1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 8, 2023 21:59:41 GMT
Didn't really know what to expect from this at all but, wow, this was pretty darn incredible at Hope Mill this evening!
First up, the auditorium at the Hope Mill is now air conditioned! Much needed on a sweltering day like today.
The set for this isn't going to win any awards, despite the eye-catching spectacle of an axe spinning on an illuminated gramophone as the audience take their seats. The lighting is gorgeous though. The premise of the show is quite fascinating, based on the true story of Lizzie Borden who was accused of the murder of her father and stepmother.
The punk rock score is terrific but it's the cast of four who really make this show soar. I don't think the Hope Mill could have assembled a better quartet! The talent and vocals on that (somewhat creaky!) stage is pretty darn special and the chemistry between them electric.
Mairi Barclay gives the standout performance for me as Bridget, the maid. Mairi's stage presence is off the scale and she has great comic timing to go with the killer vocals! She also gets to lead the show's most anthemic number, The House of Borden.
The thrilling choreography is a treat to behold, especially close up in an intimate setting like the Hope Mill.
Sung through apart from a few brief snatches of dialogue, the show runs at one hour 40 minutes including an interval. It would be better straight through, I think. But there's little doubt that Hope Mill (and soon Southwark Playhouse) have a potential cult hit on their hands here. Colour me obsessed.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 6, 2023 17:05:32 GMT
This 'wild' fortnight of theatre news has hardly got off to an exciting start! Presumably several big announcements are coming in the next ten days or so.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 4, 2023 17:14:40 GMT
Made it through a week of not spending too much on theatre after two and a half weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Then the reviews for this came rolling in...
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 30, 2023 18:05:16 GMT
Just like Bonnie and Clyde, this has been moved from the Opera House in Manchester to the Palace Theatre due to "scheduling conflicts".
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 28, 2023 15:17:40 GMT
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 28, 2023 10:22:33 GMT
Back home from Edinburgh after a busy last two days at the Fringe.
Day 19
Beats on Pointe at Assembly George Square.
Silly Little Things at Just the Tonic at the Caves.
Glass Ceiling Beneath the Stars at Pleasance Dome.
We'll Have Nun of It at Underbelly Cowgate (return visit).
Without at Underbelly Cowgate.
Paved with Gold and Ashes at Greenside Infirmary Street.
Winging It at theSpace on the Mile.
A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action Please at Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters.
Day 20
Polko at Summerhall.
Chance at Paradise in the Vault.
Party Ghost at Assembly Checkpoint.
Frankie Thompson and Liv Ello: Body Show at Pleasance Courtyard.
The Cambridge Footlights: The Search Continues at Pleasance Dome.
Highlights include the retelling of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York in 1911 through spoken word and acapella singing in Paved With Gold and Ashes.
It was great to catch the dance spectacular that is Beats on Pointe again after first seeing it last year. It's an exhilarating hour of almost non-stop dancing from a talented ensemble.
There were shades of Once in Without, a new musical about two strangers finding a connection through music. The score is really strong in this, as we meet the two central characters at different stages of their lives who find solace in helping each other.
Silly Little Things is a charming solo show about life's ups and downs and the power of friendship. Laura Knaggs holds the audience in the palm of her hands for an hour sharing a joyful and relatable story full of laughter and heartwarming moments. She struggled to get to her "thanks for coming and spread the word" speech at the end because the audience wouldn't stop cheering and applauding her, so she ended up taking another bow!
Glass Ceiling Beneath the Stars is a play that uses multimedia in a similar vein to Shoot the Cameraman with the live action on stage being filmed by camera operators and shown on a screen above the stage. Some of the close-ups here were particularly clever in their execution. It's an interesting story too, based on the first African American female astronaut going into space, as well as the first woman to go into space with her husband, and how the media responded to, and interrogated, these two pioneers.
And that was it for Edinburgh Fringe 2023. There's a few other shows in this year's lineup I've either seen before or am seeing elsewhere.
These include:
Julia Masli: Choosh (seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 and at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool in July 2023).
Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder (seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 and seeing the new version at HOME in Manchester in October 2023).
Police Cops: The Musical (seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022).
Almost Adult (seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022).
Tony! The Tony Blair Rock Opera (seeing this at The Lowry in October 2023).
Murder, She Didn't Write (seen at Edinburgh Fringe 2022, previous festivals and on tour).
It's been a great festival. It will be interesting to see the ticket sales announced by the Fringe Society this afternoon. This year has felt like a full resurgence for the Fringe after a strong comeback given the circumstances of 2022. The second half of the festival last year felt noticeably quieter than usual, whereas Edinburgh has felt busy throughout this time around, both on the crowded streets and in the packed venues.
The existential threats to the festival are still there, none more so than the availability of affordable accommodation. The Keep it Fringe fund was a step in the right direction this year but it's a drop in the ocean when so many more companies and artists require financial support to bring their work to Edinburgh.
With the short term lets legislation being introduced in Edinburgh this autumn, along with the ongoing cost of living crisis, those challenges aren't going away. There are also additional hurdles facing some of the leading venues ahead of the Fringe 2024. Assembly is £1.5m out of pocket from the collapse of the Coventry City of Culture Trust. Gilded Balloon's Teviot House hub will be unavailable next summer due to an 18-month refurbishment of the building starting later this year. Meanwhile, Greenside are losing their Infirmary Street site to the Fringe Society. If today's ticket sales show the remarkable resilience of the festival, that certainly shouldn't be cause for complacency.
One of the things I love about the Fringe is that, despite the vast size of the festival, word of mouth is still a real, tangible thing rather than a nebulous concept. People going to see Isabel Klein's Showstopper from a recommendation in this thread is proof of that! I'm chuffed other forum members have been to see her and enjoyed it! Seeing Julia Masli scoop a best show award, and The Rejects, a debut play by an Edinburgh Napier University graduate, win a best comedy award, on the back of a sellout run and a string of rave reviews, is a reminder of the springboard the Fringe can provide. And, of course, it's exciting to see what's next for festival hits like Public the Musical, Lena, and The Grand Old Opera House Hotel.
As an audience member, seeing so many shows across three and a half weeks is such a thrill. It's undoubtedly the time of year I look forward to the most. The many hours (make that days!) of planning are so worth it. As much as I'm ready for a break from the chaos of it all, as I took a last look round Bristo Square yesterday, I felt quite emotional that it's all coming to an end for another year too. There's nowhere with the same atmosphere, vibrancy and explosion of creativity as Edinburgh in August. I can't wait to 'fill my boots' again next summer.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 25, 2023 22:38:55 GMT
Day 17.
Cooked at Bedlam Theatre.
Dugsi Dayz at Underbelly Cowgate.
It's a Motherf**king Pleasure at Underbelly Bristo Square.
One's a Musical Comedian and One Isn't at Just the Tonic at Grassmarket Centre.
Troll at Underbelly Cowgate.
Lies All The Way Down at theSpace at Niddry Street.
How to Rob a Millionaire (in Five Easy Steps) at Greenside Infirmary Street.
Day 18.
After the Act at Traverse Theatre.
Lena at Assembly George Square.
Shoot the Cameraman at Assembly Roxy.
Palindrome at theSpace at Niddry Street.
Lost and Found at Just the Tonic at the Caves.
Puppets at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose.
Oscar at The Crown at Assembly George Square.
I really enjoyed the chamber musical Lies All The Way Down, a two-hander plus four-piece band, with its exploration of friendship and lies.
The Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society's new offering, Palindrome, has a gorgeous score and top notch performances.
Shoot the Cameraman fuses media and live performance with its sinister exploration of an abusive relationship. The two performers on stage are followed throughout by two camera operators. The impact of the live filming, so every moment can be seen from multiple angles, is quite fascinating. The camera operators are an integral part of the performance and contribute to an epic piece of physical theatre that's breathtaking to watch. The sound design is equally spectacular. As one review on the Fringe website puts it, "I don't know what on earth we just saw, but it was incredible!"
A late contender for my standout show of the festival is Lena, a play with music by Tim Whitnall. The play commemorates child star Lena Zavaroni who appeared on Opportunity Knocks and won the show for a record five weeks. Charting how Lena was whisked away from her family aged 10 to appear on the show, we see her become a singing sensation, only for the pressures of fame to have tragic consequences.
Leading a cast which includes Jon Culshaw as host Hughie Green, Erin Armstrong is sensational as Lena. From the young enthusiastic child to the broken adult, Erin captures the pressures of a world that Lena just wasn't ready to face on her own quite exquisitely. If there's an award for best performance at the Fringe, Erin would be a deserving recipient.
Making this particular performance of Lena especially poignant, the visibly emotional cast announced at the end that Lena's father was in the audience this afternoon.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 24, 2023 8:38:43 GMT
The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose at Pleasance Courtyard. Oooh, what did you think? I'm a big fan of Voloz Collective. I saw this in one of the first previews in London a couple of months ago and really liked it. At the time they were quite open about still working on and I suspect it will have ended up a bit tighter by now, slightly under an hour running? I enjoyed it. It's highly stylised in a similar vein as The Man Who Knew Too Much but with a darker subject matter. I thought it was wonderfully inventive but maybe so frenetic that it lacked a bit of the emotional impact they were going for. I'm not sure how they do those two shows almost back to back every day, they must be exhausted by this point of the festival! With the fringe is it still all about being "discovered" or is it more a launch pad for a comedy performer to unveil a few show to take on tour in the following autumn/winter/spring and then the cycle starts again. We get the established performers/veterans taking a show up there too maybe they have been doing so for years or want to do it as a one off or return after many years. What are the show prices like? I'd assume that apart from major ones they wouldn't be much over a tenner if you want to see a lot of shows. It must be tiring for all concerned but a great thing to do and why not spend the same amount seeing a lot of shows and discovering some hidden gems than spending it all on a major show/concert. I think it's both, there's established comics like Marcus Brigstocke who's been coming to the Fringe since 1996 and continues to do so. But they are outnumbered by the emerging artists. Average show price across the major venues is probably £10-£15 this year, but there's plenty of cheaper shows, as well as those which offer pay what you can pricing or the option to buy in advance or get in for free (subject to availability). There's hundreds of free non-ticketed shows that are part of the Fringe too. The free shows have a collection at the end. There's also two-for-one ticket offers on certain days, more widely if you sign up as a friend of the Fringe, and the half price hut from the first Wednesday of the festival which has a capped number of half-price tickets for lots of shows. Edfest.com also run various offers, both before and during the festival, and performers will also sometimes advertise free tickets for paid shows if advance sales are low. The main challenge, for artists and audiences alike, is the cost of accommodation. The show prices are creeping up but generally still pretty reasonable. Some of the big circus shows are the most expensive, I think, at around £21 a ticket this year.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 24, 2023 8:23:33 GMT
Day 16.
The Grand Old Opera House Hotel at Traverse Theatre.
In Everglade Studio at Assembly George Square.
Salty Irina at Summerhall.
Help Yourself at Summerhall.
Strategic Love Play at Summerhall.
Quitting Comedy at PBH's Free Fringe at Legends.
1 Tent, 4 Girls at Greenside Infirmary Street.
The St Andrews Revue: Here Come The Worms at Just the Tonic at the Caves.
Three brilliant plays back to back at Summerhall were among the highlights of yesterday. Salty Irina is a romantic thriller about two girls falling in love and fighting fascists. Strategic Love Play follows the cat-and-mouse play of an awkward first date. In between those two productions in the Roundabout tent, I saw Help Yourself, a spoof wellness seminar with a five-step plan to eliminate sadness from your life. This was a reflection on grief, disguised in comic form, and the sort of unique show that you can only experience at the Fringe. Well worth a watch if you're looking for something completely different!
I also really enjoyed Malia Simon and Caroline Haynes' comedy play within a play, which places their standup routines, both as themselves and in character, in a narrative about why they're (not really) quitting comedy. Malia Simon in particular is absolutely hilarious.
Special mention from yesterday has to go to The Grand Opera House Hotel. This is 90 minutes of inspired writing from Isabel McCarthur that morphs a comedy into a full-on opera with triumphant results. The faceless modern hotel of the title, of the type where every room is identical, is built on the grounds of an old opera house which was destroyed by fire. Nowadays, the hotel is a health and safety nightmare, with fusing electrics and doors that jam shut. The play begins with a new member of staff, Aaron, arriving for training ahead of his first day. While trying to locate the training room, he hears the haunting voice of what he presumes to be a ghost, perhaps an opera singer who perished in the flames all those years ago? In fact, it’s another staff member, opera loving Amy, singing along to her Walkman, and Aaron sets out to track her down.
As the two would-be lovers pursue each other from floor to anonymous floor, the play steadily evolves into a thrilling, unique fusion of art forms. The closer Ali Watt’s Aaron and Karen Fishwick’s Amy get to meeting, the more the bedroom farce becomes an opera and the arias come sweeping in. Wild, romantic gestures take the place of overworked staff dealing with awkward, oversexed guests. The first hour is full of humour and laughter, but when the production fully gives in to what it wants to become, it soars even higher. The end result is a thrilling combination of farce and opera that, like Pride and Prejudice (Sort Of) with Austen, somehow manages to both send up and celebrate the conventions of opera.
The cast are outstanding, from the central pairing to the ensemble multiroling as a variety of hotel staff, guests and the ghosts of former opera singers. The set is ingenious with some great visual gags and the many doors every good farce requires. Surely this play will have a life beyond the festival? Certainly, it proves that Isabel McArthur's successful debut was no fluke. The Grand Old Opera House Hotel sees one of our most exciting writers hit new heights. From its array of eccentric characters and the love story at its heart, to the hilariously re-worded sections of celebrated opera melodies, The Grand Old Opera House Hotel is a complete joy and a masterpiece of slapstick and operatic invention.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 22, 2023 22:26:35 GMT
Day 14.
Lara Ricote: Work in Progress at Monkey Barrel.
The Great Ruckus at Pleasance Courtyard.
Edmonds at Pleasance Courtyard.
Graveyard of the Outcast Dead at theSpace on the Mile.
Black Martini at theSpace on the Mile.
Talkies: Improvised Classic Hollywood Comedy at Just the Tonic at the Caves.
What If They Ate The Baby? at theSpace on the Mile.
Day 15.
Hooked: Mr Sister at Just the Tonic at the Caves.
The Bristol Suspensions: Susps - The Acapella Friends Show at theSpace at Niddry Street.
The Knot at theSpace at Niddry Street.
Junk Monkey at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose.
Public the Musical at Pleasance Courtyard.
Frank Skinner: 30 Years of Dirt at Assembly George Square.
Public the Musical is a strong contender, along with We'll Have Nun of It and Potty the Plant, for my favourite musical at this year's festival. Four strangers become trapped in a gender-neutral public toilet and we follow them in real-time through the following hour as they wait to be let out. With meticulously crafted characters, an intelligent appraisal of gender identity issues, and a banging score filled with guitar-led hooks, there's lots to enjoy here. Public feels fresh and exciting and tailor made for a transfer to somewhere like Southwark Playhouse. The cast of four features Annabel Marlow from the original student cast of Six. I saw Annabel's solo musical cabaret show a couple of weeks ago an in some respects this is also the Annabel Marlow show, as she milks every line to brilliant comic effect.
Talkies is a new improv show harking back to the golden age of Hollywood. While Talkies might be making its Fringe debut, there's familiar faces in a cast that's something of a supergroup of improvised comedy. Members of the troupe have previously appeared in the likes of Murder She Didn't Write, Paul Merton's Impro Chums, and Racing Minds. This is by far the best improvised show I've seen at the festival this year. By a mile. Sheer class and packed with laughs and a cohesive narrative from start to finish.
Olivia McLeod's Fringe debut, Pash, was one of my favourite solo shows in 2022. She returns this year with a new play, Junk Monkey, which is a masterpiece of solo theatre. After a chance encounter on a train, with a girl who might just be the love of her life, Olivia sets about finding out who the stranger is and conspires to bring their worlds together. Interspersed with brief memories of crushes and sexual encounters growing up, this is a show about missed connections, crushing obsession, and the power of a single day. Olivia is an energetic, quite mesmerising performer, with a whirlwind script that's immensely funny and a character who's dizzyingly un-self aware. The story recaps the 12 hours after the initial encounter on the train, drawing the audience into Olivia's world and portraying just how easily we can construct a fantasy around a total stranger. The breaking of the fourth wall in the play's closing moments provides a nicely judged, tongue-in-cheek final twist. Building on the success of Pash, Junk Monkey demonstrates that as a writer and a performer, Olivia is a star in the making.
Time to sleep now before checking into The Grand Old Opera House Hotel in the morning.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 21, 2023 8:10:32 GMT
Day 13.
Chasing Butterflies at Pleasance Dome.
Tink at Underbelly Bristo Square.
The Half Moon at Pleasance Dome.
2020 the Musical at Underbelly Bristo Square.
Potty the Plant at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose.
A Good Panto Die Hard at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose.
Gunter at Summerhall.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Potty the Plant but I loved the zany humour of the show. Described in one review as "an unholy fusion of Sesame Street and a B-movie horror film", Potty is a talking plant on Dr Acula's desk in a hospital setting where blood-sucked kids seem to be disappearing. That premise sets the tone for an hour filled with zany characters, upbeat and catchy songs, and plenty of laugh out loud comedy! There's some great one liners but I also enjoyed some of the humour in the set that's never referenced by the characters, with signage around the hospital including "More than 50% of our staff are properly qualified" and "Are you worried you're turning into a gorilla?" Sarah Oakland as Miss Lacey gets some of the best lines and has a beautiful singing voice. The mock earnestness of Miss Lacey contrasts well with the over-the-top characters, not to mention the singing pot plant, all around her. I'm still humming one of her solo numbers, Unhappy, as well as the earworm title song, the following morning! Subversive, crazy, full of knowing humour, Potty the Plant is a wickedly funny slice of Fringe fayre.
A Good Panto Die Hard is also a blast. This reworking of the film sees Die Hard get The 39 Steps treatment, with a cast of four where one plays John McClane and the other three multirole to hilarious effect. Throw in some songs from the era, like Something Happened on the Way to Heaven and several Duran Duran numbers, then add many of the essential ingredients of a panto (minus a dame) and some inspired sight gags and you have an idea of what to expect! The concept is executed quite brilliantly by a cast of all the talents. Meanwhile, the audience gets into the spirit of things from the off with shouts of "He's behind you" and "oh no it isn't". Frankly, this is a show that is so much better than it has any right to be. Die Hard is crunched into a 75-minute format that can be enjoyed by fans and those unfamiliar with the movie alike, but it also seamlessly weaves in panto tropes and delivers some brilliant musical numbers. The singalong finale of Fairytale of New York is somehow quite moving. This is a work of genius that belongs on the Fringe, while also settling the age old debate of whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie!
I ended the day with Gunter at Summerhall, where Dirty Hare are retelling a true story of deception, magic and torture from 1605. Two boys have been murdered and their mum wants justice. This precipitates a feud between two families and when the murderer's daughter falls ill, there’s only one thing that could evidently have happened - she must have been bewitched. This was one of the most powerful pieces of drama I've ever seen, heightened by its musical storytelling style and in-your-face exposition. A chaotic reimagining of the most notorious bewitchment case you've never heard of in a vibrant fusion of drama, physical theatre, music, and history. The immersive setting of the anatomy lecture theatre at Summerhall only heightens the atmosphere and tension. This is an hour like no other at the festival. A triumph for all involved.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 20, 2023 8:25:37 GMT
Back in Edinburgh and boy is it busy! So many sold out shows yesterday and street and venues teeming with people!
Day 11.
Skies in the Cloud at theSpace on the Mile.
It's a Woman's World at theSpace Triplex.
Grubby Little Mitts: Hello, Hi at Assembly George Square.
Vino Veritas at theSpace on the Mile.
Pandemonium at theSpace on the Mile.
Cabaret Impedimenta at Assembly George Square.
Day 12.
Losing the Plot at theSpace at Niddry Street.
Here You Come Again at theSpace at Surgeons Hall.
The Dead Ducks at theSpace at Surgeons Hall.
The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose at Pleasance Courtyard.
A Chorus Line at Paradise in Augustines.
Laser Kiwi: Rise of the Olive at Assembly Checkpoint.
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical at Pleasance Courtyard.
Ivo Graham: Organised Fun at Pleasance Courtyard.
Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group (EUSOG) smash it out of the park every year and their festival production of A Chorus Line is no exception. The talent in this troupe of triple threats belies the show's status as a student production. You could put the company of A Chorus Line on a West End stage and they wouldn't look out of place. Some of the standout performers look like future stars in the making, none more so than Minnie Cross as Kristine. The music is all performed live by a sizable orchestra. It was a pretty incredible experience sat on the front row sometimes mere inches from this insanely talented cast singing and dancing their socks off. The full standing ovation received was richly deserved. Truly outstanding, EUSOG's work once again sets the standard for other student productions to follow.
Another very entertaining student production comes in the form of Losing the Plot by Fruit Bowl Theatre from The University of Manchester. A group of friends try to help a struggling writer pen a new musical, set to a soundtrack of classic 80s songs, with the occasional 70s hit for good measure. This provides a high-energy start to the day, with distinctive characters well mined for comedy by the enthusiastic cast. The dance routines accompanying many of the songs, as well as plenty of amusing references to other musicals, added to the feel-good fun. This was a show and a set of characters I could have happily watched for longer than the hour-long run time.
Other highlights from the past couple of days include Laser Kiwi's eccentric, wonderfully bizarre circus cabaret, themed around the humble olive! It was also great to catch Grubby Little Mitts' follow-up to their award-winning debut sketch show last year. Featuring two alumni of The Cambridge Footlights, Rosie Nicholls and Sullivan Beau Brown, the opening and closing sketches of their new show riff off Singing In The Rain to spectacular comic effect. Their easy chemistry is palpable, the sketches often surreal, occasionally filthy, but consistently hilarious. Sometimes it's not even the material itself but how it's delivered - Rosie exudes warmth while Sullivan's facial expressions often convey more than words ever could. These are two hugely likeable performers whose new hour is easily the pick of the sketch shows I've seen at the festival this year. The opening scene and sensational finale are worth the price of admission alone!
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 17, 2023 11:45:53 GMT
Bit of advice please, experts! We're on our way up now. When a show says on the official website "no allocation, contact the venue" what's the best thing to do? Try phoning? (Is that even possible?!) Just turn up early and hope to buy tickets at the venue? Or is it just a polite way of telling you it's "sold out"?! Thanks Fringe website and venue website may be different allocations so check on both. Also, plenty of 'sold out' shows make house seats available for sale an hour before the show so worth checking the Fringe and venue websites then (or enquire at the box office). Also, keep an eye out for any extra performances at different time slots being announced.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 14, 2023 15:48:12 GMT
Interesting to see the comments about the Pleasance. When I criticised some volunteers in my earlier post, this was the venue. Everywhere else, they were lovely. The Pleasance use a mix of paid staff and volunteers, not sure of the proportion of one to the other, but the staff and volunteers I spoke to were great, really friendly. It's just the filling of venues when they're obviously following instructions that was sometimes frustrating. One staff member told me she was getting paid a lump sum for the festival, paying only £12 a night for accommodation (with the rest subsidised by the Pleasance), and getting to see loads of shows, either sitting in while working or free on a Pleasance pass when off duty. She seemed happy with the deal and was recommending working there to someone who was asking how they could do so next year. Anyway, onto the weekend for me. Day 9. Rewind at Summerhall. Santi and Naz at Pleasance Courtyard. Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical at Pleasance Courtyard. Caroline McEvoy: Street Smart at Just the Tonic at the Caves. Reginald D Hunter: The Man Who Could See Through Sh*t at Assembly Rooms. Bampots at Pleasance Dome. Day 10. Them at Pleasance Dome. On Your Bike at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose. Crash and Burns at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose. Jingle Street at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose. Freya Parker: It Ain't Easy Being Cheeky at Pleasance Courtyard. I wrapped up my first visit to the Fringe with both of Chordstruck Theatre's shows. Happy to report that Jingle Street was playing to an 80% full venue so ticket sales have improved substantially from the numbers reported earlier in the run. On Your Bike, which looked pretty much sold out, is the stronger show with the better songs but I enjoyed seeing the same cast in both. Loved their energy on stage, especially Maddie Smith who appears like a whirlwind part way through On Your Bike. I would certainly welcome a cast recording. I was treated to hearing the final number, Out of the Blue, twice on Saturday, since they were sound checking with that song before the show. Who knew a musical about food delivery workers could be such fun?! As a fan of Lazy Susan, I was keenly anticipating Freya Parker's stand-up debut. It didn't disappoint with Freya's reflections on being a cheeky little guy in a world on fire. Caroline McEvoy: Street Smart, meanwhile, was my favourite stand-up show of the festival, with some great storytelling in her 45-minute set about being anything but street savvy. Bampots at Pleasance Dome was about as Scottish a play as you could get with its exploration of what it means to be Scottish. The scenes featuring an American tourist visiting Scotland for the first time, much to the disdain of the locals, were especially amusing, especially their first tasting of a can of Irn Bru. I doubt I'll find a more powerful way to start a day at the festival than with Ephemeral Ensemble's Rewind, my first visit of the Fringe to Summerhall. Inspired by testimonies of Latin American refugees and migrants, Rewind remembers those who endured, and those who continue to live under authoritarianism. Two of the cast previously appeared in Theatre Re's The Nature of Forgetting so I knew the story was in safe hands Rewind packs quite a punch, with a closing scene as poignant and powerful as any piece of theatre. An instant full standing ovation for the visibly emotional cast. So, that's ten days and 72 shows watched, only a couple of major disappointments among them, and plenty of highlights. It's only when you take a step back from it all that you can start to properly reflect on everything you've seen. Edinburgh was insanely busy over the weekend, with lots of shows sold out. It feels like a significant increase in footfall from 2022 so far. It'll be interesting to see how busy things are when the Scottish schools go back. My top recommendation for the rest of the festival, out of all the shows I've seen so far, is Isabel Klein: Showstopper at Gilded Balloon Teviot, with Home at Pleasance Courtyard a close second. Isabel's uncle nails it in his quote on her poster that she is 'one to watch'. Her fun-filled parody showcase of her talents is a heartfelt, perfectly pitched comic creation and features the best pink PVC outfit you'll see all Fringe.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 14, 2023 10:01:58 GMT
Heavy-handed ushering from the Pleasance team cramming people into every hole and trying to force those who arrive early to occupy the sh*test seats possible to leave the best ones for latecomers. All to do with the absurd turnovers (faster than Ryanair) to maximise the number of performances and therefore the bucks for the venue. Not me guv. Don't think it's anything to do with the turnover times, if anything filling the seats how the Pleasance do often takes longer. TheSpace UK have tighter turnaround times and don't try and occupy seats in a rigid order. I've found the Pleasance to be the most zealous in that regard this week. The rest of the big four generally only ask to avoid leaving gaps and filling from the ends of each row, if that. As an example of how the Pleasance's policy causes more trouble than it's worth, I was watching Showgirls and Spies in King Dome at Pleasance Dome which has raked seating apart from the second row which is flat on the same level as the first and the stage. The performance I attended was maybe about two thirds full so busy but not packed, yet the ushers tried to fill from the front row back. That was fine for me, as I got a spot on the front row, but not so good for the people then directed to sit right behind me. As people objected, the staff continued to try and direct everyone who came in to those second row seats, despite them offering the worst view in the venue. Similarly, this weekend in Pleasance Two, it was a similar space to King Dome with raked seating apart from the second row. That show was sold out but they still filled from the front, rather than filling that second row last. Again, I was on the front row so it didn't affect me but people near the front of the queue had to settle for the most restricted seats in the venue. It must be in the training for Pleasance staff this year. It also seems to fail to take into account that not everyone wants to be in front row seats for shows involving audience participation, particularly stand-up comedy, although they've been accomodating enough about that to be fair if you do object.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 11, 2023 23:04:38 GMT
Day 8.
Fladam: Green Fingers at Pleasance Courtyard.
Break Up with Your Boyfriend at Pleasance Courtyard.
Looking for Giants at Underbelly Cowgate.
Isabel Klein: Showstopper at Gilded Balloon Teviot.
Circa: Peepshow (Club Remix) at Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows.
The 7 Fingers: Duel Reality at Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows.
Sophie's Surprise 29th at Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows.
Fladam's musical comedy hootenanny was one of the highlights of the 2022 Fringe so I had to check out the duo's new family musical, Green Fingers. Full of zany characters, catchy songs and a heartwarming message about acceptance, it's great fun. Flo and Adam are such likeable performers, it's a joy to watch them on stage.
I ended the day with a triple bill of circus on the Meadows. Circa always deliver the goods and in Peep Show (Club Remix) they offer up another full throttle hour of stunning acrobatics. The 7 Fingers' new show, themed around Romeo and Juliet, especially the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, is equally epic with a thrilling fusion of circus and dance.
The main highlight of today for me though has to be Showstopper by Isabel Klein, not to be confused with the improvised musical of the same name! Isabel plays a spoof version of herself and introduces the audience to a famous Hollywood actress who can't wait to showcase her talents to the audience. From treating us to a showreel of her screen work, to a little live rollerblading, not to mention demonstrating her acting prowess on stage (with a little help from audience members). She even takes time to pause the show to sign autographs and write short pearls of wisdom for some of her adoring fans! As more and more things start to go awry though, doubts set in. Can Isabel pull it together and make it to the end of the show for her big musical finale? Showstopper was such a blast, you could feel the enjoyment in the room as the audience were roped into helping with the variety of showcases for Isabel's talents!
I've got two more days in Edinburgh before taking a break and heading home for a few days, then returning on Friday 18th.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 11, 2023 7:47:51 GMT
Day 7.
Edges at Assembly Rooms.
Happier Daze at theSpace on the Mile.
Home at Pleasance Courtyard.
The Rejects at theSpace on the Mile.
NewsRevue at Pleasance Courtyard.
Salamander at Assembly Roxy.
Annabel Marlow: Is This Okay? at Pleasance Courtyard.
Ed: The New, Totally Unofficial, Ginger-Inclusive Parody Sketch Show at Zoo Playground.
The standout show from yesterday has to be Home by Temper Theatre. Home follows the character of Imogen on a transformative voyage to her childhood home in the Fens while dealing with depression. Confronted by a succession of extraordinary visions and haunting nightmares, the story intertwines vibrant folklore with Imogen's own long-buried memories.
It makes for a kaleidoscopic piece of physical theatre, set to a pulsating soundtrack with stunning lighting design, breathtaking movement and a set that belies the Fringe staging. Home is as slick as it is beautiful, as exhilarating as it is intense. Zoe Villiers has an impish charm as Imogen, with facial expressions that convey so many feelings with barely a word being spoken. She's quite mesmerising to watch. The instant full standing ovation the cast received was well deserved.
Also bringing the audience to their feet was The Rejects at theSpace on the Mile. This play follows five candidates for a job who bond over drinks after the gruelling selection process as they wait to hear the outcome. This was a riot from start to finish, laugh-out-loud funny with relatable characters who are much more the focus of the piece than the send-ups of the hiring process and working conditions which bookend the play.
It was also great to catch the second of the two shows by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Edges is a song cycle rather than a conventional musical and in this production the order of the songs has been changed. I really enjoyed hearing Pasek and Paul's gorgeous score being performed by a terrific cast of four that exude star quality.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 10, 2023 8:00:01 GMT
Day 6.
Brave Space at Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows.
Be Home Soon at Greenside Infirmary Street.
24, 23, 22 at Underbelly Cowgate.
Salomé at Bedlam Theatre.
Sanctuary at Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows.
Marcus Brigstocke: Cheese and Whine at Pleasance Courtyard.
Bill's 44th at Underbelly Cowgate.
Wham Bam Thank You Mam at Just the Tonic at the Grassmarket Centre.
I started the day revisiting one of my favourite shows from last year's festival. Brave Space is a unique circus experience, with the audience gathering on the edges of the stage where the cast emerge from under a white canvas. The canvas is then raised into the air and the audience climb underneath and its in this intimate and unique setting that the show then takes place. The audience are sometimes standing, sometimes sitting down and at one point even lying down, as performers soar above our heads or perform within touching distance in the centre of the tent. It's a magical experience.
Bill's 44th is certainly a unique Fringe production. Described in the blurb on the Fringe website as a "puppet tragicomedy for adults", we're introduced to Bill on his 44th birthday as his plans to celebrate slowly unravel. The show is mesmerising without a word being spoken. It's both funny and sad, reflecting on loneliness, and becomes increasingly surreal as it progresses. Bill reminded me a little of a cross between Mr Bean and Unlucky Alf from The Fast Show! The most striking feature about this show was just how enthusiastic and engaged the audience were, cheering Bill on at every turn! All in all, the show provides a quintessential, one-of-a-kind Fringe experience!
The standout show from yesterday though has to be Be Home Soon at Greenside Infirmary Street. It's a beautifully told reflection on memories and what we call home. With a cast of three, we meet one character in two different scenarios, meeting a girl in an art gallery and moving to France with her four days later, and meeting another girl who's his new flat mate at the digs they happen to be moving into together in the UK. The two women never meet but the sequence of events and the mystery of what happened in France that brought Raf home is slowly unravelled. From this relatively simple premise, a moving story unfolds, often filled with humour. The characters here are so well drawn and likeable, the chemistry between the three performers so tangible, and the whole thing so enchantingly written and filled with such warmth, it packs quite the emotional punch as it reflects on the importance of savouring every moment of life. Ultimately, the play asks whether memories and dreams can be every bit as vivid and cherished as real life. A tender triumph.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 9, 2023 7:49:54 GMT
Day 5.
Please Leave (A Message) at Underbelly Cowgate.
Lucky Pigeons at Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows.
CSI Crime Scene Improvisation at Underbelly Bristo Square.
God Catcher at Underbelly Bristo Square.
Sugar and Blood at Zoo Playground.
Trust at Zoo Playground.
Living with Skeletons at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose.
Julia Masli: Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha at Monkey Barrel Comedy.
Julia Masli, as in 2022, provides one of the most unique and memorable experiences at the Fringe. Her new show develops from teasing audience responses, with her striking attire and array of facial expressions, into a strange kind of group therapy session for the sharing of problems and provision of kindness. As the hour unfolds, the trust placed in the audience - and collective bond between everyone in the room - becomes ever stronger. The atmosphere increasingly celebratory and eventually euphoric. The whole thing is an uplifting, joyful and surprisingly moving experience to be part of. A clowning show that's as compassionate as it is mischievous and absurd.
Equally compelling is Tinted Theatre's Sugar and Blood at Zoo Playground. Building on a solid debut with Bathroom Confession last year, this is a terrific piece of new writing. A murder mystery set in 1903 that feels fresh, contemporary and exciting. This stylish production from four LIPA graduates has plenty of twists and turns, captivating performances, and a couple of nicely judged songs that added a sense of foreboding. The suspense and intrigue builds to a deliciously dark, satisfying conclusion. One of the highlights of the festival so far. Every Fringe itinerary could benefit from a spoonful of Sugar and Blood!
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 8, 2023 11:54:46 GMT
The only problems I had with the show (weird pacing) would be easily fixed by a longer version of the musical, which I hope comes about. Sadly only about a third full yesterday. Apparently, there are rules with the length of time for a musical at The Fringe. I'm not sure exactly what those rules are however it's the reason that the musical Six (which I've yet to see) is very short in length. It's because it started at The Fringe. That can't be a general rule, there are full length musicals at the Fringe every year. I saw one, Big Fish, yesterday which had a run time of two hours 20 minutes (including a 5 minute interval). Seeing A Chorus Line later in the festival which has a two and a a half hour slot. A run time of an hour is obviously more typical at the Fringe (and probably preferred by venues) but there are exceptions.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 8, 2023 7:35:06 GMT
Day 4.
Big Fish at Assembly Rooms.
Ants at theSpace on the Mile.
Ted Hill Tries and Fails to Fix Climate Change at Assembly George Square.
YUCK Circus at Assembly George Square.
Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose.
Bad Play at theSpace at Surgeons Hall.
And Then The Rodeo Burned Down at theSpace at Niddry Street.
Drop Dead at theSpace at Niddry Street.
Big Fish was a great way to start the day with another excellent production from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Plenty of the audience on their feet at the end.
Ants at theSpace on the Mile was one of those unexpected gems of the festival. Three junior employees are tasked with brainstorming ideas overnight for ways in which their company can increase its profits in the next year. The play for the most part is a riotous sendup of the business world. Barely a line goes by that doesn't generate laughs from the audience. The ludicrousness of the ideas, none of the employees really having the faintest clue what the company does, or what they even do within it, only adds to the farce of it all. The characters are well defined among the chaos and the ending is surprisingly heartfelt. It would benefit from a slightly longer running time, I believe this is an abridged version for the Fringe, but the potential in this graduate company from The University of Leeds is clear to see. Three terrific performances and a zinger of a script make for a hugely enjoyable 50 minutes.
Locomotive for Murder was a great improv show I'd happily revisit that really went to town on incorporating every little detail gleaned from several audience members.
Finally, with one of the cast indisposed, kudos to the team of Drop Dead for pulling out all the stops to go ahead with some last-minute changing of roles and the producer stepping in. It made for a pretty memorable performance last night, building to a finale with some of the funniest genuine corpsing I've seen on stage as the cast struggled to hold it together. As one of the company put it at the end, "Thanks for coming and for none of you walking out on whatever that was!"
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 6, 2023 21:59:58 GMT
Do we think Titanic is likely to go there? Didn’t it originate there when it was the St.James theatre? Southwark Playhouse then Charing Cross Theatre wasn't it?
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 6, 2023 21:57:34 GMT
Day 3.
Das Weben at Greenside Infirmary Street.
The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much at Pleasance Courtyard.
Four Felons and a Funeral at Pleasance Courtyard.
We'll Have Nun Of It at Underbelly Cowgate.
The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria at Pleasance Dome.
Pleading Stupidity at Pleasance Dome.
Ulrooj Ashfaq: Oh No at Assembly George Square.
Trash Salad at Pleasance Courtyard.
Standout shows from today (with Trash Salad still to come) include We'll Have Nun Of It where a vibrant cast of actor musicians tell the story of a group of friends navigating convent school life in the sixties. What an original score this new musical has, brilliantly played by the talented cast.
The ensemble storytelling in The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III was right up my street. Such a fascinating and little known story that if it wasn't based on true events would sound too far fetched. Played for laughs for the most part but it packs quite a punch as it builds to its conclusion too.
Also loved Ulrooj Ashfaq's standup show in what's her festival debut.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 5, 2023 22:05:58 GMT
Day 2.
My Dad Wears a Dress at Underbelly Cowgate.
Coffee Kid at Underbelly Cowgate.
Durham Revue: Death on the Mile at Underbelly Cowgate.
The Revel Puck Circus at Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows.
Certain Death and Other Considerations at Zoo Playground.
Tartuffe, The Imposter: A Feminist Reimagining at theSpace at Surgeons Hall.
I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical at Gilded Balloon at the Museum.
The first two shows of the day - My Dad Wears a Dress and Coffee Kid - were both five stars for me and the early highlights of the festival.
In My Dad Wears a Dress, Maria Telnikoff takes a look back on her childhood growing up with a transgender parent. Frequently laugh out loud funny, this is a whirlwind, anarchic retelling of tales from Maria's school days.
In Coffee Kid, we meet Beanie. the love child of George Clooney and a Nespresso machine. The show follows the surreal adventures of its half human, half coffee machine protagonist. Síomha McQuinn has created a work of comic genius.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 5, 2023 8:43:20 GMT
Day 1 at the Fringe looked like this.
Andy Bucks and Low Effort Sketches at Just the Tonic at the Mash House.
Cowboys and Lesbians at Pleasance Dome.
Showgirls and Spies at Pleasance Dome.
The Four Worst Things I've Ever Done at Underbelly Bristo Square.
The Death of Molly Miller at Underbelly Cowgate.
Lights Up! The Improvised Musical at theSpace on the Mile.
Cambridge Footlights: Leftovers at theSpace on the Mile.
Seven shows and not a dud among them. Highlights included:
Showgirls and Spies - a big return to form for Young Pleasance, telling the true story of Florence Waren's double life as a Jewish resistance fighter and showgirl during World War 2.
Low Effort Sketches - a great way to start the festival with a mix of standup and sketch comedy from a very likeable duo. Silly and fun and the sort of charming show the Fringe is all about.
Lights Up - an improvised musical set in a graveyard. The company's Fringe debut got off to a solid start and only got funnier from there, building to a rousing finale with an audience singalong!
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 2, 2023 22:27:46 GMT
I'm sadly not up this year - though am heading to the Highlands, instead. I've been every year (with the exception of Covid years!) for quite a few years now, and I can't help but feel like things are a bit... sparse?... this year? I tend to see more comedy than theatre, but if one takes the Pleasance Courtyard, for instance, it seems to be far slimmer pickings in each space in terms of the numbers of shows on. With prices only going one way - for performers and punters - I do wonder whether the Big Four are killing the golden goose, rather? 260 shows at Pleasance last year, 255 this year. Across the festival as a whole, with hundreds of additions to the lineup after programme launch, it's officially the second biggest Fringe ever. According to The Scotsman, only 2019 tops it for number of shows. I've personally found planning for this year harder than ever because there's so much I want to see.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 2, 2023 18:04:17 GMT
Its sold out its initial Edinburgh run; I’m hoping they release more. It hasn't sold out its Edinburgh run. Tickets are available for every performance on edfringe.com.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Jul 17, 2023 8:18:08 GMT
Am interested but the running time means yet another matinee, which is a shame; also, though people here are obviously very keen, the only song clips I've found online ("I'm Sorry", sung by Jacob Dachler and something sung by Kelly Sweeney, the title of which I don't know) sound ghastly to my ear, so could anyone who has seen it please advise how typical these are? I'll be kicking myself if I book, only to find I've let myself in for 2 hours plus of aural torture. This is the opening number from the show (as performed by Olivia Moore, Grace Mouat, Millie O'Connell and others in 2020). I'd say that's a good representation of the score. If you enjoy the music from shows like Heathers, Eugenius, Loserville and Be More Chill, then I'd imagine Halls will appeal too.
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Jul 16, 2023 16:36:31 GMT
I loved watching this show - what a strong amazing cast and great material for them to work with. The show has so much energy and you could tell how enthusiastic and engaged the audience were. Really excited to see what they do next with it. First visit to the Turbine and will definitely go back - agree with how lovely all of the staff were. I was there this afternoon and found it hard to believe this is a work in progress. It ticks all the boxes already. A terrific cast, relatable characters, a score to die for, scenes that are frequently laugh-out-loud funny but also surprisingly touching at times too. This surely isn't the last we'll be seeing of Halls. If they could just sort a cast recording along with a transfer or tour!
|
|
1,722 posts
|
Post by stevejohnson678 on Jul 12, 2023 16:03:37 GMT
Seems very odd for Southwark Playhouse both to programme a touring production and when tour dates have already been announced and booking has opened; wonder why? This will make me a little wary in future as I'd already booked for a matinee during the tour week in Guildford, which of course limited my choice to 2 performances as usual, whereas had I known it'd be at SP, I'd have held off as cheaper and a far greater date range. I still want to see the show, which I've never before had an opportunity to do, but it'd be interesting to know if this marks a new policy for SP. Not sure why it's odd? Lizzie is also touring, as is Stranger Sings, around dates at Southwark Playhouse.
|
|