STOP START At The BakeHouse Theatre – Adelaide Fringe Review

Bakehouse Theatre’s Main Stage, Mon Feb 16 Light illuminates a circle on a dark stage in the Bakehouse Theatre; the crowd can see Dawson Nichols sitting in the middle dressed in all black. There are no props or fancy costumes, only a chair and one man. Nichols proceeds to tell a powerful story of two brothers in a creative portrayal of different drug-induced trances and hallucinations. There is only one person on stage, but you can see a lot more than that. This is a credit to how well the show is written. The audience has the feeling of being right with Nichols in all the hallucination and dreams he portrays. Although there are some genuinely funny moments, the subject matter is extremely intense. Certainly not one for younger children or the easily distracted as the one-man show goes for over an hour. Focus and a certain level of imagination are needed throughout to follow the details and picture the story as it is being told. Nichols gives a dramatic and striking performance, showing off a diverse range of characters. They mesh into each other perfectly to portray different experiences on stage. He is also a focussed and professional actor, staying locked in the entire show, despite having to compete with some loud noise from a baby at one point! STOP START is a vivid and thought-provoking one-man performance. Jonathan Boyd STOP START continues at Bakehouse Theatre’s Main Stage until Sat Mar 7. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.