Review: Oracle at Regal theatre

Oracle at Regal Theatre
Friday, February 17, 2023

9/10

On Friday night, Oracle opened its Fringe run in exceptional fashion, shaking the cobwebs out of the Regal Theatre rafters with a night of sheer spectacle.

Jam-packed with one of the largest casts at this year’s festival, Oracle arrived with 18 diversely talented artists, who combined forces to deliver an exquisite experience of storytelling and emotional performance.

The show was anchored with the ethereal vocals and stage presence of ‘Oracle,’ traditionally a prophetic figure, whose omnipresent narrations set the tone and context for each myth and legend. Set around the zodiac principles of 12 astrological constellations, stories of Greek, Roman and Egyptian myth and legend were reimagined with dance, aerial performance, contortion, belly dancing, fire, hula hoops, burlesque and acrobatics. Each performer had a moment of individual expression, whether they were portraying Gods, mortals or mythological monsters, working seamlessly with the music, narration and general show theming to execute enthralling accounts of forbidden love, loss, violence and sacrifice.

The show’s clever and punchy writing style came across as well researched and well-thought-out (a fact usually sorely missing from the remounting of historical accounts from antiquities), taking only the occasional minor liberty. Each zodiac sign was linked perfectly with a myth or legend, to the point that audience members in the interval could be easily overheard talking about their resonance with their represented sign, or their excitement to see theirs in the next act.

A strong commendation must go to the costuming department for the sheer spectacle of the costuming, headpieces and props alone, each of the 18 performers routinely entered with new, exciting and exquisite costumes which played strongly on historical and mythological accounts and brought the ambience of the show to life.

Although it is difficult to identify particular moments from such an extraordinary show, several deserve special mention (without spoiling their related zodiac). The watery contortion act was a bone-breaking, hard-to-watch, harder-to-look-away delight, the performer who delivered the fiery Hercules act was highly charismatic and one of the most gripping performers on the stage, the hula hoop performance was a gold-studded triumph of timing and precision, and the aerial rope performance at the end was a jaw-dropping display of strength and grace. In addition, the three dancers who accompanied the performers in their pieces were simply extraordinary and brought an added gravity and emotionality to each act.

While there were a variety of aerial and dance acts, there was no two similar performances, with each aerial artist using a different apparatus (and several incorporating exciting new shapes and devices which were a surprise, even amid an aerial-saturated Fringe season. It did, at times, feel like the aerial portions of the performance were shortened, or occasionally executed somewhat clumsily, however they were mostly incredibly impressive. It was also exciting to see the incorporation of contemporary music hits among more evocative and cinematic soundscapes, all performed in interesting and appropriate cover versions.

Unfortunately, there were a couple of sightline problems for the audience members at the sides of the theatre, which made viewing certain scenes difficult, however, most of the action was in the centre of the stage, or in the air.

Whether audiences come to Oracle for the jaw-dropping performance, for the sensational vocals, for the immersive and captivating storytelling, or to be blinded by the glitz of the costumes, they will leave with an overwhelming sense of spectacle.

BEC WELDON