Harbourfront World Stage – Spaghetti Western Orchestra

Paula Citron

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Spaghetti Western Orchestra
Harbourfront World Stage
Directed and designed by Denis Blais
Starring Boris Conley, Patrick Cronin, David Hewitt, Graeme Leak and Philip McLeod
At Fleck Dance Theatre
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Do very odd artistic ideas come out of Australia because of the country’s isolation? The latest innovation to hit our shores is the Spaghetti Western Orchestra which is exactly as advertised. The ensemble plays music that Italian composer Ennio Morricone wrote for director Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The group was part of Harbourfront’s World Stage and was an absolute delight. These five crazy guys, all dressed as different Old West characters recreate note for note and sound for sound, the film’s music and Foley sound effects. They play a dizzying array of musical instruments – plus packages of cornflakes, both large and small, an asthma inhaler, nail clippers, packaging tape and tuned beer bottles.

Apparently Canadian director and designer Denis Blais saw the group at the Edinburgh Festival and took them under his wing. Under Blais the Spaghetti Western Orchestra has become a very droll sound and light show.