There was a time when the Fringe was awash with Berkoff plays. Young actors and directors were drawn to the showy brashness of it all, the larger than life characters, and the muscular anglo-saxon language. Unfortunately most failed to realise you had to be as extraordinary a performer as Berkoff himself to pull it off.
Agito Theatre company, however, have mounted a very creditable production of Berkoffs take on Kafkas Metamorphosis. Director Jack Lowe (who also plays Gregor, the young man who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect) has marshalled the seven strong cast in to a tightly choreographed and physically exciting ensemble. The show is at its strongest when they are all involved, shifting between characters with ease, transforming themselves into furniture or making the eerie sound effects live.
Things sag rather when we are simply dealing with the relationships between members of the family. This is partly because some of the actors deal less well with the language than they do with the movement, but also because Kafkas tale somehow prevents any emotional engagement with the characters. His obsession with the oppression of ordinary folk by sinister chief clerks and the system seems dated, and though the exploration of greed and struggle for survival is universal, it manages to lack immediacy for a modern audience.
However, if youre a fan of Kafka, or Berkoff, you wont be let down by this production by the sort of company the Festival Fringe should be all about.
