Boasting one of the most unusual premises on the Fringe, Eau Eau Seven celebrated 50 years of James Bond through synchronised swimming.
Groups including the Brighton Dolphin Synchro Swimmers, Brighton Swimming Club and Brighton Sea Swimmers rose to the challenge with enthusiasm, donning lashings of waterproof make-up and coquettish fishnets to lend a glamorous feel to the distinctly unglamorous Prince Regent pool.
Although the tropically hot setting was more reminiscent of The Man With The Golden Gun, they opened with a witty number inspired by From Russia With Love, a suitably suave 007 shooting a bevy of bathing suit-clad beauties into the water.
The show highlighted that Bond really does have all the best theme tunes, as routines were performed to Paul McCartney’s Live And Let Die and Shirley Bassey’s Diamonds Are Forever. While not quite the Busby Berkeley spectacle one might have hoped for, there were some admirable sequences, not least the formation of a gun, which then “fired” a swimmer out across the pool.
The nature of swimming pool acoustics made it all but impossible to hear the acted story on the stage, which meant the Olympics-themed storyline was largely lost but it didn’t detract from imaginative ideas such as the “lighting” of the Olympic flame, featuring judicious use of yellow and red fabric and some energetic work behind the scenes.
This was a fun and quirky idea that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of Brighton Fringe.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article