Maria Di Buenos Aires @ Zoo Southside

Our recent article about physical theatre omitted an important way to recognise the genre. If the audience laughs at inappropriate moments and walks out in reasonably large numbers, it is physical theatre. On stage, at least two people need to be wearing white face paint, and someone else ought to look like they have wandered out of a psychiatric ward, or Salvador Dali's nightmares. Teatro Di Capua are such physical theatre.

Since the libretto isn`t in English, the images are poetic and allusive, and the characters wander around in Akhe's marvellously surreal stage architecture, Maria is one for those with either patience or the willingness to be confused. There is a narrative: the spirit of Buenos Aires summons Maria as his beloved, she falls in with a bad lot - tango musicians - dies and is born again. Yet the overall impression is chaotic and disorderly.

Within this, there are a series of iconic tableaux that are beautifully suggestive. There is a performer who seems to embody ancient Russia in his thick beard and dishevelled dress suit with sandals. His job is to waft fragrance into the audience, using a cloth and what appears to be an air conditioning system ripped from the ceiling. In the corner, a tango quartet belt out the score, precise and frenetic. The audience laughing at what appeared to be ineptitude on the part of the performers were ignoring the obvious technical skill of the company.

In the end, Maria cannot really be recommended to the casual Fringe fan. It is emotional, but the emotions are not easily discerned by the Anglophone. Best for those who want to see how “Russian stuff” works on stage: a crazy, chaotic celebration that has something of The Spirit of the Fringe.