Did you know? Ludwig II of Bavaria was known as the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King?
No?
How about that Ludwig II was a massive fan of Wagner and decked out his palaces in homage to Wagner’s operas?
Me neither.
That was until I saw Ludwig – a one-man operetta – presented by Staggeringly Epic and Mobile Arts at the Fringe World Festival in Perth. I’ll freely admit that apart from a cursory glance at the synopsis, I had no idea what to expect. But sometimes that’s the joy of Fringe… the unknown and discovering something new.
I went in with zero expectations, and came out having been completely charmed by Steef de Jong and his show. It was just wonderfully whimsical and creative, with de Jong using reams of cardboard and projected images to so successfully bring to life Ludwig, and the vestiges of his tragic yet curious story.
de Jong is a gifted storyteller, and in his hands Ludwig is certainly not some stuffy biographical piece. Instead it is a humorous and at times irreverent take on an admittedly niche moment in history. There are plenty of facts and interesting details nestled in there, but also ample time to poke fun at regal portraiture, errant hair, and Victorian era photoshopping too.
I was certainly impressed with de Jong’s performance, not only did he present Ludwig’s story in a compelling way, but he also manages to some extent to get you to care and root for a long dead monarch. Oh and did I mention he sings as well? I’m in no way knowledgeable about Opera, but to me de Jong has a beautiful voice – though one which given the size of the venue was occasionally overwhelmed by the music.
Ludwig is a charming and whimsical work, full of creativity and humour. It’s a work that shines a light on a fascinating and overlooked character from history – a monarch, a patron of the arts, and someone more willing to spend money on musical instruments than guns; more interested in commissioning operas and lavish castles than waging war and going about the business of statesmanship. Really other than the slight niggles with the sound, my only real disappointment was that the show wasn’t better attended.
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Ludwig is showing at Perth Fringe World through to Sunday 21st February at The Shambles stage. For more information and tickets click here
The reviewer attended the opening night performance on Friday 12th February.
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