Table For Two?: Absurd Meets Slapstick Meets Food Production ~ Adelaide Fringe 2019 Review

[Theatre/Comedy ~ SA Premiere ~ NSW] Live From Tandanya – Tandanya Arts Cafe, Fri 15 Feb. The opening scene of Table For Two? has the cleaner/waiter cleaning the restaurant, in preparation for the grand re-opening. It is one-man physical theatre with elements of slapstick as a quite engaging waiter for whom everything goes just a little wrong. The second character, entering after a quick costume change, is the manager who assures us that all of the past issues have been dealt with and things will be fine. These two characters alternate through the opening parts of this play and the audience alternately laugh and cringe at the waiter’s antics. However, once dinner is ordered from the somewhat reduced menu (featuring only the chef's special), we’re introduced to the funniest, and by far the messiest, scene of the show. I’ll keep what happens for your own surprise, but suffice to say the few of us who were there (rather than attending the Fringe Parade) – were crying tears of laughter. Absurd meets slapstick meets food production! From this point there’s more drama backstage resulting in the manager doing a runner and the waiter joining us in last rites for the ‘rubbish’. Table For Two? is engaging, silly, a great laugh, and has some lessons that reality cooking TV shows should take to heart! For mine, add a couple more scenes that have the audience erupting – like the food prep scene – and this show would really rock! Tea For Two is a new piece and solo debut from NIDA Emerging Artist Will Tredinnick; his skill for his art shows a lot of potential and I’m sure we'll be seeing on far larger stages on the not too distant future. So get in quick, while he's on the intimate small stage of Tandanya’s Art Cafe and you'll be able to say you saw him first! 4 stars Clayton Werner Table For Two? continues at Live From Tandanya – Tandanya Arts Cafe and at Holden Street Theatres – The Arch, at various times, until Sun 24 Feb. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. #ADLfringe