Category Archives: EdFestivals

All our coverage, from all Edinburgh’s festivals, past and present.

+3 Review: Mungo Park (Summerhall: 3 – 27 Aug. 8.45pm 1h 20m.)

Posted in 5*, EdFestivals, EdFestivals 2016, Rated: Nae Bad, Summerhall, Theatre by
Images: Dogstar Theatre.

Images: Dogstar Theatre.

“… an invitation to taste the popcorn, then it’s serried lights and blinding action”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars: Nae Bad

There is a Mungo Park Road in Gravesend, Kent, and sheltered housing at Mungo Park Court in Selkirk which seems all a bit sedentary when it comes to the tremendous life of Mungo P himself. Born in 1771, near Selkirk right enough, he ventured out down the Niger River and was the first European to reach Timbuktu. Of course, he did not have a passport so that nice phrasing, used in this show, about his Majesty ‘requests and requires [that] the bearer pass freely without let or hindrance’ did not apply. Instead his heroic travels are the stuff of bedtime stories, ‘To Selkirk … and beyond!’ if you will, which is where Mungo Park Theatre (Copenhagen) and Dogstar Theatre (Inverness) come flying in.

Writer and director Martin Lyngbo wants Hollywood-on-stage for the ‘inner eye of everyone in the audience’. So we get an invitation to taste the popcorn, then it’s serried lights and blinding action. We move swiftly from the Highlands, to London, and – via the two journeys of 1796 and 1805 – to central West Africa, on foot and in a canoe.

Travel at the wrong time and it’s very hot and wet and deadly out there. The African interior was a huge gap surrounded by a coastline, for its ‘heart lies in darkness’ and between August and October forty-one out of the forty-five or so Brits on the second expedition died of fever. How Parks survived for as long as he did is an open question but – to judge by this play – it was a combination of physical toughness, determination (to see home and family again), good sense and good luck. Africa for him is ‘a fragile network’ of peoples and customs and you got nowhere without respecting that.

Mungo Park goes back to 2006. That first Danish production was rehearsed during the crisis that surrounded publication in a newspaper of the Muhammad cartoons. This English language version, by Jonathan Sydenham, still looks as if it is significantly influenced by that controversy. Clever caricature asks questions of how individuals are represented and received by ‘others’, culturally akin or not. African kings Desse and Ali play ‘up’ their obvious differences in sing-song pidgin speech; their messengers play their crafty roles as would flunkies of a European court but with outlandish accents. Sir Joseph Banks, notable patron of the natural sciences, is as interested in gold as he is in plants. Lieutenant John Martyn, in command of Parks’ escort, is more blood thirsty racist than an officer and a gentleman. Desperate and dangerous confusion results from misunderstanding and prejudice.

Kingsley Amadi (l)

Kingsley Amadi (l)

Matthew Zajac is impressive as the courageous and virtuous Mungo, whose story we follow at every turn, literally so as he fights his good fight on a turntable. Anders Budde Christensen is all exaggerated gesture and of wily tongue as emissary and as the not-so-enlightened James Rennell, map-maker, who would be master of all he surveys. Kingsley Amadi is black African potentate and crazy (white) army officer. It is so confidently performed that the zany is never risible, the indomitable never preposterous.

The rapid screenplay, to go with the filmic idea, produces strong exposition – particularly when its opening is chalked-up on the blackboard rather like title cards to a silent movie of colonial history in the making – and a dynamic narrative. No visual ‘shots’ are projected so there’s a spontaneous, on-the-spot quality to the whole piece. For the most part it is tightly focused upon Parks himself and when it isn’t there is some loss in terms of its depth of field. Performers running up and down the central aisle in a bright light did not look right.

Sturdy Mungo always has a satchel for his notebook and his Travels were published in 1799 but if you want a stirring measure of the man and of his life you won’t do better than this motion picture of a play.

 

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Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

Reviewer: Alan Brown (Seen 24 August)

Go to Summerhall and the Dogstar Theatre Company

Visit Edinburgh49‘s  Summerhall archive.

+3 Review: Blueswater Presents: Queens of the Blues (SpaceTriplex: 5-27 August: 22.30: 50 minutes)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2016, Music by

“A classy, confident and charming performance”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars

Queens of the Blues is a new show presenting a musical history of powerful women who have influenced blues as we know it over the years, presented by Edinburgh band The Blueswater. The two main singers in this show (Nicole Cassandra Smit and Ruth Kroch) are perfect to represent such women: both give a classy, confident and charming performance with just the perfect amount of sass.

The show begins with an a capella song, which each member of the band joining in one after another. There is a large variety of songs including When the Levee Breaks by Memphis Minnie, Better Watch Your Step by Koko Taylor and Ella Fitzgerald’s Cow Cow Boogie.

One particular favourite of mine was the performance of the original version of Hound Dog by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton. And I also had to admire Ruth when she announced she was going to give a solo rendition of the legendary Nina Simone’s Blues for Mama. But with her feisty attitude and powerful, soulful voice she really pulled it off!

The girls really keep the whole show moving, giving explanations about the history of each song and making jokes with the band. The old school blues band (including a two bassists, a guitarist, a drummer, harmonica player and a keyboard player) also all seemed relaxed and it was clear they all enjoyed playing together. At one point there was even a short stint by a trumpet player who surprised the crowd!

The only thing I wish is that we would have had a chance to dance, and given the vigorous foot tapping going on around me I am sure most of the audience would have agreed! The songs became more upbeat as the night went on and although the audience was at some point encouraged to dance the seating was so close together that there was not really enough space.

Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Iona Young (Seen 23 August)

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

+3 Review: Criminology 303 (Venue 13: 6-27 August: 21.30: 35 mins)

Posted in 2*, EdFestivals 2016, Theatre by

“An intriguing drama”

Editorial Rating: 2 Stars

Criminology 303 is an interesting concept – flipping between alternate scenes 40 years apart. Initially we meet retired detective Norma Bates (Jilly Bond) in 2016 reflecting on an unsuccessful investigation from her past, before the action reverts to 1976 where she is in the thick of it. We learn early on how this (the only unsolved case of her career) clearly still haunts her, so an intriguing drama is set up as to whether she might finally solve it on our presence.

Bond does a great job in switching between the two ages of her character – the crabby older version is a distinct progression from her greener and more confident younger self. And although prone to some overacting (I think her initial terror at the power point presentation misbehaving is a bit extreme), she shows great skill and stamina to drive the action in both scenarios.

This production’s main downfall, however, is its length. At barely half an hour, it feels like it only just gets going before very abruptly ending. There is no satisfactory resolution, no real sense of progression in either story beyond some scene-setting, and consequently the whole thing feels a bit pointless.

I would have liked to see the 2016 scenario develop into a discursive and positive look back at the case with a view to at long last solving it, rather than being a very rushed ghost story that scares Bates away from her own lecture. The pace of Bates’ descent into terror in this part feels very disingenuous, subverting the strength her character should have had (after 40 years in the force), so to me a more subtle and drawn-out approach here would have been more powerful.

In the flashback scenes Julian Gartside is commandingly creepy as Mr McLeod, yet Tommo Fowler’s direction has him physically touch and overpower Bates as detective on more than one occasion, which again feels forced and comes across as a cheap way to demonstrate status quickly, when other techniques would have had greater impact. The scene-setting and background to the background of the case in this scene is very well developed and delivered by Gartside, if seemingly a little irrelevant from the main story, but again I can’t help but feel this all would have been so much more effective if we got to see more about how the action panned out in the end – it is a frustrating beginning to a chapter that ends mid-sentence.

Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 24 August)

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

+3 Review: The Gin Chronicles: A Scottish Adventure (artSpace@StMarks: until 25th Aug: 18.30: 1hr)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2016, Theatre by

“Just as stylish and enjoyable as the previous instalment”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars

I was hoping that for this review I might be able to save myself a little work and effectively copy and paste most of my glowing review from the first chapter of The Gin Chronicles and that would be job done. Yet while much of what I loved about last year’s show is back – the overall premise and style of the piece, as well as many of the same faces on stage, for me, chapter two isn’t quite as fulfilling – Interrupt the Routine once again serve up a high quality gin but have perhaps skimped a little on the tonic.

Presented as a group of actors performing a radio play in 1947, it’s a very similar setup to the last outing – with four actors delivering a live broadcast of a radio play, and Luke Lamont more than capably producing all the sound effects live. With a note from the sponsor, a break midway through the action, and period set, props and costumes this piece really does have a lovely feel about it.

What Interrupt the Routine do very well is characterisation, in particular, slick and seamless transitions from one to the next. The cast of four play well over ten characters between them, and while some might only get a couple of lines, each one feels real and just as well-developed as the last. In saying that, it was a little disappointing that in this performance some of the regional accents (in particular Scottish and Spanish) seemed to slip on more than one occasion.

In terms of narrative, we see the useless but likeable amateur detective John Jobling (Robert Blackwood), once again supported by his rather more astute housemaid Doris Golightly (Helen Foster), trying to solve a gin-related crime. It’s all light-hearted stuff, but it’s only really towards the end that any sort of tension or detecting seem to come into play, and it’s a shame this isn’t brought in sooner, in favour of cutting some of the very nice but slightly unnecessary character vignettes in the first half of the production. The writing feels just a little lazy in places (references to “red lorry, yellow lorry” and an over-reliance on the name of “the Scottish play” being two examples) and the banter between the actors comes across as a little forced.

It’s still a very good show – just as stylish and enjoyable as the previous instalment – but for me lacks that extra garnish to make it really special.

Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 24 August)

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

+3 Review: The Other Guys – Well Sung (TheSpace@ Symposium Hall: Aug 16 – 20: 16.10 : 50 mins)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals, Music, Other, Rated: Nae Bad, Theatre by

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 “Substantive, deep and intricate”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars Nae Bad

I think the mark of a good group name is its capacity for inciting mild social chaos when you try and explain you’re going to see them. And whilst The Other Guys win points for being delightfully vague from the outset, their talent is nothing if not definite.

Formed in 2004, the St Andrews based acapella group has already received significant critical and celebrity accolade; and from the moment the voices start raising, it’s immediately clear why. Well Sung, despite the punderful name, is a set list with multifaceted focus: the quality of the vocals, tonal layers and overarching charmingness of the performance all come together to form what is certainly a spectacle worthy of spectation.

From the first note, what is immediately apparent is the sheer singing skill present throughout the group. The way in which many solo vocalists seemed to swoop and crest throughout their range was genuinely (and indeed, pleasantly) surprising, and it certainly makes for good acapella. It goes a long way to making the sentiments behind the songs seem genuine – for those of the patriotic persuasion, prepare for a performance of “Loch Lomond” that’ll make your knees shiver.

But even more than quality, what marks out The Other Guys is their rich tonality. Falling somewhere between glee club and old school barbershop, the harmonic layering of each vocalist during more group-orientated numbers is so rich and layered that it’s difficult to convey without hearing it. It’s the taste of red wine, or the smell of pine smoke – substantive, deep and intricate.

However, this interoperability is a fickle advantage: despite lending a definite veneer of quality to their songs, it comes at a cost: the more energetic numbers sometimes lacked the volumatic punch needed to fully capture the spirit of their original composition; and whilst tailor-made to show off that rich barber-shop-esque quality, the arrangements occasionally failed to show the same uniqueness which makes the vocals themselves so compelling.

Ultimately, though, it’s hard to deny the charm and talent of this group of young men. From acapella virgins to die-hard fans, this is a show that demands to be seen. Despite its shortcomings, Well Hung is a rare thing: a feast for the ears in which one can choose their portion. It’s very easy to get lost in the sheer vocal texture – but equally so to simply watch as the beauty unfolds.

 

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Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Jacob Close (Seen 20 August)

Visit the Other  archive.

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

+3 Interview: Knock Knock

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“I decided to do my Penniless Tour for Shelter from Land’s End to Edinburgh (120 gigs with no money or transport).”

WHO: Damian Kingsley – Comedian

WHAT: “A story about identity and pretentiousness for anyone with a friend or partner who’s become a bit of prick. All donations go to Shelter as part of the penniless tour from Lands’ End. No admission after start.”

WHERE: Laughing Horse @ Bar 50 (Venue 151)

WHEN: 15:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my first solo, one hour show but, like most comics, I came up doing compilation shows, two handers and then a work in progress show – building up material over the years.

Tell us about your show.

My show’s about how life can unravel and spiral into crisis and it’s the reason behind why I decided to do my Penniless Tour for Shelter from Land’s End to Edinburgh (120 gigs with no money or transport). It’s about trust, identity and the people that are there to pick up the pieces of your life when it goes wrong.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

I don’t really see any point in them seeing other stuff but, if they have to, I’d recommend Aidan Killian, John Hastings, Athena Kugblenu and Paul McMullan.

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+3 Review: The Free Association – Jacuzzi (Pleasance: 4-21 Aug: 23.00 : 1hr)

Posted in 4*, Comedy, EdFestivals, EdFestivals 2016, Pleasance, Potterrow & Teviot, Rated: Nae Bad by

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 “Wild, witty and wickedly funny”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars Nae Bad

I always approach live improv shows with a degree of trepidation: though a lot of the fun lies in its often wild unpredictability, it’s easy for a forced joke or sudden case of comedian’s block to sour an entire set. However, from the moment the Free Association players arrived on stage, I felt as if the audience was in very safe hands.

Basing scenes from improvised monologues by “special guests”, it’s a streamlined one-two punch of comedy flavours. The changeover from stand-up style presentation to off-the-wall improv is smooth, sharp and very crisp, handily overcoming the transitional inertia that would threaten less cohesive groups. From start to finish, it’s this veneer of professionalism that really brings the Free Association together; very seldom is improv so akin to a well-oiled machine.

But far from it to say the comedy is mechanical: I’d almost recommend a helmet to protect against the ideas bouncing off the walls. From Blue Peter themed suicide pacts to rad skateboarding private-school bait-and-switches (it somehow made sense at the time), you’d be hard pressed to try and follow the cognitive bead of sense for more than ten minutes – and this show is all the better for it. Despite a few jokes which fell flat or dampened the usually excellent energy, when the material’s good, it’s hysterical.

This unpredictability was aided by the novel way in which the Free Association goes about its work. They tout themselves as being “based on the American style of long-form improv but with [their] own unique spin”, and the latter is pointedly true. Jacuzzi often blurs the line between short form and long form improv, with overarching plots and characters weaving in and out of the utter chaos on stage at breakneck pace.

For a more amateur company, this may have been a tall order, but the talent driving this show can’t be denied. Despite the extreme difficulty in discerning a favourite from such a strong cast,  Comedy MVP inevitably must go to Alison Thea-Skot: I’ve never seen such a wide comedic range – it’s a hard job to make an audience really believe they’re watching a heavily-scottish football coach who’s forcibly making their players fat to win games  – again, plenty of sense at the time – but I’ll be damned if I didn’t expect a true-life biopic about it to be in the works by the time the set ended.

The Free Association is certainly deserving of its acclaim. Wild, witty and wickedly funny, “Jacuzzi” is a classic example of improv comedy done right.

 

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Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Jacob Close (Seen 17 August)

Visit the  Pleasance, Potterrow & Teviot archive.

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

+3 Interview: Children Are Stinky

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“We wrote the show very quickly and literally threw it on stage at the Melbourne Fringe after 8 rehearsals.”

WHO: Malia Walsh & Chris Carlos – Writers and Performers

WHAT: “With a rocking soundtrack, high calibre circus, hilarity and a five-star sell-out Australian debut, Children are Stinky is a show to be seen. Expect daredevil stunts, incredible acrobatics, lightning fast hula hoops, fun and loads of laughs leaving both adults and children with their jaws on the floor wanting more.”

WHERE: Assembly George Square Gardens (Venue 3)

WHEN: Times Vary (45 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Malia performed/produced a show 6 years ago in Edinburgh with Circus Trick Tease – a trio circus show (more for grown ups). The experience was wonderful, delightful and terrifying! But we are delighted to be back again.

Tell us about your show.

Tell us about your show; who wrote it; who’s producing it; how did the company come together; did this production premier before Edinburgh; where are you taking it after?

We wrote the show very quickly and literally threw it on stage at the Melbourne Fringe after 8 rehearsals. The response was huge so we did the Adelaide Fringe and now we are here. The show is still so fresh, new and young. We are quite amazed wight the response here in Edinburgh, and the award has totally blown us away.

We have done absolutely everything ourselves on a shoe string, Malia produced, made the costumes and remixed the sound tracks, Chris is a master of tricks and choreography. The whole production is actually family affair, Malia’s partner made the set and their son drew the image for the posters. Chris mum took care of the merchandise and his bestie did the lighting design. Thank goodness for family right.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

It’s totally bias but we are immensely proud of all the Australian theatre here…. Tink Tank (bunk puppets), How to be a Rock Star and Trash Test Dummies are top notch family shows. Strong Female Character, Betty Grumble (but only for the grown ups) and Zoe Coombs Marr are incredible solo shows pushing art in amazing directions… And Briefs and Hot Brown Honey will actually blow your top off!!!

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+3 Interview: Alex Kealy Is An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“This is my first full hour of comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe.”

WHO: Alex Kealy – Comedian

WHAT: “So You Think You’re Funny finalist and land mammal Alex Kealy presents his debut show. Rejected titles include Kealing Me Softly and Touchy Kealy.”

WHERE:  Underbelly Med Quad, Daisy Room (Venue 296)

WHEN: 21:50 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

An answer in two parts; this is my first full hour of comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe but I’ve been coming up over the last few years to split hours and perform half hour sets. It’s been really fun this year, it’s a much more exciting prospect to be doing a full show and I’m enjoying the whole experience a lot.

Tell us about your show.

My show is stand-up comedy, and it’s split between self-deprecating gags about my own appalling romantic life and political comedy about the US election, Brexit and privilege.

I also wrote it because I’m a renaissance man (if a renaissance man meant “performing and writing stand-up comedy”, which it doesn’t).

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

Well, I’m typing this at The Scottish Parliament building near Holyrood as there’s the Festival of Politics on so there’s your Not A Comedy Thing recommendation from ol’ Keals.

I’m about to watch a speechwriter with the highly improbable name Barton Swaim give a talk – he wrote a great book about his time working for South Carolina Governor Mark Sandford, a charismatic man who spoke in mangled sentences and whose promising political career was brought down by a sex scandal. It’s gonna be great.

Other than that, go see Goose’s show Hydroberserker at Assembly George Square Gardens; it had me laughing the whole way through and is a fantastically bold comedy show which uses music, video and audience interaction in consistently innovative ways.

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+3 Interview: Barbarians

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2016 by

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“I’m a battle-scarred veteran.”

WHO: Ben Van der Velde – Performer

WHAT: “Thanks to Genghis Khan’s friskiness we’re all 8% barbarian, but were we ever that civilised in the first place? A pretty sobering thought as you play on your iPhone whilst sipping a skinny mocha-latte. Big questions require big answers, and so long as you don’t equate big with accurate, you’re in for a treat!”

WHERE: Laughing Horse @ The White Horse (Venue 296)

WHEN: 17:30 (55 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

I’m a battle-scarred veteran. I first came up with the Oxford Imps and larked around doing daft improv for 4 four years. I then performed in a bunch of gang shows with great acts like James Acaster and Andrew Doyle, hosted the Big Value Showcase and have done two previous solo shows: Chain Letter and Strudelhead.

Tell us about your show.

Barbarians is my third solo show and I think and hope, my best one. It’s about how human being’s fight or flight response is not calibrated for the modern world and can lead us to make terrible spur of the moment decisions. Obviously it’s not as dry as that sounds – hopefully the show doesn’t descend into an anthropology lecture and I’ve managed to cram in jokes about Sweden, lions and Islamic fundamentalism.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

They should absolutely go and see a play called Every Brilliant Thing at Summerhall. It is warm, bittersweet, hilarious, inclusive and devastating. It was the best thing I saw last year and I’m off to see it again today!

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