Ubu Disco in association with Skullduggery Reviews in Full
The List
"Shocking modern audiences is getting harder to do, but Brute Farce and Skullduggery's version of Alfred Jarry's play cleverly achieves an admirable level of outrageous disgust.
While staying faithful to Jarry's style and form, this production utilises karaoke and the implied vulgarity of pop to convey its twisted take on the Macbeth story. From the start, verbose hilarity is the order of the day, and the slick, perfectly paced scenes never fail to raise the requisite laughs.
Original inventive and utterly good fun, the oblique political metaphors are still there, making this an eye-opening modern satire with a very sharp edge."
Gareth Davies
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Evening News
"Global supremacy via karaoke – Alfred Jarry's madcap litany of war, torture, and political deceitfulness is a cross between Tiswas and a Marx Brother's film.
Set at the wedding from hell, King Ubu is a DJ whose dance records spark off macabre recollections of his triumphant stint as King of Poland.
In a furious 50 minutes, Ubu Disco sets off an an anarchic journey where puppets, kitchen utensils, bad singing – and anything else lying around – are used to tell the story of the king and his wife, Ma Ubu.
Chaos ensues, as surreal and unsavoury crackpots act out a frivolous tale of slaughter and romance against a soundtrack of eighties pop classics.
Along the way we stumble upon Miss Poland 1984, a General Accountants AGM, karaoke queens from Gdansk, and a sinister family of fluffy toy animals.
Produced by Fringe veterans Skullduggery and Brute Farce Theatre Company, the production is brought to life by a superbly adaptable five-strong cast.
King Ubu – fat filthy-mouthed and DJ extraordinaire – is the lynchpin which binds all the off-the-wall characters together, Rob Crouch administering an uninhibited performance.
Crouch is backed wonderfully by sniping cockney Ma Ubu (Emily Outred); childishly funny soldier Captain McFetid (John Roy); versatile Prince Buggerov (Jonathan Clarkson);and true karaoke genius King Wencelas, played by the excellent James Burton.
Astutely Performed by an outstanding cast, this far-out production is top-drawer stuff. There's post-show karaoke on weekend performances, so, dig out a few records, grab a microphone and join King Ubu on stage for some karaoke madness.
Barry Gordon
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