements were balanced well and used effectively.
Shows like Not Like the Other Ghouls are the reason I love Fringe. Adelaide Fringe gives artists the chance to get innovative as they embrace their idiosyncratic selves in their shows.
And this is the first time I’ve walked away from an hour of meaningless entertainment feeling so fulfilled.
Alice Tovey: Not Like The Other Ghouls
The Dom Polski Centre, 230 Angas Street, Adelaide
Performance: Wednesday 21 February 2024
Season continues to 3 March 2024
Information and Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au
Image: Alice Tovey stars in Not Like The Other Ghouls (supplied)
Review: Daniel G. Taylor