Category Archives: EdFestivals

Jess Carrivick: Attention Seeker (WIP) at Venue 236 until 24th AUG (not 11th or 18th)

Posted in 5*, Comedy, EdFestivals 2024, Greenside, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by

“…a must-see for anyone who loves comedy; it would also serve as a masterclass for those who hope to bring a one-hander show to the Fringe.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Regular readers of this site will know that I’ve got a bit of a thing about solo shows this year. They’ve been one of the mainstays of the Fringe for decades (especially one-woman shows) and are becoming a genre all of their own. The quality of such shows can be highly variable, but this one is the best I’ve seen this summer by a country mile.

Jess Carrivick is a self-confessed “almost” ex-child TV star nepo baby and in this show she tells the story of her life. In a whirlwind of character vignettes, multiple costume changes, bits, skits, and sketches, she whisks us on an absurdist journey which showreels her first ten years that peaked with BBC TV sitcom stardom in the noughties. Apart from one genuinely tearful episode this is a laugh-a-minute romp, see-sawing between hilarious observations on the mundanity of post-fame life and peeks behind the barbed wire curtain of celebrity telly.

As both performer and writer (2021 BAFTA Rockcliffe shortlist), Carrivick pulls off a tour de force in the small black-box Mint Studio, part of the Greenside @ George Street venue. An experienced improv and sketch comedienne, she’s one of those confident and engaging performers it’s impossible not to like. In several silent routines, she has the audience in stitches of laughter with her range of facial expressions and stares that speak a thousand words. A brilliant caricaturist, she evokes a number of showbiz and “civilian” stereotypes with mercilessly effective style and aplomb; regularly complemented by her own deprecating self-criticism. In some gently merciful and non-embarrassing audience participation, she effectively gives a little stage skill coaching to those punters keen to join in the fun. A skilled performer to her fingertips, Carrivick even manages to entertain whilst getting changed behind her costume rail.

At 45 minutes, this is an ideal piece of quickfire entertainment to squeeze in between other shows as you sample the delights of George Street. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves comedy; it would also serve as a masterclass for those who hope to bring a solo show to the Fringe.

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‘Spy Movie: The Play!’ (Venue 33, Aug 9-12, 14-19, 21-26)

Posted in 4*, Comedy, EdFestivals 2024, Pleasance, Pleasance, Potterrow & Teviot, Rated: Nae Bad, Theatre by

“The ensemble cast of four keep the laughs coming at a whirlwind pace. “

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

This hilarious spoof homage to the Bond movie franchise is a fast-paced satire which sends up pretty much every scene from Dr No to The Spy Who Loved Me. But you don’t need to be a fan of Ian Fleming’s 007 to appreciate the quickfire wordplay in this show, which bears the same relationship to the genre it parodies as Blazing Saddles does to westerns, or Police Squad does to 1970s TV cop shows. The premise of the show is that what you’re seeing on stage is a pitch to an audience of Hollywood movie producers to get the script turned into a film. The farcically disastrous goings-on are reminiscent of The Play That Goes Wrong; and two of the cast members you see were in that very show.

The protagonist of The Greatest Spy Movie (N)ever Made is Jane Blonde, who has 24 hours to save the world and likes her martinis “shaken, stirred, and jiggled”. Along the way, she must contend with the global criminal network EVIW, which stands for Every Villain In [the] World (just think about how a cockney would pronounce the word “evil”). From the first moments we are treated to merciless skits of scenes that are the hallmark of every classic Bond movie you’ll have seen: the opening credits sequence; the briefing from M; a chase down a ski slope; a trans-European rail journey; a car chase.

The ensemble cast of four keep the laughs coming at a whirlwind pace. Jo Hartland plays Jane Blonde with cool panache (though she refuses to dye her hair blonde), whilst the versatile Emily Waters tickles the funny bone playing character roles ranging from M (pronounced “mmm”) to super-villain Mr Lovely. James Watterson doubles as spy novelist Ian Flemish and American secret double agent Randy Lust. The irrepressible Matthew Howell plays just about everyone else and certainly gets to wear the greatest variety of hats as he darts seamlessly from role to role.

Using a minimal set consisting of a pair of curtains, the pseudo-cinematic action is irreverently created by some highly co-ordinated and inventive use of props, always with the tongue planted firmly in the cheek. The show’s publicity warns of loud sound effects, flashing lights and lasers, and smoke/haze, all used to create a lively sense of anarchic slapstick. This is also probably the only show in Edinburgh this season that makes use of an actual flying helicopter.

Staged in the Beneath auditorium at the Pleasance Courtyard, the show runs for nearly the whole of this month, excepting Tuesdays. Starting at midday, it’s an ideal laugh-a-minute show for all of the family. It’s already selling well, so Get Your Coats On and go buy your tickets!

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EdFringe Talk: The Chairs Revisited

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“We’re not only actors but also producers, marketeers, writers, translators, designers, proof readers, costume designers, pencilpushers (a term from the play) and roadies.”

WHO: Louise

WHAT: “Following five-star success with Miss Julie (*****, ThreeWeeks) and The Nine Lives of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (*****, CafeBabel.com), the veterans are back with a perfect lockdown party. Picture an ancient couple, beached in life and marooned in some isolated spot, inviting many imaginary guests. Sometimes life is more absurd than fiction. ‘Brilliant new version of Eugene Ionesco’s surreal, funny and moving mini-masterpiece with rhyming rhythms and sizzling dialogue’ (Scotsman). ‘A pot-pourri of word-plays, slapstick and physical comedy. Well-paced theatre and highly entertaining. A wee bit like Waiting for Godot meets The Marx Brothers’ ***** (Herald).”

WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter House – Other Yin (Venue 24) 

WHEN: 10:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This will be our 15th time at the the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Over the years this Festival has grown and grown and grown and grown and exploded all over town to as far as Leith in the north and the Meadows in the south. In 1996 we were invited by Ricky Demarco and the Demarco European Art Foundation to perform the Chairs in his St. Mary’s School building in Albany Street in Edinburgh’s NewTown. There were other theatre groups from Eastern Europe and in the front of the building was an art exhibition with new work by Jimmy Boyle. We probably fitted into his
Eastern Europe programme because Eugene Ionesco is from Romania. The next year our Director
Andrew Dallmeyer got us into The Assembly Rooms on George Street in a long and narrow room
with crystal chandeliers on a tiny high stage where you could easily fall off. Of course we haven’t
been every year but pretty regularly though. Producing and writing takes a lot of time and research especially if you wear all the hats. We’re a small company but we have performed in all the big venues. New and existing plays, we’ve brought it all to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We’re not only actors but also producers, marketeers, writers, translators, designers, proof readers, costume designers, pencilpushers (a term from the play) and roadies. It is great to see how much people can enjoy the imagination that is inherent to theatre. It is an event of communication in which the experience of imagery is shared with others. The Festival is great to discover new talent, to see such a variety of performers and the city is buzzing with creative energy.

But to get them to your show…. You have to work hard get an audience in. They don’t come flying
in like that, especially when there is so much choice, so you REALLY have to work for it. It’s
always nice to run into people who say their friend urged them to come and see us. Word of mouth is the best publicity. We can’t complain, we’ve always had very decent audience numbers and even some groupies that check us out whenever we’re back.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Since 2023 we learned that Absurd theatre is appreciated and recognized much more in this day and age than in the past. And we see a much wider range of people – young, old, comedians, and people who would never go to a theatre play – all craving to have an absurd experience that touches on the essence of life. Before the Covid pandemic absurdity in Western Europe was a term only used by dramaturgs or high brow theatre critics to describe incomprehensible niche plays. In Eastern Europe absurdity and black humour was part and parcel of daily life. A way to cope with the stark reality of daily life. A way to express yourself and talk about things that mattered. Since the pandemic however we have all been experiencing absurdity in our daily lives: rigorous rules that had to be obeyed turned out to be rules that changed every day. Experts on virus infections had more unanswered questions every day. Nothing was certain, everything was real and not real at the same time. Theatres were closed, technical operators found new work installing solar panels. People changed careers because of Covid, divorced or fell in love, lost friends and neighbours, bought dogs for company and suddenly realized what really mattered in life. Ionesco was a close friend of Samuel Beckett. They lived in Paris and were part of a group of European writer friends who, after the horrors of World War II, had a different look on life. They concentrated on the emptiness and absurdity we encounter in our lives. Now we recognize their take on the world.

Another thing learned since 2023 is that the importance of social media is nothing to be sniffed at. I never cared much for social media, but now really have to force myself to contribute to all the different platforms on behalf of the company. It’s a steep learning curve. This way to advertise and keep people informed, to me feels as an easy, lazy and ephemeral way to communicate and work yourself into the picture. Apparently it’s the thing to do so we have to adapt to that phenomenon and go with the flow. I still prefer language over emojis and the old-fashioned contact between real people over all that digital froth. Funnily enough on my rounds I meet a lot of people who re-appreciate the old legwork and real contact with someone who is involved in a show over the virtual deluge of information they are forced to swallow every day.

Tell us about your show.

Eugene Ionesco wrote The Chairs in 1952. He wrote many other plays like Rhinocéros. That play deals with the temptations of Fascism. A very bizarre play, probably because it is not realistic but at the same time a very striking a comparison with our own society. That is his strength and that is what we liked about The Chairs. A very old couple, living on a remote lighthouse island. One day the old man decides it is time to reveal his message to the world and invites all the great and the good to come and listen to his message to mankind. We hear the boat arriving, the doorbells – they have many front doors -we see the chairs they pull out from every nook and cranny but we don’t see any real guests. However we can imagine very well what they all look like and how they (mis)- behave.

After the pandemic we decided to take up this play again because it made so much sense all of a sudden. We call our new translation The Chairs Revisited because the same actors are coming back with the same play, after 28 years, to the same festival. During the Covid pandemic we all had to adapt to living in small bubbles. Just like that old couple in the play. Those restrictions led to apathy and depression for some of us and to revolt, protests and inventive actions for others. What can you do when all entertainment and all sportclubs shut down? You go for a walk in the woods. There we stumbled on secret meetings: friends gathering in the middle of nowhere far out on the moors, looking over their shoulders while carefully nipping at glasses, passing around a bottle of Gin. We passed grandparents and grandchildren sitting on a fallen tree the midst of the woods. With all the restaurants and theatres shut where else to go for fun and entertainment? Experts and politicians, that we looked up to, had to bring hope and clarity but in the end proved to be inexperienced weak humans like the rest of us. They did not know the answers to all our questions and misbehaved as much as the rest of us. All this and more (Greta Thunberg) you can find back in our new translation/adaptation of the play from 1952. We plan to bring it to other theatres after the Fringe and are working on a Dutch translation to be able to show it in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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

Please go an see other theatre productions during this Festival. It is a small section in the Fringe guide but worth exploring. What about Myra’s Story. I keep running into people who were deeply moved by this play, a one woman show and I plan to see it this year now my schedule will not clash. Grandma ‘s shop sounds really interesting, a granddaughters investigation in the life of her own grandmother, new work and multi characters. Also in Gilded Balloon Patter House: The Steamie. It is a fantastic play done by a great team with music, funny and heart warming. And don’t forget the comedians: Jason Byrne, I saw him a couple of years ago, he never fails to surprise you with anarchy and fun. Michelle Brasier, saw her last year, she’s a powerhouse very inspiring, good connection with her audience and quick witted. And of course: the magician Caspar Thomas who combines self-deprecating humor with really clever tricks and a very good with his audience. Check out Anu Vaidyanathan. I met her last year, we were both flyering for our shows and found her already very funny off stage, this year our shows are not at the same time and I plan to go to her show at Gilded Balloon.

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EdFringe Talk: Shaolin Clown

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

“I’m not here with any expectations rather than hone this new physical comedy show to perfection.”

WHO: Tom Corradini

WHAT: “Physical and visual comedy. A Shaolin monk relives his childish and clownish soul in his Zen practice, discovering a world always full of surprises and which finds its meaning in seemingly insignificant little things. Suitable for all ages and nationalities.”

WHERE: Banshee Labyrinth – Chamber Room (Venue 156) 

WHEN: 19:20 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my second time at the Edfringe. Previously, I was here in 2012 with another solo show (titled ‘Superheroes’). Then, sotospeak, a lot of water passed under the bridge. I produced and written several shows (you can find some of the scripts on Amazon), set up my theatre company, created a physical theatre festival, became a full time YouTuber and also set up a talent agency for film and TV during covid which has taken a life of its own. I did A LOT of festivals around the world (Brighton, Prague, Tallinn, Adelaide) and attended for 6 years AVIGNON OFF (I’ have written the only guide available in English for non-French speaking companies interested in attending Avignon off, titled “The Avignon Off Rough Guide”). Now I’m back to Edinburgh as the final step of a summer tour that took me to Prague Fringe, Athens, Avignon Off and now here.

I’m not here with any expectations rather than hone this new physical comedy show to perfection. As a matter of fact I’m not even listed on the official guide of the festival (I’m part of PBH Free Fringe and I’m listed there).

I just wanted to do as many performances as I could with my show and also go back to Edinburgh to feel its vibe. When you are a full time performer like me and travelling like I do (this season China, India, Germany, France, Italy, etc.) it’s easy to isolate yourself in your own bubble. I like watching shows and see what’s around.

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

The most important lesson I learned in 2023 is to care less about what other people think of me and to follow my way. I’m very much into alternative comedy. In 2023 I decided to go full time on YouTube impersonating MUSSOLINI. I have a live feed every Wednesday where I take questions as Mussolini and my channel made over 1 million 200 thousand views in 2023.

I’d like to take this show I have in Edinburgh to countries I have never touched: Iraq, Iran, Algeria and other countries in Asia. The New World… as the old one is crumbling to pieces. I’m not trying to follow mainstream. I don’t want to be ‘discovered’ – I want to create my own destiny.

Tell us about your show.

The idea of the show was born in 2014 after I read a book titled “Shaolin – Du musst nicht kämpfen, um zu siegen!” (Shaolin you don’t have to fight in order to win) by Bernhard Moestl. At the time I was living in Berlin and going through a major transformational period. I started to develop the clown character of a Shaolin monk in Berlin, doing lots of open mic nights there. Then I carried on with my other shows (in 2018 I performed 169 days out of the year) and kind of forgot about it.

In 2022 I performed in Vietnam and South Korea with another show I produced and I had to retrain an actor to perform with me (I usually play this show, titled “The Lehman Brothers” with another actor, you can find the photo catalogue of that experience on Amazon if you search for “The Lehman Brothers Asia Tour”). The whole experience was tyring for me so I finally decided to go solo with a silent comedy show. This is the 3rd silent comedy show I’ve produced (and I written tons of others)

In 2023 I partecipated in the Tallinn Fringe festival and used that opportunity to premiere the show there. Then after a winter/spring pause I’m now touring with it all over the summer.

As I said I’d like to take the show to the Middle East and Asia.

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

It’s a funny question. Edfringe is soooooooooooo DIVERSE, so much to see. I’d say watch another show of the PBH Fringe. Discover tomorrow’s new artists. Stay away from the mainstream.

I’d also say go watch Tim Licata A MAGIC MORNING! (for kids) and James UNBEFLEAVABLE! A FLEA CIRCUS MAGIC SHOW – they are before and after my show. Incredible guys.

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EdFringe Talk: Showtime!

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2024 by

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“I truly feel Edinburgh Fringe is the most magical place on Earth; it is one of my happiest places in the world.”

WHO: Em Hoggett aka EM The Master

WHAT: “If Tim Burton met Stephen Sondheim in the KitKat Club… and they were a woman… This twisted one-woman musical is an electric exploration of the life of the artist. As Amelia’s prime source of inspiration, her charismatic alter-ego, The Master, gradually becomes her sadistic captor, we travel through the depths of workaholism and the lengths one will go in pursuit of “the dream”. A frantic Dad, dodgy agent, oh… and that 65-year-old boyfriend, all come to life through The Master’s larger-than-life ‘Show Dahling!’, while Amelia believes one thing is more important than entertaining an audience: the truth.”

WHERE: C ARTS | C venues | C aurora – studio (Venue 6) 

WHEN: 19:45 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes! I’ve been as a punter many times, but this is my first time performing at the Fringe. It has been a lifelong dream of mine and I am so thrilled and excited to finally be realising it! I truly feel Edinburgh Fringe is the most magical place on Earth; it is one of my happiest places in the world. It is so unusual to have an entire city dedicate itself to the arts for a full month. Being surrounded by the energy, the creativity, the plethora of shows – it’s such a gift to be here. I know that being a performer will be a very different experience, but I can’t wait to jump in!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

In January 2023 I was hit with a sudden, shocking vocal injury followed by general illness which saw me bed-ridden for months. At that point I was performing 1-3 times per week, and I suddenly had to cease all performances. I have not performed since, so this will be my return to the stage after 18 months. It was extremely challenging and led me into an identity crisis and feelings of low self-worth, as I came to terms with the fact I had associated my whole sense of being with my work.

This led me to write and complete a show which had been living in my brain for years. A one-woman-musical, about workaholism. My over-drive led me to collapse last year, and I’ve now written a show which explores to two sides of my mind – my day-to-day self, the artist, and my wild and charismatic alter-ego, The Master, who wants to fight for the dream at all costs. I realised that this side of me was killing me and leading me down a road of more and more destruction.

The major things I have learnt from this experience is that wellbeing MUST come first, that balance is essential, that there is more to life than my work, and that there is more to ME than reviews, applause and success. The experience massively opened up my life as I allowed myself to experience joys which I’d deprived myself of, due to being so obsessed with my work. I think that other artists may relate to this battle and I am putting on this show to confront the grind-culture we live in.

I have absorbed this lesson wholeheartedly, but it is still a daily struggle for me, especially in such a full on environment as the Fringe! One day at a time, I hope to value myself more and more and spread a message of ease and calm. We’ll get there! (I hope!).

Tell us about your show.

SHOWTIME! is a twisted one-woman-musical. It is autobiographical and tells the story of a young upcoming female artist and her wild escapades along the way. Told by Amelia, and her enigmatic alter-ego, The Master, we enter a world in which The Master intends to put on the greatest show you’ve ever seen, while Amelia is more interested in uncovering the truth. Hilarious and laugh-out-loud funny to begin with, we soon discover darker truths lying under the surface which cause us to ask… how far will one really go in pursuit of ‘the dream’? Is self-abandonment too far, or expected?

I wrote, produced and composed all of the songs for SHOWTIME! I am absolutely thrilled that Anessa Marie, a fantastic orchestrator/arranger (currently on Broadway in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club), orchestrated all of the songs and brought them to life in such a magical way. Kris Engelstad choreographed the piece, and I am thrilled to have worked with an all-female team on this production.

This is the world premiere and I see a large life for SHOWTIME! beyond the Fringe. I ultimately hope for it to become a longer ensemble musical. But for purposes of the Fringe and finances… I thought ‘well, I guess I’ll just play all the roles myself!’

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

SHOWSTOPPER! the improvised musical – because it’s hilarious and we all love spontaneity! I go every single year!

The Bloody Ballad of Bette Davis – my pals with a brand new original musical!

My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) – years ago I went to school with Rob and it has been a joy to watch their success over the past years. This will be my first opportunity to see the show and I am so excited to see it!

David O’Doherty – hilarious hilarious at The Fringe every year! A must.

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‘Polishing Shakespeare’ (Venue 20, Aug 8-18, 20-25)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2024, Rated: Nae Bad by

“A potentially explosive cocktail ready to flare up on the issue of making Shakespeare more relevant. Relevant to who exactly?”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

Gandhi once said something about how the railways made pilgrimages less meaningful. The journey matters as much as the arrival. Make the journey too simple, too short, too easy and something of great value is lost. For centuries Shakespeare has been mucked about with. It’s strange because nobody ever thinks to rework Jonson or the rest of the Elizabethian / Jacobean hall-of-famers whose works moulder on the subs bench alongside the Bard’s own lesser-performed works. Are uncurious audiences or are overcautious producers to blame for the constant repetition of the greatest hits? Is there a feedback loop? And why have so many people been so keen to impose their own ski lifts and coach tours on the slopes of Mount Shakespeare National Park?

Big money has a big sense of entitlement. Hitch that horse to the creeping bureaucracy of arts funding, add a struggling playwright to the mix and you’ve got a potentially explosive cocktail ready to flare up on the issue of making Shakespeare more relevant. Relevant to who exactly?

Brian Dykstra’s script is high polemic poetry. Every. Single. Word is a masterclass in precision iambic pentameter delivered naturally, fluidly, and candidly. As the billionaire with the billion-dollar idea, Dykstra bestirdes the stage like a colossus. His big Willy Shakespeare energy summons the ghost of the Stratford schoolkid who went to London, made his fortune, and returned to live in the second-biggest house in his auld home town. Bums on seats and coins in the box – the one that lives in the box office – the spirit of enterprise hitched to a purpose, unshackled from any higher motive.

Shakespeare did not live to edit his plays for publication in a folio as Jonson did in 1616. That task was left to Mssrs Heminges and Condell. There is strong evidence to suggest Shakespeare had made a start. In Greenock, there is a copy of North’s translation of Plutarch with an impeccable provenance containing much marginalia in need of closer study. The fact that the charms and strength of Shakespeare was overthrown before he could curate his legacy left a space for lesser talents.

As Ms. Branch, Kate Levy is the curatorial middleman all too familiar to us but unknown to Shakespeare whose only paymasters were his public and his Royal booking agent. Levy never entirely decides if she is playing the true villain of the piece, the pandering procuress intent (knowingly or unknowingly) on selling purity and virtue for the right price. Levy plays it safe which is what her character would do. 

The serious heavy-lifting, the role of the besieged struggling playwright Janet, is outstandingly performed by Kate Siahaan-Rigg. Through tongue-twisting monologues, moments of sensational sturm and serious drang Siahaan-Rigg breathes life into the script keeping it real, keeping it thought-provoking.

Is the result on stage always entertaining? I guess that depends on how much you like being repeatedly beaten around the head with an over-extended allegory. Here is a script demonstrating perfectly why direction matters. Margarett Perry is one of the best directors at EdFringe. She has a gift for pace like Elvis had a gift for rhythm. She worked what she’s got into the shape of something truly memorable, perhaps even culturally valuable. Just don’t sit anywhere but dead centre, the show’s blocking must not have made it through customs.

Come for this light and fluffy performance of a hardcore script. Stay for the things that need saying about the state of the arts in our own day and age. Get your coats on and go see this!

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‘Fountain of You’ (Venue 20, Aug 9, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24)

Posted in *Written Interviews, 4*, EdFestivals 2024, Rated: Nae Bad by

“Wróbel plays to the unambiguous ambiguity of the role in perfect contrast to Lucy McClure’s sweetness and light fairy Godmother archetype.”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

Bob Dylan once sang a song about how the tables can turn. How one minute you’re on top of the world and the next you’re on your own, with no direction home, a complete unknown, like a rolling stone. The Patriarchy is like that, always on the scrounge for a new Renfield, a new familiar to be standing by day and night to unquestioningly serve the needs of the bloodsucking sociopath lying in the coffin. So when a 30-something actress is suddenly aged-out of show business, she undergoes a wildly unconventional spa treatment to get her old life back. But it sets her on a whole new path to pursue true power and equality… at a cost.

As the 30-something actress, Martyna Wróbel is a flawless depiction of flawed humanity ready to get red in tooth and claw when the chips are down. The role demands sufficient sympathy to draw us in even as the horrible price to be paid gets reckoned. It’s Dorian Grey without the picture. It’s Sweeny Todd and Frankenstein but with less self-loathing. Wróbel plays to the unambiguous ambiguity of the role in perfect contrast to Lucy McClure’s sweetness and light fairy Godmother archetype, who dabbles in the dark arts by necessity, not choice.  

Selina Savijoki, Jadon Simone Trelour, Kaiyi Xu, and Bernice Jiaxin Zheng are billed as the ‘Esthettes’ and certainly, they deliver sensitivity and beautiful touches by the wheelbarrow full. These were four precision performances which instinctively demonstrated that they knew when to be seen and when to blend into the unfolding drama. Like a Persian rug possessed of a single tiny flaw to remind the viewer that total perfection is totally preserved to divinity, the single slip I spotted – a lighting mirror held the wrong way round during a dance number – served to amplify the meticulous striving for excellence we should expect from an RCS production.

There are plenty of good reasons to see this production, but the most compelling is David Joseph Healy who plays all the good guys as well as all the bad guys. Healy’s character work is funny, studied, striking, hugely impactful and… so my companion – a kittenish cougar – tells me both during and after… it’s sexy. Healy is clearly one to watch which raises the first of several question marks hanging by a horsehair over the banquet.

First, this is a show about how tough women have it, so why give the only male actor half the roles? It’s a glaring flaw in the script which should have sounded some alarm bells. This is a story about the impossible standards women face in the impossibly vain and shallow world of mass light entertainment as they age. And yet it is performed by horribly young and horribly attractive people who are horribly wonderful at everything they do.

Playing to a home crowd at Edinburgh is an incredible privilege, just ask a New Zealander. There’s nothing inherently wrong with privilege but, as Lord Acton did not say, absolute privilege corrupts absolutely. The single worst decision any EdFringe producer can make is to waste time. This was a one-hour story which was allowed to stretch on and on and on. The mantra, show me don’t tell me, works so long as someone is brave enough to make a cut or six where the ‘show me’ is killing the pace and packing. If this script were luggage it would be liable for an excess weight fee.

Still, as a showcase of what the RCS community can make happen, as a showcase of Olympian-level talent on stage and off this show is a triumph worthy of the great legacy and bright future of one of the nation’s most important centres for arts education. Get your Napoleon in rags coats on and go see this!

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‘Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act’ (Venue 20, Aug 8-25)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2024, Rated: Nae Bad by

“Rooted in the best that has gone before Miles-Thomas delivers something I never looked for, never knew I wanted, but suspect I will no longer be able to do without – an intimate understanding of the famously finicky curmudgeon direct from the horse’s mouth.”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

I’ve just had a really good lunch. Breast of Guinea Fowl and a glass or two of something uncomplicatedly red. Peace and quiet in the tranquillity of Edinburgh’s clubland. A very short stroll to the Assembly Rooms and I’m ready to be told a chuffing good story, chuffing well, by a chuffing good actor. SPOILER ALERT: I get exactly that. An uncomplicated hour of familiar canonic classics.

Nigel Miles-Thomas’ classical portrait of Holmes is a lively, astutely judged and gratifyingly authentic homage that should easily pass muster with the purists. Rooted in the best that has gone before Miles-Thomas delivers something I never looked for, never knew I wanted, but suspect I will no longer be able to do without – an intimate understanding of the famously finicky curmudgeon direct from the horse’s mouth. Holmes without Watson to translate him into human is a tall order.

Edinburgh’s own Conan Doyle has been adapted more times than the Napoleon of Austerlitz has had hot biographies. Adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes universe are ten a penny but EdFringe punters have come to expect solid gold by those taking the road more travelled. There’s gold in this thar script by Holmesian hyper scholar, David Stuart Davies. Davies’ Holmes is humble, he recognises how much he needed Watson and is man enough to admit that he might have said so more clearly and more often. Holmes on the level is a much more amiable after-lunch companion than would have been the emotionally stunted, emotionally unavailable Sheldon Cooper Sherlock the arrogant SOB high on his own genius.

Cards on the table, the show’s director Gareth Armstrong produced what I consider to be the finest thing I have ever, and am ever likely to see at EdFringe – ‘The Rape of Lucrece’ performed by Gerard Logan in 2012. This was not so brilliant, nothing could be. I find myself wondering if there is rather too much material that’s been left in. A Fringe hour is like a suitcase, there is an artistry to packing it right and there’s something here that’s missing by its very presence. The high Victoriana set and properties did not sit comfortably with such determined minimalism. I’d have liked to have seen more movement, more business, more theatre framing Miles-Thomas’ exquisite portraiture. 

Like all brilliant careers, the Holmes universe lends itself to the retrospective scope. This is an adaptation which delivers the goods, although you’ll have to unpack them yourself. Let’s be clear, this is a potboiler but it’s as welcome as a Le Creuset coming out of the Aga and into good, companionable company. Get your Inverness capes on and go see this!

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‘Black and White Tea Room: Counsellor’ (Venue 20, Aug 8-11, 13-18, 20-25)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2024, Rated: Nae Bad by

“It’s as though the Roaring Forties had popped by for high tea on a balmy summer’s day.”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

We enter to find a man sitting alone at a table. Control. This is a man in control. This is a man with a preference for control. The telephone rings. His visitor has arrived at the station. If the visitor follows the man’s instructions, then he will arrive shortly. The man puts a vinyl record on. There is no sound. The record spins round and round but no sound do we hear.

The visitor arrives. He is younger. He is dishevelled. He is not at ease. The visitor’s pulsing anxiety is in uncomfortable disharmony with the quiet tearoom where the man he has come to see provides counselling sessions in addition to light refreshments. There are rituals to be observed. Trust must be built. The man guides his visitor through the opening steps of their structured conversation. Trust will be essential if progress is to be made even as the mystery as to who these individuals are deepens, unravels, and ties itself in further knots. The man is not just any man, he is The Man – the kindly brute. The visitor is not just any random, he has a past to dredge and resentment to air.

As The Man, EdFringe favourite Nicholas Collett is as understated as a deadly cobra waiting to strike. Like a magician of auld he conjures the sturm directing the gale forces into a cyclonic hurricane of emotional turmoil in which both men will be torn apart. The Man is not without his own pain, not without his own losses. The Man is all too human which is why having an actor celebrated for his dramatic and emotional intelligence is such an important fit for this occasionally puzzling play. Collett is the lightning rod that keeps the ornate edifice from burning down.

As the visitor, Jonathan Kemp (of Drama Studio London faculty fame) delivers the drang, the stress that upsets The Man’s tranquillity with a sudden devastating revelation. It’s as though the Roaring Forties had popped by for high tea on a balmy summer’s day. Our perceptions are turned on their head. Has the visitor got a plan? Does he know what he is about? Kemp milks the mystery treading the line between uncertainty and hesitancy with nimbleness. Like something out of Hemmingway, we wonder if Kemp can land his catch. SPOILER ALERT: he does and he does so with an unforgettable, uncomforting authenticity.

This is a script which works in some places and which sags in others. This is a script where the overall wood and the individual trees are not always in perspective. There are gaps not all of which can be explained as a result of British actors tackling a sensitive chapter in Korean history. Still, for those of us who enjoy the bold subtleties of contemporary Korean storytelling, this is a fine vintage from a respected winery blending high drama, some dark comedy, and much to think about.

Come for the high-octane acting. Stay for the rip-roaring ride. Get your feather-down puffer coats on and go see this!

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‘3 Chickens Confront Existence’ (Venue 139, Aug 8-11, 13-18, 20-26)

Posted in 5*, EdFestivals 2024, Rated: Outstanding by

“Three superbly measured and talented performances.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Go see this. Seriously stop reading this review and go see this show. This. Is. It. This is THE show to see this EdFringe. Ludicrous premise. Superb chicken costumes (by the lady who made the hats for ‘Boardwalk Empire’). A genuinely thought-provoking script. Three superbly measured and talented performances.

Three chickens, each alike in indignity, in a battery farm awaiting the inevitable. Can they find meaning? Can they discover purpose? Can they be anything greater than their crappy situation? Over the course of 60 tightly caged minutes, we see ourselves as we are – trapped, vulnerable, pecking for a pellet of joy or comfort as the end draws near. Will it be a welcome release or simply a deeper form of darkness? You’ll laugh till you cry and then you’ll just cry.

Three beings are trapped in a world not of their making. They are confined as confined can get and yet so much of not a lot happens. There are rivalries and jealousies. There are quiet moments of reflection, sudden bursts of terror, and always the ever-present shadow of the inevitable end – gruesome, heartless, unstoppable.

If you aren’t triggered by the themes in this show, then there is something wrong with you. If you can walk away feeling the same after as you did before, then there is something wrong with you. Theatre is supposed to be triggering. Theatre is supposed to change how we look at the world. Theatre is an unkind mirror. Get your real feather coats on and go see what’s staring back at you!

 

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