Unexpected Excesses (Edinburgh Drawing School Gallery : 9 -30 Aug : from 11am)

Posted in 5*, EdFestivals 2015, Exhibitions, Other, Rated: Outstanding by Steve Griffin

“Prepare to be dazzled”

Walking through the doorway into Unexpected Excesses (an exhibition of work from Jan Knibbs and Lizz Watts), my immediate impression was a riot of colour, texture and form. However, thankfully Watts was there to guide us through the collection and how it was created.

One of the most striking pieces, a framed collage called The Return, juxtaposes broken ceramic teapots with papier mache flowers, which appear to grow from the ground in which the pottery has fallen, representing the circle of life. It was full of vibrancy and energy, and a great example of the vivid style of the work on show.

In talking to Watts about her pieces, she revealed that she likes her work to develop organically. She may start off with an idea but at some point it develops a life of its own, and many pieces tell a story. A favorite theme is nature and the changing seasons. A particularly impressive vase with a group of swans’ necks curving from the lip was always intended to be connected to swans thematically, but the final form they took in the piece was completely organic and unplanned. There are certainly no two pieces alike.

The clothes, hats, shoes and other gloriously opulent and embroidered textiles by Jan Knibbs were displayed on mannequins and elsewhere scattered through the exhibition, the effect combining gracefully with the ceramics.The philosophy behind both the textile and ceramic creations is concerned with practicality as well as being stunning to look at: the clothes and shoes are wearable, the bowls and vases usable.

What really makes this exhibition special is that it is both interactive and experiential. Not only are visitors able to talk to the artists but they are also positively encouraged to handle the pieces, feel them and examine them closely. In doing this it can be a pleasant surprise to find a continuation of the decorative motif on the inside or throughout pieces, as well just on the surface. On top of this, when I visited, a harpist (Bianca Watts) appeared and played for us to give an added layer of decadence, and I was lucky enough to be given a glass of Prosecco to enrich my Sunday afternoon with further “unexpected excess”. If that weren’t enough, visitors are invited to contribute a few lines to a daily poem, started by poet in residence Dawn Gorman, in order to really become part of the work.

As one might expect, this exhibition is an extravagant, beautiful and seemingly chaotic collection of work. Yet there was a real cohesion to it – the ceramics complemented the textiles, and all the added extras fit perfectly into the overall theme. On close examination there were many hidden treasures: ribbons at the back of dresses, decoration inside pots, and lots of small details that made me want to keep examining every piece further. The atmosphere in the room was intimate and relaxed without feeling stuffy or overpowering.

This exhibition is called Unexpected Excesses, and it’s easy to understand that some visitors may see the room, and indeed some of the pieces in it, as too much, too ornate, a gilded lily. But whether it’s your personal taste or not, it’s definitely worth experiencing. There is a varied programme of guest artists and things going on, from poetry to music, as well the incredible art on display. Check the programme before planning your visit, or just turn up and prepare to be dazzled.

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 16 August)

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THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

Photo credits: Bill Johnston

18Aug2015

To Kill A Machine (ZOO, 7 – 31 Aug : 20.55 : 1hr)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2015, Other, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre, ZOO by Steve Griffin

“One of the finest acting performances I have ever seen at the Fringe”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars: Outstanding

In a year that has seen Alan Turing receive an official royal pardon and a blockbuster film about his achievements, it seems somewhat surprising that there aren’t more shows at this year’s Fringe about him. However, this work from Welsh company Scriptography Productions is absolutely sensational, and features on of the finest acting performances I have ever seen on the Fringe.

The play starts with Turing as a schoolboy, and goes on to show his first love, his work at Bletchley, and the relationship that would see him found guilty of gross indecency. It’s certainly not afraid to be bold, and at times brutal, focussing primarily on Turing’s sexual identity and personal life.

Turing himself is played by Gwydion Rhys, who brings so much emotional depth, softness and realism to this disturbed character that I genuinely wanted to jump on stage and stand in the way of him being chemically castrated in the play’s final scene. It’s a controlled and commanding performance without ever being over the top, and well worthy of a Fringe award. The supporting cast of Rick Yale, Francois Pandolfo and Robert Harper, who between them play 14 characters, also deliver highly commendable performances.

The production moves at quite a fast pace, but it’s the moments of stillness and sensitivity, which to me were the most powerful. In particular, watching Turing’s mind whir as he develops his theory for the first computer, and his damning confession and inability to lie while in the witness box are utterly compelling.

While I wasn’t 100% convinced by snippets of the high energy quiz show scattered throughout, which posed questions to reflect theories developed by Turing, these sections did serve as a stark Brechtian contrast and awakening to his manipulation and ultimate downfall. I would have liked to have seen a closer integration between these sections and the genuine interrogation he received in the courtroom to really complete the circle of that idea.

It was also disappointing for me that this show was only an hour long, I could easily have stayed engaged for two, and would have welcomed more exploration into some of the other themes – gender identity, machines vs humans, and more cultural context of the period of his life. In saying that, for the length it was, I think it was written and structured excellently, with an engrossing narrative and compelling action. This show is a must-see.

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 17 August)

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17Aug2015

An Improvised Murder (New Waverley Arches, 16 – 22 Aug : 20:00 : 1hr)

Posted in 3*, EdFestivals 2015, Other, Theatre by Steve Griffin

“It felt like a real murder mystery”

Editorial Rating: 3 Stars

One can’t really walk for more than five minutes through Edinburgh’s old town in August without someone trying to get you to see something improvised. From musicals to films, Jane Austen to Dickens: you name it, a troupe of overly excited students will improvise it. However I thought I’d see my first “unique” show of the year in a genre I haven’t yet experienced – an improvised murder mystery.

The improvisation follows a familiar formula: a facilitator gathers ideas and directions from the audience as a basis for the players to act out a show. Why? The facilitator needs help to pitch a last minute script to an imaginary producer, and the improvisation will become that script. You’ll follow…

Our show, thanks to audience suggestions, was to be set in a bank in Tyneside, and the troupe got to it right away with barely a moment’s thought. It was a bit of a slow burner to start with as the players established characters and relationships, but when the imaginary producer called to interrupt the action, new suggestions were given to the actors by the facilitator and off we went again.

I was pleasantly surprised at how the group managed to build tension and possible motives for murder following the first interruption. From exposing fraudulent financial activity, to the old favourite of spurned and jealous lovers, it wasn’t long before it felt like a real murder mystery.

As the audience we get to pick who gets killed half way through, and we’re then able to quiz each player with any question we choose, which they answer on the spot. This section was great as we could directly engage with the characters, and I was able to forget that I was watching a completely improvised show.

While it’s a shame that not every suggestion we made was accepted, and that one player had to spend the majority of the show with a pig attached to his leg (not my idea…), the developments and twists did generally turn the drama up a notch, so it was good to have a facilitator adept at knowing when changes need to be made.

It wasn’t perfect though: players at times forgot which accent they were supposed to be doing and occasionally even what their own names were. However, it was certainly a nice change from other improvised shows out there and a very promising Edinburgh debut from Foghorn Improv. As the run goes on and the players get more into the swing of things, I’m sure they’ll shake off these basic errors.

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 16 August)

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15Aug2015

The Art of Reduction and the Distillation of Humanity (Jenners: Aug. 19, 21 – 23, 25 – 26, 28 – 29 : 1hr 30m)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2015, Events, Other, Rated: Nae Bad by Alan Brown

Picture of Delta flag & anorak. John Mark Di Ciacca.

” .. Choice flavours, like custard creams and Fisherman’s Friend, and choice knowledge ..”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars: Nae Bad

For a start that’s a crafted title. If you know your whisky making, you might think ‘Angel’s Share’, but precious little escapes the ken of the Whisky Anorak. Take naval flags, for example. If you’re out in a dinghy in the Firth, would you recognise the signal flag ‘Delta’? Me neither. Well, set a course for the old Board Room at Jenner’s and drink your fill of select knowledge, chased down by some very distinctive whiskies. You’ll leave it a happier and wiser person.

OK, it’s a fun history lesson of the 20th Century with three drams – a mellow Spoken Word event rather than ‘Theatre’, but so what? It’s clear, easy-going, and I learnt good stuff. Next time you nose a whisky, hold the glass to one nostril and then to the other one. Sensational! What’s the connection between the Monarch of the Glen – the painting of 1851 – and the 1967 album cover of the Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’? What did the ‘Right Spirit Boys’ use for a cricket bat in 1930? And, your last snifter, what was the CIA’s Project MKUltra all about?

John Mark Di Ciacca is the Whisky Anorak. He has years of experience in the drinks trade behind him and tells us all the answers over the course of ninety minutes. He talks, he uses a PowerPoint slideshow throughout, and he has significant objects: books, bottles, art works, album covers – all over the front of the oak panelled Board Room. It’s a smallish space, with room for ten to twelve, comfortably seated at two nicely dressed long tables with three spotless Glencairn glasses (with tasting caps) at each cover. A teaspoon is to hand to add water – not too much! – and you do need it with the 56.3% Dalmore …

I’m sure there is ‘structure’ to an excellent whisky. John Mark did not use the word but he does use the drink(s) to assemble his talk. Three bottles, three time periods: 1850s to the early 1900s; the 1920s – just consider the effect of Prohibition in the USA upon the whisky business – through to the 1950s; and then from the Cold War to the Internet and beyond. His theme is the liminal, tracing the development of a counter culture whose markers are just visible at the edge of school history books. To take one example: dazzle camouflage from the 1914 -18 war links to Aldous Huxley’s mescaline-induced ‘The Doors of Perception’ (1954) that in turn opens up to ‘The Doors’ (1968) on the tripping West Coast scene in a summer of love.

In-between times, and the lesson dragged just a tad during the 1960s, we enjoyed our whisky tasting and John Mark offered some choice flavours, like custard creams and Fisherman’s Friend, and choice knowledge of old bottle effect and of casks and ‘finishing’.

Where have we got to? Well, the whisky trade has boomed and bust and boomed again, from the Blend to the Single Malt to ‘maybe a product that has lost its way’ where a Dalmore 19 year old ‘Constellation’ bottle can be yours for around £11,000. And as far as the moral story of humanity is concerned, John Mark is a Trekkie, confessing that “The Federation is the way forward.”

That Delta question? Here’s the answer: ‘Keep clear of me; I am manoeuvering with difficulty.” Neat.

Reviewer: Alan Brown (Seen 13 August)

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13Aug2015

Consumption (theSpace on the Mile, 14 Aug – 28 Aug: 11:05 : 55 mins)

Posted in 3*, EdFestivals 2015, Other, Rated: Unrated by Jacob Close

“A show bursting with acting talent”

Editorial Rating: 3 Stars

In a scathing commentary on western practices of consumption and living above one’s means, “Consumption” follows the tragic story of Sebastian, as the ins-and-outs of money, life and love threaten to swallow the unfortunate hero whole in a sea of fake smiles and credit card bills.

And what a tragic hero he is – Mark Wallington absolutely steals the show with his portrayal of seething, raw emotion, resulting in what was the most accurate representation of a man pushed to breaking point I’ve seen on stage. And Grace Bussey should be given praise for her portrayal of self-absorbed stand-in for the upper classes, Penelope: it takes skill to portray a character so viscerally unpleasant, and she does so magnificently. This is a show bursting with acting talent: every cast member pulled their own weight beautifully, and never missed a beat.

Of course, these character portrayals were benefited greatly by the Consumption’s surprisingly realistic dialogue. Whilst some of the more abstract portions of the show may be further removed from reality, the conversations between characters sounded very, very real – I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear some of them in the street. Joanne Griffiths stands up to her considerable writing credentials in this respect, and captures the spoken word with uncanny accuracy.

However, these strengths were overshadowed by weaknesses with the show’s plot, which oscillated wildly between intriguing and ridiculous. Whilst the message is admirable, it’s execution was sloppy: the jibes at western overconsumption weren’t so much on the nose as they were lodged somewhere in the frontal lobe. This was cemented by a major plot point near the end of the second act which ultimately had no consequence, no build-up, and no reason to exist other than to be a neon finger saying “Look at the evil overconsumption hath wrought”.

For a show which portrays its characters with such realism, it seemed so utterly removed from reality that it was nearly comical, betraying the dramatic tension so thick in the first act – and proving an infuriating waste of an otherwise excellent script.

Consumption’s cast should be congratulated on their stellar character work, in what was no doubt a tough show to put together and even tougher to pull off. It’s a shame that certain narrative elements marred it so greatly, especially in a script which showed such promise. With a few more revisions, I’m sure Griffiths’ admirable message can shine in the light it deserves.

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Reviewer: Jacob Close (Seen 12 August)

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THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

11Aug2015

The Rape of Lucrece (Assembly Hall : 10 – 31 Aug : 16:30 : 1hr)

Posted in 4*, EdFestivals 2015, Other, Rated: Nae Bad, Theatre by Jacob Close

“Nothing short of breathtaking”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars Nae Bad

Watching actors tackle Shakespeare can usually be categorised into one of two columns: boring, or brilliant. The latter is much harder to find, which is why watching Gerard Logan’s performance of Shakespeare’s “The Rape of Lucrece” impressed me so thoroughly.

Throughout the narrative poem, which details one of the principal and ghastly acts which led to the founding of the Roman Republic, Logan’s time-honed professionalism shines. His dynamism is nothing short of breathtaking, filling each of the character roles in the work with almost uncanny shifts in energy; grief stricken one moment, and then furious the next without it ever feeling sporadic. This is a piece which has obviously been rehearsed and tweaked to the nth degree, and it shows.

And perhaps the most impressive facet of Logan’s performance was his verbal skill. His speed and dexterity meant that not only did Shakespeare’s Elizabethan writing lose none of it’s meaning, it lost none of it’s original intended impact. Even to someone who has never encountered Shakespeare before, this performance would be easily understandable and immensely enjoyable – at least, in a dramatic sense, given that the subject matter doesn’t easily lend itself to a happy mood.

However, Logan’s seemingly infinite stores of energy sometimes worked against him: certain flourishes in his physical performances, and the feverish speed of some movements, threatened to push select lines over the boundary from compelling to overwrought. And whilst these moments were few and far between in an otherwise well restrained performance, they were nevertheless noticeable.

But despite these small complaints, it was clear from the chatter after the show that the one-man performance was a clear hit – and I cannot say I disagree. Though it may not have made me into a lover of Shakespearean poetry yet, it’s nevertheless an artistic and directorial triumph.

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Reviewer: Jacob Close (Seen 9 August)

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9Aug2015

The Turn of the Screw (Assembly Hall, Aug 6 – Aug 30 : 21:40 : 1hr)

Posted in 2*, EdFestivals 2015, Other, Rated: Nae Bad, Theatre by Jacob Close

“Ambitious, but unmistakeably flawed”

Editorial Rating: 2 Stars Nae Bad

The Turn of the Screw, in the words of it’s author, is a tale wherein “the strange and sinister” is embroidered on the normal for dread rather than horror – bold for the time, and even bolder as a minimalistic, two-person stage play. However, what resulted on stage was much like the mind of the story’s governess: ambitious, but unmistakeably flawed.

Rik Grayson proved a strong and surprisingly diverse actor, playing not only the male narrator but also providing powerful and eerie performances as the housekeeper Mrs Grose and Miles, one of the troubled children. His mannerisms were specific, sustained and on point – he turned what was at first a strangely humorous old woman into a figure of suspicion and palpable dread.

The same, however, cannot be said of his stage mate Suzy Whitefield. Whilst at certain points in the production she showed genuine emotional depth (a tense, genuinely unnerving darkness scene stands out), her performance felt oddly flat throughout the rest of the piece – which unfortunately, due to both the small cast size and the show’s dependence upon her character, took much of the essential fear and trepidation out of the drama. Although at times her fear was completely believable, the sense of a desperate, slowly crumbling human being behind it was not. Whitefield shows promise, but unfortunately certain aspects of her character portrayal hold her back.

This was helped, however, by simple yet brilliantly effective lighting design from the tech team, whose use of light and darkness during night and evening scenes carved the atmosphere so deep into the stage that it was nearly inescapable.

All in all, this was the very epitome of a curate’s egg: both actors had scenes which made my hair stand on end, but at the same time, parts of the show were utterly devoid of the tense, sinister fear that makes The Turn of the Screw such an enduring tale of horror. I sincerely wish I had been able to like it more. With an extra sheen of polish and a few tweaks to the pacing and delivery, this is a production which could be much more powerful.

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Reviewer: Jacob Close (Seen 8 August)

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7Aug2015

Jane Austen’s Persuasion: A New Musical Drama (Assembly Rooms, 6 Aug – 9 Aug : 21:30 : 2hr 45)

Posted in 3*, EdFestivals 2015, Other by Steve Griffin

“The cast were undeniably talented”

Editorial Rating: 3 Stars

I’m always a bit wary of American troupes performing very British shows in Britain, as I’ve so rarely seen them pulled off well. Unfortunately this production did little to change my mind, although there were some very promising moments.

This presentation billed itself as a new musical drama adaption of one of Austen’s finest works. And while I was expecting (and honestly would have preferred) slightly more Broadway than the Gilbert and Sullivan that was presented, the main fault with this show was something of an identity crisis – trying to force twee Jane Austen into a rather melodramatic and operatic saga just didn’t quite fit.

However – the positives: this is a big budget (by Fringe standards) show with fabulous costumes and incredibly detailed projection on the backdrop to show changes in location, time and weather. The cast were undeniably talented, with some incredibly strong voices on show in both solo and group numbers, and the band were faultless.

The narrative stayed very faithful to the original book, was easy enough to follow without ever feeling clunky, and that should be a feather in the cap to adapter Barbara Landis. The script contained enough detail to properly establish each scene and character in full, even if, at just under three hours (including interval), it’s a bit of a slog.

When it came to the acting though, there was a distinct contrast in styles between some of performers, which didn’t help the sense of jarring between what I think the company were trying to achieve and what we saw. While Jeff Diebold as Captain Wentworth showed great sensitivity to the emotion and style of Jane Austen, Barbara Landis as heroine Anne Elliot and John Boss as her father were perhaps the most guilty of over-theatricalising every line. This would have been great in a full-scale opera or vaudeville, but didn’t work with what should have been a more gentle approach to a British masterpiece.

Putting that to one side, the chorus numbers (in particular Who Could Love Like an Irish Man and A Sailor’s Life) were spectacular – they were performed with vim, energy and an incredible blend of voices. Moments like these brought a sense of contrast to a show that was in many other respects distinctly lacking in light and shade due to severe overacting in the more gentle scenes, which made them all feel somewhat samey in mood.

Overall, this show has a lot of the basics to be fantastic, and while the period music and libretto were not to my personal taste, the bones of this original adaptation were sound and would probably please anyone with a preference to more traditional theatre. Although there were some wonderful moments of character and hilarity, I don’t feel the piece really hung together as an operetta, and stricter, more sensitive direction and more variation in melody and musical style of each number could have helped bring out the layers of Austen’s writing.

Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 6 August)

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16Apr2015

‘The Steamie’ (Brunton Theatre, 27 – 28 March’15)

Posted in 4*, Other, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by Richard Stamp

Photo: Sam McNab

“Out-and-out hilarious .. a cleansing experience “

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars: Outstanding

Many plays aspire to be immersive, but few could claim that word as literally as Scottish favourite The Steamie. Set in a Glasgow wash-house one 1950’s Hogmanay, this much-loved play is a rhapsody of basins and bubbles – following the gossipy banter of four local women as they look forward to the party to come. And in this out-and-out hilarious version of The Steamie, Lothians-based Quirky Pond faithfully recreate the unique ambiance of the communal laundry – starting with David Rowley’s set that is so realistic, I swear I even smelt the soap-suds in the air.

If the truth be told, Tony Roper’s 1987 script teeters on the borderline between the charmingly nostalgic and the wilfully old-fashioned. Very little actually happens – and while we get to know and love its cast of four indomitable women (plus one hapless man), the directions in which their characters develop are thoroughly predictable ones. So The Steamie will never make for a night of thought-provoking theatre, but it’s a carefree celebration of a simpler and friendlier age, a world which (if it ever existed) vanished down the plug-hole many years ago.

Director Andy Corelli has understood this straightforward appeal, and delivered a production that’s filled with witty detail yet feels uncomplicated too. There are plenty of crowd-pleasing set-pieces, while a constant bustle of physical activity sets the scene for a joyful gallop through Roper’s dense script. All of the cast display impeccable timing – faultlessly selling the humour Roper extracts from the unlikeliest of topics – and Sam McNab’s effective lighting creates some highly believable vignettes, bringing scenes from the characters’ imaginations right into the eponymous wash-house.

Among a uniformly strong cast, Alice T Rind deserves special note for her portrayal of Mrs Culfeathers – the steamie’s ageing matron, whose single-minded monologues underpin much of the script’s most memorable humour. But all of the characters are rounded and developed, avoiding the stereotypes which might bedevil a lesser treatment of Roper’s script. And there’s no doubting that the audience – some of whom knew the play so well they were reciting favourite lines a few seconds ahead of the cast – loved every minute of it. One of Rind’s best punchlines even triggered that ultimate accolade, a show-stopping round of spontaneous applause.

As a Steamie first-timer, though, I spotted a handful of minor issues. The opening scenes seemed a little rushed, especially as my Edinburgh-tuned ears struggled to adjust to full-throated Glaswegian. It was difficult to visualise the world outside the wash-house – they could surely have made more of their 1950’s soundtrack to help set the scene – and, churlish though it might be to comment on this, I sometimes sensed that the actors were enjoying themselves just a tiny bit more than I was. The fourth-wall-busting opening, which saw the whole audience joining in to get the party started, set an expectation of camaraderie which the rest of the play never quite managed to match.

These, though, are details. This is a laugh-aloud treatment of a laugh-aloud script, and a play which somehow contrived to make me nostalgic for a time I can’t even recall. And more than that, it’s reminded me of the importance of blether and friendship. This play about laundry is a cleansing experience for even the most jaded of souls.

Reviewer: Richard Stamp (Seen 27 March)

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6Mar2015

‘Long Live The Little Knife’ (Citizens, Glasgow: 24 – 28 Feb.’15)

Posted in 2*, Other, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by Richard Stamp

Neil McCormack as Jim Wendy Seager as Liz Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Neil McCormack as Jim Wendy Saeger as Liz. Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

“Exquisite performances”

Editorial Rating: 2 Stars Outstanding

nb. Long Live The Litte Knife is now on tour and plays at the Traverse this Saturday, March 7, at 7.30pm.

This is a show about having balls, which might explain our curious ‘2* Outstanding’ rating, but it doesn’t. That’s down to great acting.

Ballsy, I maintain. Both literally – the “little knife” of the title is the one used to emasculate castratos – and figuratively, too. So here’s a ballsy statement of my own: despite playwright David Leddy’s reputation, despite compelling and committed acting, and despite the plaudits heaped on the show during its run at the Edinburgh Fringe … it isn’t actually very good.

There’s just far, far too much packed in. The play’s themes include love, loss, art, infertility, deception, class, and modern slavery – all tackled at breakneck pace, with alternating comic and tragic tones. At the very end, Leddy brings out the darkest topic of all – one that’s proved more topical than he can possibly have feared when he penned the script back in 2013. But by that point, and perhaps to my shame, I was so overloaded that I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s fine for a script to seem anarchic, as long as there’s something constant threaded through it, something you can recognise and grab onto. The problem with Little Knife is that there’s no central premise – unless you count a foggy concept that things aren’t ever what they seem. The principal characters are confidence tricksters, and the script is pulling a kind of trick of its own: persuading us that, because we’re feeling slightly confused, there must be something deep going on.

But I’m sorry, there isn’t. And that’s a big shame – because there are the outlines of some thought-provoking themes visible through the murk. At one point, it seems that Leddy’s about to deconstruct the whole concept of verbatim theatre, an exercise which could be both entertaining and genuinely profound. But it goes nowhere: there’s some off-the-wall dialogue between an actor and a techie, then the theme is quietly dropped, never to be discussed again.

The avant-garde clichés are abundant – that on-stage techie, actors who announce that they’re actors, stage directions read aloud – and there’s an over-worked set-up for a final flourish, which on the night I attended was thoroughly ruined by a glowing fire-exit sign. As I write this, they’re tweeting that they bought all their equipment from a builder’s yard. So?

Neil McCormack as Jim Wendy Saeger as Liz. Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

What redeems the show, however, are exquisite performances from Wendy Saeger and Neil McCormack, who acquit themselves with considerable distinction in extremely challenging roles. Out of character, they’re friendly and welcoming; once the story begins, they keep the energy high as events become more and more absurd. And on the few occasions they’re allowed a little time, they show intense sensitivity, dropping the mood in an instant as the pain in their past is revealed.

Saeger is particularly powerful when her character recalls a dying son; McCormack, meanwhile, endures a wince-inducing crux scene, which very few actors could make so horribly real. It’s worth watching the background, too, as their reactions to events are often as compelling as the cavorting in centre-stage. So it’s five stars for them – but alas, even stellar performances can’t counteract a thoroughly frustrating and self-indulgent script.

Reviewer: Richard Stamp (Seen 25 February)

Go to Fire Exit here (!).

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Category Archives: Other

Unexpected Excesses (Edinburgh Drawing School Gallery : 9 -30 Aug : from 11am)

“Prepare to be dazzled”

To Kill A Machine (ZOO, 7 – 31 Aug : 20.55 : 1hr)

“One of the finest acting performances I have ever seen at the Fringe”

An Improvised Murder (New Waverley Arches, 16 – 22 Aug : 20:00 : 1hr)

“It felt like a real murder mystery”

The Art of Reduction and the Distillation of Humanity (Jenners: Aug. 19, 21 – 23, 25 – 26, 28 – 29 : 1hr 30m)

” .. Choice flavours, like custard creams and Fisherman’s Friend, and choice knowledge ..”

Consumption (theSpace on the Mile, 14 Aug – 28 Aug: 11:05 : 55 mins)

“A show bursting with acting talent”

The Rape of Lucrece (Assembly Hall : 10 – 31 Aug : 16:30 : 1hr)

“Nothing short of breathtaking”

The Turn of the Screw (Assembly Hall, Aug 6 – Aug 30 : 21:40 : 1hr)

“Ambitious, but unmistakeably flawed”

Jane Austen’s Persuasion: A New Musical Drama (Assembly Rooms, 6 Aug – 9 Aug : 21:30 : 2hr 45)

“The cast were undeniably talented”

‘The Steamie’ (Brunton Theatre, 27 – 28 March’15)

“Out-and-out hilarious .. a cleansing experience “

‘Long Live The Little Knife’ (Citizens, Glasgow: 24 – 28 Feb.’15)

“Exquisite performances”