Categories: Reviews

Neon Toast


Neon Toast
is a charming and down to earth dance and theatre show – based on bread.

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2009

Anytime Place, Brunswick
Kerrily Aitchison, Rachael Dyson-McGregor and Eleanor Riley
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 

Neon Toast is a charming and down to earth dance and theatre show – based on bread.

The piece, devised and performed by Kerrily Aitchinson, Eleanor Riley and Racheal Dyson-McGregor, is an exploration of relationships. A narrative of a baker looking for love via internet dating gives the show a loose structure while allowing room for abstract movement based explorations.

The baker’s story, which is mostly told in spoken word, is the highlight of the piece but the movement and dance sections add a beautiful texture and are an ingenious way of providing background. Baking is a surprisingly fitting metaphor for relationships and the creators usually exploit with originality. However, at times the concept is reduced to adolescent sentimentality.

Anytime Place is such an intimate space and this is capitalised on, as during the performance it seems to shrink and get cosier, which brings the audience together. The performers have a great raport with each other and are always focused which makes them always interesting to watch.

The spoken word section which explores the world of online dating is a highlight. The performers interact with each other as an array of online personalities using only a small description of themselves and body language to communicate.

Neon Toast is refreshing, fun and often moving (though not when it tries to be). I’m excited to see this company grow, I’m sure they will keep on creating stimulating new theatre.

Season Closed

Anne-Marie Peard

Anne-Marie spent many years working with amazing artists at arts festivals all over Australia. She's been a freelance arts writer for the last 10 years and teaches journalism at Monash University.

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Anne-Marie Peard

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