One Man Star Wars Trilogy

Last night I went to the ‘Pick of the Fringe’ and saw my former classmate Charles Ross use the Force in his excellent One Man Star Wars Trilogy. In an hour, he runs through the essential (and sometimes non-essential) bits of all three movies, pausing twice for drinks of water. It is a remarkably manic performance. He sweats excessively, and never stops moving for the hour.

He flies the ships, does all the voices, sings the music and fights the battles. His mimicry is remarkably well-observed. From the gentle heaving of the X-Wing fighters to Yoda’s cane work, he gets all of the details right. His rendition of the music is particularly effective, and proves a handy transitional shorthand between scenes. It’s like watching an eight-year-old playing in his backyard. When the death stars blow up, Charles skips around the stage making explosion noises like everyone of us did in 1983.

In short, it’s a show worth seeing. One Man Star Wars Trilogy is held over at the Waterfront Theatre through Sept. 28. For those of you not in Vancouver, look for it at upcoming Fringe Festivals.

As a bonus Star Wars-related link, here’s a wicked fan film: The Way of the Saber.