Tom Thumb, or The Tragedy of Tragedies
(The
reviews below were posted to FringeFestival.org
in 2007)
Average audience review: 
"Wow!" by Caroline Toll:
Brilliant! Ridiculous, lascivious, incredibly funny. I
hadn't seen this actor before, but I don't plan on missing any future works.
"DRUM ROLL PLEASE!" by Nick n Rosie Heille:
Welcome to the FIVE STAR world of Tom Thumb. Where fiction is truth, facts
imagined. A solo thespian high wire act done without a net. A
show of energy, humor, and mayhem. It starts with a drum roll and moves
to the introduction of King Arthur, his inebriated Queen, Mr
Potato aka Tom Thumb along with other members of the Kings court. It is a play
of courtly trickery, sword fights that leave the stage strewn with the wounded
and dead bodies. Fact and fiction spin like a top. A MUST SEE!
"He's my little potato!" by Patrick Pfundstein:
Along with "Element of Chance" this was right at the top of my
"must-see" list; Gilgamesh is one of the five best shows I've ever
experienced at the Fringe, and the two Chopping Block shows I've seen were
outstanding. Combined, the two forces couldn't seem to miss and in fact they
don't. The show is brilliantly staged and directed with multiple sword fights,
cannon fire, and choreographed dance in a style that is pure Chopping Block.
Meanwhile, Charlie Bethel pours heart and soul vividly into several characters;
often at the same time (remember, multiple sword fights, one actor). Along with
the tragedy, betrayal, humor, and gusto of this old tale
brought newly to life comes a message delivered with some subtlety (you might
even miss it in the mooing of a cow). This is a true theatrical tour de
force!!!
"I love Charlie Bethel" by Dave Larson:
He does the whole cast with superb characterizations, including the title role
as a ... (you'll have to see it!) He's a wonderful actor, and the script is not
half bad either (a classic). Highly recommended.
"Storytelling at its best" by Mike Lewis:
You know, Charlie Bethel could probably only give me directions to the theater,
and I would hang on his every word - he's that good. I've seen his past shows,
but this one is different; he's not just a storyteller, but an actor acting out
several parts non-stop and incorporating props and lighting, and it is
extraordinary. I don't know what else to say. Superb
entertainment and education for Fringe prices? This one is definitely
worth the $12 and an hour of your time!
"A swordfight with self" by Kay Kirscht:
I truly enjoyed this show; it fits in beautifully with 19th century 12th Night
romps and pantomimes (where anybody and everybody shows up from folk and fairy
tales and has a blast). Kinda like the bizarre, truncated and battle-filled
scripts produced for toy theaters in
"Terrific!" by Tim Voss:
Charlie has outdone himself. This is an outstanding performance. I'd give him
six stars if I could. Do not miss!
"
There is nothing I like better than to see a performer sweat. Not because he's
nervous, but because he is so committed, so energetic, and working so damn
hard. Charlie was soaked by the end of this forty-five minute, character
swapping relay race. His energy, vocal dynamics and outstanding physicality
brought such life and humor to this story. Bravo!
"Wow" by Ruth A.W.:
Great job portraying so many different characters and bringing life to the
text! My only suggestion would be to slow down at some points - all words were
audible and enunciated, but sometimes the actor rattled the lines off so quickly
I could not appreciate what he was saying. Instead I felt I was struggling to
catch up. This is not one of those "60 plays in 60 minutes" or some
such, where the point is to wow the audience with the speed by which you can
run through the lines.
"Pint Sized Beowulf" by Matt Sciple:
If you've seen any of Charlie's shows, I don't have to tell you how amazing he
is. If you haven't, you owe it to yourself to see. He tells this story with the
same mixture of gravity, wit and epic silliness that marked his takes on
Gilgamesh and Beowulf, except this time, his hero is 4 inches tall. And played
by...well, you just have to see it.
"Size does matter..." by Paula Nancarrow:
Is there any stage big enough to share with Charlie Bethel? I think not. He is
large; he contains multitudes. I have not seen such rapt narrative physicality -
such perfect absorption in characters and plot - since watching my children at
play. Charlie has somehow managed to grow up and still do this - and even
better, to bring you along, into the world of farce - lewd, bombastic, and full
of the life-affirming energy that comes from mocking hypocrisy and pretense.
Even product placement in such a world is a signal that the actor has no desire
to manipulate his audience, but would rather invite them to share in the joke.
Because in the end, whether you're run through by a sword or swallowed by a red
cow, dead, my dears, is dead.
"BRAVO" by Susan HEIL:
Charlie, you've done it again. An entertaining hour that keeps the audience
enthralled.
"BEST Show of the Fringe -Encore!" by Andy McQuade:
I've seen some stunning shows at this year's fringe -Bouffant Glass Menajoree,
Spotless, Brief History of Petty Crime -amongst others, but out of all of them,
this is the show to spend your last few dollars on and never forget it. It's
hard to know where to start when something is this perfect, because it is
fully-formed, shines almost so brightly that it dazzles and has an aftertaste
that defies reference points. Charlie Bethel has more talent and likeability
combined than any perfomer I've EVER seen, which makes the whole job of
relating to the text in hand so much easier. If I had a single reservation it
would be that the tale of Tom Thumb is not one I'd have chosen to watch myself;
the only reason I went was because I was grabbed by the collar by a deranged
director who commanded, "Go see Charlie Bethel -your future depends on
it!" But herein lies the gift that the rarest of artists possess -to make
an apparently slight tale into something so magical, so vast and timeless that
you'll never forget it. His physical work left me gasping for breath and in
awe. I've worked and sweated in this area myself and watching a master at work
made me realize just how far I had to go -and it excited and inspired. Oh, ok,
I was jealous as **** as well. Under the forensic, yet open-to-improvisation
direction by Anthony Paul,
"Charlie Bethel is a rock star!" by Richard Jackson:
There's little more that needs be said. He's a master of voices, physicality
and storytelling. I loved it!
"fast & funny" by Dan Pinkerton:
This one-man parody/farce is frenetic, imaginative, and silly beyond words.
Charlie Bethel grabs the title of Hardest Working Man in Fringe Biz in his
teeth and dares you to take it from him and his small army of characters. Go!
""alas, tom thumb is heavier than my
virtue!"" by Robyn Hendrix:
this was fabulous. He actually swordfights with himself! and portrays the many
characters so well. I wish I had that much energy. great show in a great venue
(that has a lot of seating so we didn't have to wory about not getting in with
rush tickets).
"Great Show" by MICHAEL HEISE:
Great Show
"A complete performance." by Neil Fennell:
Charlie presents a fast-paced, tightly directed, thoroughly realized piece of
smashing theatre in Tom Thumb. I have a great respect for a player/writer who
refuses to dumb down his text for anyone, yet holds the audience completely
captivated. Charlie performs the entire show in often-rhyming verse which would
turn to mush in most actors' mouths. Layer on top of this his exquisite devotion
to each particular character (I think I counted ten) and you have a challenge
to frighten off most performers... yet
"I was dazzled" by
This was a fast-paced show full of mayhem and eight million different
characters. It was at times bawdy, which I was not expecting (I expected a
kid-friendly show - this was not). Having so many characters was a drawback,
but then again, where else will you see a grown man make out with a potato?
"
Charlie Bethel is amazing -- again, he takes a complex and archaic script and
infuses it with drama and wit. The staging is clever and the performance
inspired.
"A Silly Tragedy" by Dave Romm:
Few people could pull this off as well as Charlie Bethel, who plays all the
parts in this play of marriage and betrayal. Size matters. The parts that were
good were very good, but swaths were uneven. A Shockwave Radio Theater review.
"Interesting" by Kristi Lawless:
While I recognize that this show was well done, it wasn't really my cup of
cola. On the plus side the actor had a lot of energy. This show also wins the
prize so far for the most interesting and informative programme. On the
negative side, it was sometimes hard to follow along because of the language
style and speed.
"Comes up short......" by re gurgitate:
I had heard so much about the abilities of Charlie and finally was able to make
it to one of his shows. While I'll give him credit for spilling out an insane
amount of dialog in 50 minutes, that's also the biggest negative. So much
information, that you really don't have time to enjoy the story or find much of
a difference in characters.