Review – Radio Variety Hour
The 1950s were a golden age in entertainment, or so anyone who is actually old enough to remember the decade might claim. But nostalgia is easy to relate to, and capturing this longing for the past is Radio Variety Hour – an affectionate throw-back to the era before 3D screens and renovation programs, where radio programs provided more than the same 20 songs over and over. Lauren Bok, Bert Goldsmith and Sam Marzden simply dazzle as Una Broben, Bert Maverick and Herb Dunstone respectively, three radio actors and singers at the end of the era, facing the changing times in the rise of television.
I would argue that even modern television can’t compete with the charm and improvised humour of this live show. From the original stories, amusing product placement and musical numbers, this show manages to whisk you away to a simpler time, while being humorously self-aware of the present. Each actor displays an impressive range of character voices, and just as well considering how many different roles they each play between the stories. Props have to be given to the impressive use of foley for the various sound effects; it’s surprising how much cabbage can sound like a dead body.
A truly unique experience at the Fringe, the Radio Variety Hour will be sure to entertain both young and old.
