Adelaide Fringe review 2017: Nomad — Sounds of the Planet

EVEN sound technicians get first night jitters. And the sound guy’s apologetic “my bad” after repeatedly mashing the wrong buttons was emblematic of a show big on heart, but lacking polish.

Nomad — Sounds of the Planet

Dance * ½

Gluttony — Empyrean, until March 5

EVEN sound technicians get first night jitters.

And the sound guy’s apologetic “my bad” after his repeated struggles to find the right backing track was emblematic of a show showcasing local performance groups big on heart, but lacking polish.

Sounds of the Planet promises to transport the audience across continents, but onlookers instead find themselves at a particularly multicultural school recital.

The unbridled joy of the Indian drummers as they pounded their 15th century noise makers almost cancelled out the (hopefully temporary) hearing damage.

The two belly dancers’ lack of cohesion undid any vestige of glamour and mystique, while the Flamenco dancers were just serviceable.

A Ukrainian dance troupe was the clear highlight, full of precision and composure among a rotating roster of acts who weren’t.

With different acts on every night there’s every chance the shows could get markedly better, but the rusty rehearsal feel must be banished to get more than friends and family through the door.

Adam Langenberg