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Dancing at Lughnasa

Sam Laydon — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:20:32 +0000

Classic drama, well-performed by a professional company is in short supply at this year’s Fringe, so it is a pleasure to witness this fine production by festival stalwarts, Theatre Alba. Backed as ever by the beautiful lush gardens of Duddingston Kirk, they do brilliant justice to this evocative play by Brian Friel.
‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ is a memory play seen through the eyes of Michael, now an older man looking back to a time when he was seven years old. It is 1936 in rural Donegal and he, a boy controversially born buy cialis online out of wedlock, lives in an eccentric household of women – his mother and her four sisters. Despite their poverty buy cialis online and a rather Chekhovian sense of longing, the house is full of joy as the sisters constantly laugh, sing and dance their way through life. But their way of life is in flux as a number of crises threaten to tip their precarious existence into chaos. Michael’s father, a wanderer and ne’er-do-well, returns but his stay is temporary; more problematic still is the homecoming of the prodigal Uncle Jack, who has been working for decades as a missionary in Africa but may have taken somewhat too enthusiastically to the native way of life, scandalising strait-laced Kate, the head of the household. Other bigger issues – Fascism, the Spanish Civil War and industrialisation – loom on the horizon.
The company manage to convey this tight family unit with great aplomb and the relationships and performances are utterly believable. This is ensemble playing at its best as they switch easily between tragedy and comedy, from nostalgia to high zest. Even the elements – a light shower, a gust of wind and copious midges – fail to put them off. This is well worth a look (but don’t forget to pack the waterproofs and insect repellant!)

5/5

Blind Date Ruined My Life

Martin Miller — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:55:09 +0000

It is hard to believe that at one stage the romantic game show Blind Date used to have over 18 million people glued to their screens. In 1983 Nick Taylor successfully won a date with a contestant and whisked off into the sun. The date didn’t go well and he claims this has had ramifications all through his dating life.
Set up as a counselling session between Taylor and his therapist (Phil Bird) it combines musical numbers, sketches, audio segments, newspaper articles, back stage anecdotes about the show and clips of the Blind Date episodes he featured in. While certainly ambitious that is sadly the kindest thing you could say about this waste of an hour.
Taylor as a comedian is about as amateur as they come, his delivery is weak and he needs a few more lessons on how to build up to a joke. But it is the tone of the show that really clangs uncomfortably, trying to make fun of Blind Date in a light-hearted way one moment, and adding in some adult, x-rated humour the next (the sight of Taylor apparently hypnotised dancing provocatively in his pants will be burned in your memory for the rest of the Fringe… and not for good reasons). The material never gels and it all feels a bit of a shambles.
Sadly the sins just keep coming, by the final moments you are more than aware that there isn’t really enough material to last the hour. It’s a bit of a stretch of the imagination to accuse the show of ruining his life and his further exploits in dating are fairly bog standard tales that if anything, make him come across as rather arrogant (having a long distance relationship then dumping cheap cialis online her once he finally saw her face, for example).
Weak material and weak gags – Blind Date ruined his life? The show just about ruined my evening.

1/5

Winston on the Run

Lizzy Treacy — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:45:14 +0000

‘It is 1899 and escaped prisoner of war Winston Churchill is in a fiendish spot of bother’… and so we are given an introduction to this fascinating and precise piece of theatre. Fol Espoir bring this excellently scripted production to the Fringe this year, and with it an introduction and insight into this extremely well known political figure.
We are given a very vivid glimpse into the life of young Churchill as he goes from losing an election campaign in Oldham, to winning it the next year – and what happens in-between is rather extraordinary. Freddie Machin gives a superb performance as Churchill, really bringing the character to life and taking the audience smoothly into the depths of his coal mine where he is hiding having escaped from a Boer prisoner of war camp.
From latrine buckets to gun fire, this is an energetic performance, and one to which this intimate venue is well suited. The buy cialis online simple stage and props come alive with good use of lighting and sound to take us on Churchill’s remarkable adventure from being an ‘impartial’ journalist to being holed up in the mine. We are given an opportunity to view some of the formative aspects of Churchill’s character, namely his determination, opportunism and of course his ambition, whilst also learning of his relationship with his father and his rather clumsy attempts at getting elected.
For anyone searching for something a little a more thoughtful and informative in the Fringe this year, you cannot go wrong with this dynamic production.

4/5

Mr B's Chap-Hop Hoorah!

Benn Beaton — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:30:15 +0000

Mr B returns to the Edinburgh Fringe offering a spritely combination of his third album mixed with solid covers of fan-favourites from the 80s and 90s. As a performer Mr B is able to merge pop, hip hop, and music hall into a concert atmosphere that other cabaret performers would envy. Strutting the stage in an impeccable satire of the gentlemanly classes, Mr B manages to parody the idle rich and ‘ill mannered’ poor alike. His songs vary between gentrified ballads, pre-millennial nostalgia and smutty comedy with his tremendous showmanship, carrying the act throughout.
Combining his charisma with excellent audience work and the vibe of a rock concert MR B lyrically gets away with murder. Even at his most blatant Mr B comes off with a sense of decorum unfound in other acts. He is possibly the only Fringe performer able to advise “you can’t rape a goat these days” and make it sound like sensible advice.
The addition of the character Carshalton is mixed at best. While adding another character allows for some wonderful sight gags, his solo song ‘Gentleman’s gentleman’ is quite lacklustre. While not a bad singer the song is on the whole overly-long and not as well constructed as Mr B’s regular fare.
Mr B is a continually innovating act and even if you have seen Mr B before, over half of the performance buy cialis online is material from his newly released Tweed album, making this a show not to be missed.

4/5

Pretending Things Are a C*ck

Martin Miller — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:00:21 +0000

Yes, you read the title right… and no, there isn’t some profound double meaning to the title either – this is a one man show following Australian Jon Bennett travelling the world and taking lots of pictures of famous monuments, straddling them between his legs, and pretending things are his cock.
It is not big (the idea, we mean…) and it is not clever, but many of buy viagra online these pictures are wildly inventive and very funny indeed. The audience are falling about laughing throughout the hour as they are treated to a slide show like no other: The Golden Gate Bridge, The Leaning Tower of Pizza and even Edinburgh’s doggy icon, Greyfriar’s Bobby, will never be thought of in the same way again.
If it was just a slideshow things would wear thin fairly quickly but it is much more than that. It is a fascinating story about how one man once made a silly picture and how that grew into a full-on obsession that has given him fans from all over the world.
But really, this is a show all about Bennett and his travels around the world, and how they have shaped him as a person. Four years of travelling has given him some hilarious and thoroughly entertaining stories: from embarrassing childhood tales of bullying from his penis obsessed older brother, to awkward misunderstandings with Japanese tourists. Some of his comedy deviates from the central premise a little too much at times, but it is forgivable since they are so entertaining.
Jon Bennett is such a warm and charismatic performer he turns one of the most puerile concepts into something quite special indeed.

4/5

Abandoman – Party in the Key of C Major

Martin Miller — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:45:31 +0000

Abandoman are a musical double act – James Hancox, who never once opens his mouth (instead, happily staying in the background playing keyboard and guitar), and Robert Broderick, who hogs all the oxygen in the room as he takes suggestions from the audience and blasts out improvised comedy rap songs.
Broderick is a highly skilled performer: in the opening segment he expertly works the crowd pretending that the audience are old friends and family (and a few jealous ex-girlfriends too) weaving old stories about how they know each other. It is great fun and watching him pluck things and turn them into fun songs is actually rather exciting as the pressure is always on.
As a performer, Broderick has really grown into the role: he was impressive during last year’s show, but if anything he is even slicker and funnier this year. Audience suggestions about Bob Marley and other dead celebrities are skilfully mixed with fun audience games – like taking out the most random object in your pocket out and watching him spit rhymes about them. It is impressive and thoroughly entertaining.
With the biggest smile in all of the festival, Broderick is lightning quick with the raps and keeps the audience in good spirits throughout.
An hour with the Abandoman boys is like pure sunshine, be prepared for your face to ache from laughing generic cialis and your hands to sting from clapping so hard.

4/5

The Chris and Paul Show

Zander Bruce — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 09:25:52 +0000

The simplistic title echoes the minimalist approach here to sketch comedy. Relying more on character and talent than their more erudite contemporaries, these two guys are possibly the cuddliest New Yorkers ever to be exported over here.
Unsophisticated scenarios are played out beautifully and with such immersion in their childlike roles that at times it is easy to forget these are adults. At various points sinister little peaks into their dark psyches buy viagra show that these guys are very clever and witty. They delight in bringing members of the audience not just up on stage but into the roles of co-conspirators and playmates.
This feels like a TED video about childlike-play in adult men. The body language and physicality of the humour is strong and direct and you can’t help but be inspired to find ways to be more playful in everyday life.
The laughs here really come from situations rather than catchphrases, observational stand up or specific characters, which makes this show quite refreshing compared to some of the standard fare. It also plays homage to the greatest love of all – that being of a husky man for a giant cookie.
All in all, this is one show that is not to be missed.

4/5

An Evening with David Hasselhoff Live

Ian Armstrong — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:13:10 +0000

The Hoff has landed! After a crowd-pleasing video montage of his career to date (cheers for the immortal Baywatch title sequence) Hasselhoff appears behind the audience to belt out Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’, which features the first batch of his many inept dance moves. Next up, he stumbles through a series of Hoff-related puns, read from a crib-sheet on the floor. This is going to be one hell of a show!
A rambling introduction to ‘Someone Like You’ from his hit Broadway musical ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ (I know – I’ve not heard of it either) is classic Hoff, as he witters on about his dreams of becoming a musical star. He claims that is “where my talent lies” to audible giggles from the crowd. Although he has a strong enough voice, The Hoff butchers song after song with appalling phrasing. It’s hard to say what is worse – the torturous rendition of his famous Berlin Wall anthem ‘Looking for Freedom’ (“Are there any Germans in tonight?” he asks hopefully), or the chaotic beach medley, during which he invites thirty-odd well-lubricated ‘fans’ to limbo with him on stage. Luckily for us all of this falls squarely in ‘so bad it’s good

territory’.
Hasselhoff is assisted tonight by two brave backing dancers and a stony-faced sidekick, who ambles on and off the stage at will, lazily cuing up songs on his computer, helping with costume changes and treating us to some truly dreadful harmony singing. As this intensely bizarre accomplice gees up the crowd for an encore of The Proclaimers’ ‘500 Miles’, a delayed Hoff finally returns, desperately trying to hold up his unfastened kilt with limited success. This show is surely one of the most under-rehearsed, half-baked shambles that you will ever be likely to see and as such, it is highly recommended!

1/5

Bubblewrap and Boxes

Lizzy Treacy — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:00:18 +0000

Australian

company ‘Asking for Trouble’ return to the Fringe this year with their delightful show ‘Bubblewrap and Boxes’. As the name implies, the stage is set simply but very effectively with a huge pile of different sized cardboard boxes – these being undeliverable items of post in a mailroom which are all being looked after by a rather efficient individual. The surprise arrival – announced through a wriggling box – of an energetic and playful female counterpart is the beginning of this rather charming performance. The imaginative and inventive use of the boxes, with games of hide and seek and acrobatic jumping immediately captivates the young audience and ‘Asking for Trouble’ have pitched this show perfectly for them.
With such an emphasis on simplicity – a simple set, a simple idea and a simple cast of two, the magic of the performance is in the acrobatics and clowning – it is a stunning display and weaves seamlessly into the show. A real highlight is a short adventure of world travels, narrated by people’s postcards and re-created by the talented two actors.
At first it is a little unclear as to what the performers are doing, though as postcards and letters are slowly shared and read out this becomes obvious. In honesty though, this does not distract from the overall production, and the level of interaction with the audience – whether its reading signs, getting tangled in hazard tape or being used as a tissue – keeps everyone enthralled.
Dynamic and quirky, this show is sure to wow younger audiences with the acrobatics and even more surely enhance the appeal of the humble cardboard box!

4/5

The Trench

Martin Miller — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:15:58 +0000

You know you are onto something good when waiting in the queue to see the show a man tries to buy your ticket from you. ‘My son has seen it twice and he’s desperate to see it again’ a shy Dad explains. But don’t sell your ticket, and don’t give it away either: you will be missing one of the best shows of the 2012 Fringe.
From the second you walk into the venue you are transported into World War One, as smoke swirls around a man-made trench, the men cower in corners and the sound of bombs drop overhead. It startling and effective as it completely immerses you into the hell they are trapped in.
Loosely based on a true life event, it follows Burt (Oliver Lansley) and a young recruit Collins (Alfie Boyd) who are slowly tunnelling into the enemy lines, when they stumble upon a mine and become trapped. Locked in the darkness, Burt sees a demon who can get him out and back to his family for a price.
Combining physical theatre and puppetry with a rich and heartfelt script, this is the Les Enfant Terribles running on full throttle, and it is a sight to see just what they can do.
The acting is exemplary-

full of heart and emotion, the stage design is phenomenal, as walls float around and soldiers walk up vertical walls. This is theatre as it should be and the live musical accompaniment of Alexander Wolfe’s haunting voice turns the atmosphere into something quite special indeed.
Beautiful, horrific and an experience like no other, Les Enfants Terribles have done it once again: they raised the stakes and delivered.

5/5