For any fans of Singaporean horror legends, or those who are curious about what they entail, then the offbeat Fringe performance of ‘Salty‘ is worth a look. ‘Salty’ looks at three such stories related to demonic mythology: the Toyol, the ‘Oily Man’, and the Pontianak, and delivers each one with a buoyant interaction and elements of disturbing thought.
Performer Shannan Lim is at the centre of these tales, presenting each one with a different level of intensity and comical value, and greeting the audience as his pre-Toyol character upon arrival. Fellow writers Jayde Harding and Tye Norman make up the voices and secondary characters for Lim to play against in each legend, creating a mostly lonely atmosphere that places the intense focus on the spooky protagonists at hand.
Being at the preview performance of the show, the common Fringe tradition of tight technical timeframes resulting in mistimed cues and unexpected results arose throughout the evening. It was wonderful to see the performers embrace them to add to the humourous aspects of the show; a show that has an abundance of light and sound cues, and very a high degree of ‘tasty’ special effects.
The beginning and end of the whole performance tie together nicely, and Lim’s ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ style play with the audience during the first tale, and Harding and Lim’s spirited interaction in the Pontianak buildup, are particular highlights, and delightful to watch unfold.
‘Salty’ is a very interesting experience. You’ll come away from with an appreciation of the aspects of traditional horror lore.
– Corey
Corey M. Glamuzina is a Melbourne-based actor, writer, improvisor and comedian with an avid involvement in the art of theatre and film.
‘Salty’ runs from 24 September to 1 October, 9pm (50mins) at The Fringe Hub: Lithuanian Club, Son of Loft.
The venue is not accessible.
For more Melbourne Fringe 2016, check out our guide and all our reviews.
