Benito Di Fonzo /
Suburban Bukowskis
The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman, AKA Bob Dylan (A Lie):
A Theatrical Talking Blues & Glissendorf.
Written by award-winning poet and playwright Benito Di Fonzo, The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman AKA BOB DYLAN (A LIE) brings to life the story of one of the 20th Century's most important cultural icons: Bob Dylan.
Originally produced by the Tamarama Rock Surfers, the show played to unanimous critical acclaim at the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival before a sellout season at Sydney's Old Fitzroy Theatre and featuring as part of the Seymour Centre's Best of Independent Theatre Season in October 2010. Now produced by Critical Stages, Australia's dedicated producers for touring the most outstanding independent theatre from across Australia, the production will now be tailored to suit the national touring circuit.
The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman AKA BOB DYLAN (A LIE) is a musical, theatrical, poetic and fast-paced journey through Dylan's wild life. It is not a tribute show, but a wild and fanciful ride through the eyes of a fascinating artist. Dylan is a self-made enigma, creating his own myths and legends and through the show he introduces the audience to the many characters that formed his amazing story, from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to TS Eliot, Abraham Lincoln to Joan Baez, Johnny Cash to Marilyn Monroe and even Jesus Christ himself.
With outstanding musical accompaniment and live songs that will have audiences tapping their toes The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman AKA BOB DYLAN (A LIE) is a playful, clever and extremely entertaining experience of an extraordinary version of an amazing life.
"Writer, Benito Di Fonzo is my new instant, personal superhero... Zimmerman is vying with, say, August: Osage County and Namatjira as my pick of the year. Don't think twice. It's alright. Better than alright." Lloyd Bradford Syke, Australian Stage.
"So well written... a marvelously engaging theatrical experience. FOUR AND A HALF STARS." - theatreguide.com.au
"Clever, witty, sharp and surreal, I was already planning on coming back to watch it again within the first twenty minutes of the show... 9.5/10" - rhum.org.au
"...this 75-minute tribute takes its audience on a twisted walk through the many phases of Dylan’s life in song and jive-talk. Fact, fiction and apocrypha are cleverly and confusingly blended. You don’t need to be a fan, but the more you know about Dylan’s career, the more you’ll appreciate Di Fonzo’s artistry." Jason Blake, Sydney Morning Herald.
"The Chronic Ills comes at things from a different angle, suggesting that even in the face of this essential unknowability we might still be able to glissendorf some idea of ourselves into being. Where I’m Not There is about self-effacement—or at least attempts to navigate the terrain of the self-effaced—The Chronic Ills is about storytelling as an act of self-creation."
Matthew Clayfield, RealTime.