Garry Starr wants to save his homeland of “Greek” from financial ruin. So, he’s going to tempt us into visiting with our tourist dollars by performing all of the Hellenic mythology, via physical comedy, in Greece Lightening.
We know that mythology is full of power struggles, nudity, and challenges. So is this show, much to the audience’s surprise, or possibly discomfort, depending on where you’re sitting?
Starr had confident banter with his audience, and he often drafted punters into the action. Even if you don’t find yourself dobbed in by a mate to go on stage, there is still plenty for audience members to do from their seats.
Compressing Greek antiquity into only 60 minutes means cuts must be made, but an audience with only vague memories of legends will still understand Starr’s humorous adaptations of these.
Featured stories (to a greater or lesser extent) include those of Icarus, Medusa, and Narcissus, all told in very different ways. There were even some re-purposed pop songs used to give the highlights of myths, in ways that could go beyond a PG rating.
This is a very technical show, with lots of segments, sound cues, and costume changes. But Starr has been doing this for a while now, and has a very professional approach to his madness.
It would be hard to even imagine a more committed hour of themed silliness than Greece Lightening. Couple this with Mythos: Ragnarok and you’ll have a wild (yet not too late for a weeknight) time at Festival Park.
Garry Starr: Greece Lightning
Festival Park – The Bunker, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne
Performance: Tuesday 17 October 2023
Season continues to 29 October 2023
Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
For more information, visit: www.garrystarr.com for details.
Image: Garry Starr – photo by Aaron Walker
Review: Jason Whyte