Dreamgun: Film Reads are back at the Fringe and ready to ruin your childhood! At a time when podcasts are very on trend and live recordings are foisted upon an unsuspecting public with remarkable frequency, Dreamgun stand out from the crowd. Each night they perform an original version of a classic movie script in front of an audience, somehow managing to be both entertaining enough for a live show and descriptive enough for a podcast series.
Kept us in stitches and potentially destroyed a host of childhood memories.
Tonight it's Toy Story, and the gang’s all here. Woody is using gerrymandering tactics to maintain his sheriff position, the green army men have a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and Andy’s mum has been driven to benign insanity. It’s a toy’s world, but it wouldn’t be anything without a good narrator. Ronan Carey is the smooth-talking voice in your head, the one that asks why some toys are animate and others aren’t; wonders how the Etch-A-Sketch knows what a gun looks like; and speculates that Andy’s dad might not be in the picture for unsavoury reasons. His scripted insights and witty interjections are what make the performance so unique.
With a combination of '90s references and 2010 retrospective judgements, the cleverly crafted rewrite is brought to life by the group of actors and comedians on stage. Toy Story is such an iconic film, with many memorable and beloved characters, that there is even more pressure on the writers and cast to prove themselves worthy. With only Woody and Buzz remaining in their individual roles, chaos and hilarity ensue between the talented performers on stage. Switching from dinosaur to Bo Peep or Andy’s mum to Sid, there are often little hiccups—people getting confused, or not being in front of the mic at the right time—that make the experience all the more enjoyable. There’s nothing an audience loves more than a star breaking character.
A special mention goes to Hannah Mamalis whose voice-acting was delightful (particularly the little green aliens – “The claw!”), and Erin McGathy’s unique portrayal of Sid as a troubled kid who isn’t hurting anyone (as far as he knows). The award of the night however goes to the Dreamgun original script which kept us in stitches and potentially destroyed a host of childhood memories. Maybe Woody is a conservative racist. Maybe the toy box is basically an overcrowded prison. Maybe you should go see this show before the Fringe is over and you’re forced watch these movies with their stupid originally intended scripts!
