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A clown handed out cheesy crisps and ushered the audience into a secret forest set that had a foam Michelin-man styled (minus the head or was it a kidney?) puppet wandering about made us think this is what Brighton’s all about!
Tree projection backdrops, a story-teller in between three musical acts and a whole lot of innovation made for one memorable gig.
Oh, and the fab Moulettes were all they promised to be – fiddling at its best with rousing folk melodies which made you want to twirl around a farmyard.
The first of four seasonal arty experiences to come: roll on summer!

Komedia, 18 May
Rating:
Monica Perdoni

Blues-country deconstruction anyone? Howie Gelb is usually your man. But not this time… ‘You pays your money and takes your chances’ goes the old maxim (probably coined by hedging artists), and judging by the steady trickle of leavers and shifting buttocks, the chances turned out poor as Gelb delivered a rambling and wandering performance, unable for the most part to lock into that all essential groove/zone that artists (and anyone for that matter) should aspire to. His work has always been hit or miss and semi-experimental but recently, as evidenced by the last album Blurry Blue Mountain, he’s gone all sleepy on us, so he makes up for it by crankin’ up the volume here and there, trying to find new chord patterns and different twists on what are essentially repetitive rhythms that evoke little more than dusty and unremarkable prairie towns. Even a guest appearance from Sarah Blasko for some jazzy-orientated numbers fails to lift the overall slumber. Gelb admits on stage, possibly realising he is losing us, that ‘we don’t rehearse’, that ‘you don’t need another band like that’ (ie one rehearsed), and that ‘we’re problem solvers’. Problems weren’t so much solved tonight as created.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 19 May
Rating:
Jeff Hemmings

I was interested to see how the original Dogme film would translate onto the stage and it worked fantastically. The sparse minimalist set backed up the sparse minimalist dialogue worked amazingly at conveying different rooms, sometimes more than one at the same time, including an intentionally comic moment where the goings-on in three separate bedrooms were played out simultaneously on one bed on the stage. There was no need for the audience to work at suspension of disbelief. The casting was impeccable and the acting brilliant, with long, awkward silences perfectly conveying the tension of a family reunion with skeletons in the closet. One of my top choices of the festival. An absolute must-see performance.

Brighton Little Theatre, 19 May
Rating:
Jenni Davidson

There is little doubting the richness of Maltman’s voice. It certainly delivers across his full range, and Middleton is a great coupling for that voice. The real artistry though comes not just from his technical skill, of which there is much, but of his ability to perform the songs. Not content with simply getting the notes right, Maltman, even in a concert performance, acts every word. One minute the besotted lover, next the mad man, at times mature and worldly and then boyish and naive. It’s a great skill and one that he adds to by engaging with his audience between songs. Maltman is not only a world class singing talent but a likeable performer too.

Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, 19 May
Rating:
Andrew Kay