Printable CopyMOBY DICK
Grist to the Mill Productions
Bakehouse Theatre
Until 11 Mar 2020

Review by Doug Phillips

After an extremely well received season of “Gratiano” in 2019, Ross Ericson returns to the Bakehouse Theatre this Fringe with the classic tale of “Moby Dick”. As writer and solo performer, Ericson delivered a well-crafted show to a sell-out crowd.

Ericson is very loud, though. Too loud in fact for the small, 40-seater auditorium in The Bakehouse’s Studio. In fairness, I think the studio is actually too small for Ericson. His volume isn’t over the top; in fact, it forms an intrinsic part of his delivery style. But I’m confident he could perform the same show in a full-size theatre with no amplification required.

The language and writing style is very much in the style of the period the material is set in. So you’ll need to focus. Any slight distraction leads to the missing of words, causing whole sentences to be hard to understand. Ericson’s commanding nature and stage presence means that distraction or lack of focus is quite unlikely though.

With minimal but effective stage set, and good use of lighting, Ericson requires no great feats of theatre magic to deliver an impressive and captivating performance.

As an Adelaide Fringe regular now, we’re sure to be treated to more of Ericson’s exceptional writing and stirring performances in years to come.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)