In Re-Educating Rita, Claire Turner presents a one-woman show, exploring what it’s like to be on the frontline on one of the more horrific battlegrounds, the classroom.
To emphasise the classroom atmosphere, we were marched into the theatre as students would and subjected to a roll call featuring a few classroom stereotypes. This involved a bit of dreaded audience participation but Claire was able to make it light and non-threatening despite the tough exterior often required for teaching.
The show was structured as a series of stand up spots interspersed with a few short school scenarios. Claire would transform from Teacher to Comedian by letting her hair down. In the stand up, we were treated to some fantastic material about childhood and the education system. She was able to give it a spin, dip her toes into some slightly dark territory and present it with great enthusiasm.
Claire’s stories of her experience as a teacher were where the show really hit it stride. Through a combination of acting, role-playing and straight storytelling these marvellous tales were brought to life. Despite not being full-blown character pieces the anecdotes were enthralling, a credit to her wonderful stage presence. She even provided slides at the conclusion of the show so that we could put faces to names, making these stories quite special.
Audio-visual aids were used throughout, some more successfully than others. The pre-recorded thoughts of the teacher were well done. However the “Teacher Proverbs” shown on a screen with accompanying music that often ended abruptly were probably a case of opening night tech issues. These were merely a cover for the scene changes, which only involved Claire moving from one side of the stage to the other.
Continuing on with the classroom theme we were handed out some “homework” in the form of a handout. This printed humorous quiz was the kind you may find on your seat at another show, but the timing of this inclusion was a nice touch.
This was a marvellous show featuring a universal topic presented by a highly accomplished comedian. It provided a hilariously insightful look at the world on the other side of the school desk.
For booking details and further information visit the “Fringe Website”:http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/season/2007/show/357/