CACTUS - the seduction...

A unique physically devised solo show from Jonno Katz

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 22.04.2009 19:46:11 (updated on 22.04.2009) Reading time: 3 minutes

CACTUS
– the seduction

by Jonno Katz
directed by Mark Chavez

Venue
Divadlo Inspirace
Malostranské náměstí 13
Malá Strana, Praha 1

CACTUS is a unique physically devised solo show from actor/comedian/story weaver Jonno Katz. It is a multi-layered, comedic, theatrical, explosion of imagination.

SOLD-OUT in Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Victoria, Vancouver, Albuquerque and Melbourne.


Winner of Toronto Fringe´s “Patron´s Pick” award

Winner of Vancouver Fringe´s “Georgia Straight Pick of the Fringe”


Jonno Katz is trained in the Le Coq style of physically devised theatre. He has made 4 solo shows that he has toured throughout Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand. This will be his first time performing in Europe. He is currently in India working on his 5th solo theatre show, The Accident, that he will tour after the Prague Fringe. He is also a highly successful director of theatre and film.

Katz says, “I prefer to use a mix of scripted dialogue and tangential improvisations in my shows. Structure is important but audiences love seeing performers taking risks up on stage. Therefore I embrace wherever my mind, body or technicians take me and see how far I can venture down a tangent before I pull it all back in. The line between chaos and control is constantly shifting and evolving throughout the show.”

Friday May 22nd 10.30 pm
Saturday May 23rd 10.30 pm
Tuesday May 26th 10.30 pm
Wednesday May 27th 10.30 pm
Thursday May 28th 10.30 pm
Friday May 29th 10.30 pm
Saturday May 30th 10.30 pm

Jonno is particularly excited about performing in Prague as his family is originally from Czech Republic.
They left Europe in the 1930s to escape Nazism.

“This is just about the wackiest, most delightful and unique thing I’ve witnessed in years. Super-talented and spontaneous Jonno Katz, who hails from Down Under, slips seamlessly between a series of characters and their inner psychesThis absurd Mark Chavez-directed show was already packing them in over the weekend.” Ottawa Sun ****

“Perhaps the only show in the Fringe that can be described as both ”Brechtian” and ”pant-wettingly hilarious” Toronto Eye Magazine **** 1/2

“a Mobius-strip storyline held together by a remarkable, always amusing performance. Call it Beckett goes Bonkers; call it definitely worth seeing.” Westender ****

“It deserves more exclamation marks than the paper will allow, so thusly, if you can’t get tickets, it is imperative that you either steal them or sneak in.” Terminal City, Vancouver, 0 pints (highest ranking)

“One of a handful of Comedy Festival shows that truly strives to enlarge the vernacular of comedy, Cactus takes its audience on a tour of a psyche that is, in turn, Lenten and lush. Splitting into cartoonish facets of a single identity, our wilfully absurd protagonist strives to make it through the desert of the self. A carnival of boundless imagining and endlessly mutating self, Cactus is something like the kicking love child of the Wachowski Brothers and Andy Kaufmanyou’ll be mesmerised by Katz’s brave offerings.”
The Age, Melbourne

FEATURED EMPLOYERS

“Many performers attempt to create comedy that´s whimsical and bizarre. It´s a difficult trick to pull off, and a few succeed. Enter Australia´s Jonno Katz, who absolutely nails this theatrical form…Take my word for it, CACTUS is a must-see. Jonno Katz is brilliant.” Times Colonist ****1/2

“Katz may one day be hailed as a twisted comic genius.” The Program, Melbourne



***


Fringe Festival Praha 2009
Friday 22nd May – Saturday 30th May 2009

Doing the fringe means being adventurous and taking a chance. The
world over, fringe festivals tempt with an array of shows from around
the globe; music, comedy, dance, spoken word, theatre are all there to
discover. The intrepid fringe explorer will come across the exotic, the
strange and the bizarre, be entertained, moved and amused, taking in
not just one but several shows a day in their big fringe adventure.
Fringe Festival Praha offers almost 40 shows and 200 performances in 7
fantastic venues across beautiful Malá Strana over 9 very special
nights in May we hope you are up for the challenge, pack your bags and
hop on board.

Steven Gove, Carole Wears, Angus Coull, Giles Burton

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