THE EPISCENE BUTCHER...

Grahamstown: July 4, 2012 – Review by Shika Budhoo

The Episcene Butcher and Other Stories for Consenting Adults is a brilliant show with amazing stories, told with skill and passion.

The storytelling was riveting, Jemma Kahn's voice soothes and entices at once. Her voice manipulation from character to character, scene to story, atmosphere to sound effect is relaxed and settles the audience, at the same time keeping us waiting for her next word. Her accents were most amusing and she had an easy rapport with the audience.

The artistry used in the show was visually stimulating and punctuated the stories perfectly. A series of different stories from different eras, about different parts of the social political and economic spectrum were brought to the fore by the story-telling boards and expert vocal control.

The links between stories were most entertaining, a rebel schoolgirl dressed in 'uniform' erases off the chalkboard and comically so introduces the next story.

Excellent work. Definitely worth watching if you are at Festival or if it comes to a theatre near you. Anime in motion on stage, extremely emotive and stirring.

The Episcene Butcher and Other Stories for Consenting Adults runs at the Masonic Back on July 5 at 18h00, July 6 at 20h00, July 7 at 20h00 and July 8 at 20h00. Tickets R50/R45 – Shika Budhoo