Image: www.feast.org.au
While An Hour of Touching lacks both the sultriness and the emotional depth you might expect from the title, it’s a fun, frivolous and thoroughly Feast-esque production.
Included in the Adelaide Feast Festival’s cabaret line-up, An Hour of Touching follows the story of Thomas Murphy, Charles Dormer and Fran Giappani, whose elderly, wealthy lover passes away, bequeathing the trio a large sum of money. But, they may only access the money on the condition that they create a show-stopping Broadway musical. The term ‘story’ may actually be a little strong, however; the hour-long production mostly consists of small, barely-connected skits and quirky musical numbers. The premise in itself is entertaining, although the “show about making a show” idea is far from revolutionary, and the skits are fast-paced and funny enough to keep the audience interested and engaged.
Murphy dutifully plays the dead wood to Giappani and Dormer’s comics and, while he was often muffled by his microphone, he confidently balanced his role as pianist with his dramatic ones. Dormer makes a charming five-year-old church-boy, but is overshadowed by his co-stars in many of the other skits, particularly by Giappani. Giappani is definitely the stand-out of the show; neither her aesthetic nor her voice is outstanding, but her stage presence and melodrama truly lift the show.
The comedy in the show is quite hit-and-miss – while the players definitely earned some raucous laughs, each actor made a few brave attempts at humour that were met with only a polite titter or two. Their political skits were definitely their strongest, with their Palmer United Senator impression sitting as a firm highlight for the audience.
Although the lyrics were eccentric and funny, the musical element of the show failed to make a strong impression. Giappani, Murphy and Dormer harmonise together nicely, despite the out-of-tune piano, but the songs just aren’t the kind you’ll be singing in the shower for days afterward.
An Hour of Touching isn’t epic or unforgettable, but it’s a pleasant way to spend an hour, and its playful, avant-garde style is exactly what you look for in a Feast show.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
An Hour of Touching
Feast Festival
Created by and starring: Thomas Murphy, Fran Giappani and Charles Dormer
The Soul Box, Adelaide
27-29 November
