Madhouse have done it again; this theater company, famed for its hilarious yet intelligent devised performances, is back with The Blonde Hurricane which is now showing at the National Theater to sell-out audiences.
As usual the company’s talented performers, Mike Kelly and Matt Devere play all the misfit characters, and have developed characterizations that will leave you in stitches. The crux of the story, based on the 1930s Hungarian novel of the same name by Jenő Rejtő, revolves around “beautiful” blonde Evelyn (the world’s worst translator of medieval French poetry) and Lord Bannister (the world’s best sleep scientist) whose paths cross too many times to mention.
Obstructed by a metal nosed criminal, a lethal leprechaun and obnoxious French doormen, Evelyn travels across continents to track down a diamond “the size of a goose egg” inherited from her deceased criminal uncle. Aided by a fantastic set, striking masks, projected comic book images, priceless sound effects and a fair amount of toilet humor, Madhouse are at their best playing characters that will stick in your mind for days afterwards.
Expect an itchy antique dealer who wants a bit of loving, a Russian ‘entrepreneur’ (called Vladimir Fuckoff, no less), a verbally incontinent protagonist who farts in her sleep, a Nobel prize-winning scientist with a penchant for soft toys and more. Indeed, Madhouse packs in a lot of action, managing to showcase many of its talents (stage combat, ballet, the Irish jig…you name it) in this one act production. The second half is particularly fast-paced, and sees the characters compete in a Wacky Races style adventure across France and Morocco in a motorbike and side-car, a camel…and a red Alfa Romeo (the set really is quite something). Yet the thing which always leaves me in awe of Kelly and Devere after watching one of their productions is their ability to turn a mere look into a laugh; that and their seemingly effortless transitions from character to character.
I’ve already got my tickets to see their next show, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, and if The Blonde Hurricane is anything to go by, you should too.
The next performance of The Blonde Hurricane will be showing on March 18th at the National Theater (Hilda Gobbi Stage).
National Theater/Nemzeti Színház
