Promising a warm, funny and inventive mime set in Paris, Für Elise opens against a background of beautiful music, French voiceover (err, it is a mime guys, clue is in the title!) and ‘some placards’. Will the lonely François, spellbound and besotted with the fashionista Elise, at last find his true and everlasting love?
The Edinburgh Reporter was captivated by this conceit and so contacted Matthew Ingram who speaks on behalf of York DramaSoc – hang on! It is supposed to be a mime…
TER : Now then Matthew, we are promised, in your words a, ‘Classic love triangle told on stage in a really innovative and engaging way.’ Do tell more.
MI: We’re merging the theatrical tradition of mime with the art of the silent movie, so in effect you’re watching a foreign silent movie unfold on stage. With our beautiful underscore of piano solo pieces in tandem with our French voiceover and the physicality of our actors, the whole world of Paris comes alive and the piece works so well.
TER : Not so much roll over Beethoven as baguette, so to speak! It sounds like you are giving in to your collective inner kittens, you giddy romantic fools you!
MI: It’s a tragicomedy by definition, so expect a few laughs as well as something to pull at your heartstrings. The play is an ideal chance to escape the hustle and bustle of the Fringe for an hour and completely lose yourself in a nice little tale.
TER : This running theme of loneliness – are you are teasing us with a bit of a conundrum, or is it a paradox? Or should we just bath in the silent tears of mime’s ability to shiver the silence golden?
MI: The theme running through the piece is loneliness, so amongst enjoying the piece, I’d really like people to think about that. Asking questions like: “What’s the difference between being alone and being lonely?” will really help people unlock the piece. This piece is incredibly accessible though, so audiences who don’t want to think about anything deep and meaningful for an hour can just sit back and enjoy! We’re looking forward to seeing what people make of it at the Fringe. The audience response so far has been really warm, so hopefully we’ll see the same in Edinburgh!
Für Elise
Theatre (mime, new writing)
C venues – C nova (Venue 145) 12:00 1 hour
Suitability: UGroup: York DramaSoc
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/fur-elise
