Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Arts and Entertainment => Topic started by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 August, 2008, 01:23:51 am

Title: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 August, 2008, 01:23:51 am

Ed Byrne at the Assembly Hall on the Mound

It's Fringe time again, and in the words of Ed Byrne, the Fringe box office has been the Terminal Five of the arts world this year (or words to that effect).

Haven't seen Ed Byrne for a few years. The last time I saw him was at the Playhouse and the sound was rubbish. We could hardly hear him, and what we could hear was old stuff we'd heard before in previous shows, so next time he was here I didn't bother. I'm glad I went tonight though

The title of the show was A Different Class and some of it was about class and where he fits into the class structure but most of it was just funny anecdotes. He was saying that he isn't really any particular class in Ireland - not poor and not posh, which basically means that when he was growing up, he didn't have a horse - the only people who have horses are posh rich people (although I think they probably have ponies unless they're really landed gentry) or people who have ten kids in a one-bedroomed flat in a tower block. There was some good stuff about his wedding, which was about spending an entire year arguing with his fianceé about stuff he didn't give a shit about it. And there was the absolute best bit - I didn't know, but apparently Michael Jackson's album Thriller was re=released this year as a 25 year anniversary edition with all the videos on dvd. He was talking about the video and all the zombies and the werewolf and all the scary stuff, and then pointed out that in the entire production of the album, the title track and the Thriller video, nobody, not Quincy Adams, not John Landers, nobody bothered to point out that really it shouldn't have been called Thriller, it should have been called Horror.

7/10 - consistent giggles, only one big laugh
 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 August, 2008, 02:00:51 pm

Living With Johnny Depp


A one-woman play today with actress Joanne Mitchell. She plays Irish schoolgirl Shania who is completely obsessed with Johnny Depp and screws up her mocks by writing about him in her English exam. She also plays her teacher, the headmistress and her mother, and switches between the four characters instantly.

It was very bizarre. I thought the actress was very good, she managed to create 4 distinct characters and moved between each role very clearly. But, the script was awful, really bad, and for some reason she decided to put audience participation into it. She did a bit about being in McDonalds and made me be the McDonalds worker - all I had to do was stand there and then she told me what to say - "do you want the colouring in sheets?"and I said it and she carried on and I sat down. I like to think I made the part my own though. And someone else had to be her best friend and say one line as well. It added nothing to the show, and really I think it was quite unfair - you expect audience participation when you see a comedian, but you shouldn't have to worry about it at a play.

There were some laughs in it, but really, it was a bizarre and not very good hour. A complete re-write of the script to make it into something funny, coherent and understandable (some of it was quite difficult to follow) would have worked wonders and then we could have appreciated how good the woman was, rather than just coming out thinking "wow, that was bizarre."

4/10.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 August, 2008, 11:34:23 pm

Rich Hall as Otis Lee Crenshaw at the Pleasance.

I like Rich Hall. He does very intelligent comedy, pointed but not malicious, and he's always very funny. Otis Lee Crenshaw is a character he does, the premise being that OLC is Rich Hall's Tennessee cousin who's spent his whole life in prison and been married 7 or 8 times, every time to a woman called Brenda. Now he's in a prison country and western band. The band used to be the Black Liars - they were really good, but now it's a different band, just a guitarist and a banjo player, plus OLC on vocals and keyboard. The banjo player and guitarist walked on and immediately started playing Duelling Banjos.

He does a little bit of audience banter, has a comedy chat with a couple of audience members and then makes up country and western songs around the info they gave him. Tonight was a housing officer called Michael from Nottingham, and an IT bloke called Ian from Ayr. He also does other songs, one about Roberta in the KKK, some others, and a fantastic one about whisky and how Scotland invented whisky and America ruined it.

It's very clever and very funny and I enjoyed it very much. 9/10.

 
 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 August, 2008, 06:14:00 pm

Am I the only one seeing shows this year?  ???

Not Everything Is Significant.

Ben Moor's new one man play.

I've lost count of his Fringe plays. I know I've seen them all, and loved them all, but there are so many now I can't remember them all, which is sort of ironic given the theme of this one.

It's hard to explain. It's about a biographer, and it's narrated by Ben as the biographer and as the biographer's footnote-adder. The biographer finds a diary which details all his movements for the coming year up to 22nd September and finds himself doing what's listed for the dates even if he didn't intend to, and the footnote-adder becomes more and more entwined in it all so the lines between the separate narrations become more and more blurred. There are some very subtle, very funny bits in it, in that Ben way of being clever uses of words and plays on words and just little bits of taking real life just that step further - a drug called Addictin which has no effect on people whatsoever other than making them addicted to it, a theme park called FarmWorld with a tunnel of hens, poodling, which is like dogging only women dress men in sequinned collars and curl their eyelashes etc and a load more I've forgotten - not because it was unmemorable but because there was so much of it.

Some of it reminded me of the recent episodes of Doctor Who - Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead - the idea about having your future all written down in a diary and whether to look, or how far ahead you should look, although that was more me making associations than the script, I think. There was a lot about memory and immortality, and if you experience something and tell someone else, that perpetuates it, and how we share things and continue things and things continue to exist in memory, and how we continue to exist in our children, and the things that happen to us continue to be remembered after we're gone as long as we've told other people about them.

It was very clever, very complex, very funny, very beautiful and for some reason, I found it very, very moving. 10/10.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Wowbagger on 04 August, 2008, 06:21:47 pm

Quote from: Kirst on 04 August, 2008, 06:14:00 pm

Am I the only one seeing shows this year?  ???

Possibly, but please keep the reports coming.

We went three years ago. My son chose the Edinburgh Festival because he was a dialysis patient at the time and not far from Bruntsfield there is a dialysis unit aimed specifically at holidaymakers. He would have his dialysis from 8 a.m. to about lunch time and we would go to the shows afterwards.

We saw some superb stuff and other bits and pieces which were a bit iffy. There was a really good 1-woman show called "I miss Communism (http://www.imisscommunism.com/press.html)" which I think was one of the best things we saw. I think my sons thought other stuff was better, but the best things we saw were very good indeed.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 06 August, 2008, 10:05:38 am

Count Arthur Strong: The Man Behind the Smile
Assembly Rooms

I saw Count Arthur for the first time about 5 years back. I didn't know anything about the character at all, and wound up in a dingy and hot room with both my parents and fearing the worst. What followed was an hour of constant laughing through to tears.

A reasonable gap then to revisit what was possibly the best performer I've seen at the Fringe (I've seen a few performers two years in a row and the second is never as good - there's not enough time for the material to be completely fresh).

This show was a sort of retrospective, looking back at Count Arthur's (sadly fictional) career in television, and was punctuated with footage shown on a big screen with the Count spliced into shows such as Dickson of Dock Green and Ask the Family. In between these Count Arthur was his usual slightly bumbling and cantankerous self.

Having seen the show before, and listened to the radio show, I knew what to expect, and fell immediately into 'getting it', while Mel sat beside me was a bit non-plussed by the whole thing. I have to admit that the last show (on Count Arthur's travels in Egypt) was packed with energy and you felt Steve Delaney (the real man behind the Smile) was thoroughly enjoying what he was doing.

This show, by comparison, fell a little flat in places. Losing the train of thought is a Count Arthur trademark, as is his berating himself and the audience while doing so, and here there just wasn't the comic vitriol seen previously. The best parts were definitely the TV highlights on the big screen, which were just comedy genius - the stage element had its moments, certainly, but too few of them for fans of the previous work, or to convert those who knew nothing beforehand. The added feature of a couple of co-performers didn't really lift this, and it had the feel of a show that had yet to find its feet.

Given this was the second night that's maybe not surprising, but I'm still not sure I'd recommend Count Arthur as strongly as I would have done in the past.

6/10 - not enough comedy gold within the chaff

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 06 August, 2008, 10:21:55 am

Gamarjobat
The Gilded Balloon at Teviot

As ideas go, a couple of Japanese mime artists might not have you rushing for tickets, but Gamarjobat have had good reviews in recent years as Fringe regulars, and the poster with two mohawked guys in Blues Brother style suits screaming at the camera brings to mind the insane brilliance of Japanese game shows.

This year the guys were bringing in a storyline, this being 'Western', but started the show in their suits, performing mime and magic tricks, both deliberately good and deliberately bad. The aim of this seemed to be to get the audience going, with participation the key right from the off. The energy and fitness of these guys was evident from the start, but after the opening 15 minute or so salvo we moved onto the story.

This was silent movie on stage. Everything acted out, and the two protaganists taking on a variety of roles. What is completely without question is the ability of these two performers, effortlessly getting the point across without words, and with no little humour. The story unfolded perfectly, and at times darkly, with one woman exiting quickly with her young child when a character was 'shot' (well, it IS a Western!).

While I could appreciate the ability though, there just seemed a little lacking. Maybe it was just that my expectations of the actual 'type' of show weren't matched, and those first 15 minutes sat slightly at odds with what followed. But having said all of that the comedy they managed to inject, and the way they integrated the audience without making you cringe, added up to a show that was worth seeing.

7/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 August, 2008, 06:15:08 pm

I went back to see Not Everything Is Significant again today. I think it's the most complex beautiful thing he's ever done. It has humour and sadness and loss and hope and Phillips-head sharks, and I recommend that everyone goes and sees it.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 08 August, 2008, 10:12:51 pm

Danny Bhoy tonight.

Getting Danny Bhoy tickets wasn't as easy as it should have been. I booked them at the beginning of June along with all the others, but because of the monumentally useless box office system, which is not compatible with the system at the Conference Centre (where the show was), the tickets couldn't be printed. When I spoke to someone at the Fringe box office earlier in the week they said I had to take my reference number and details and go to the venue an hour before the show to collect the tickets. Fine. I can do that.

And then this morning I got an email saying I had to go to the Fringe box office and get vouchers there which I could take to the venue and exchange for tickets. So I had to fight my way through the mob this afternoon to get to the box office for my vouchers - which were tickets, just not with proper seat numbers on them. Srsly. Good job I wasn't at work today so I could see the email and get to the Fringe box office.

Anyway, got to the show with half an hour to spare, exchanged the tickets for - well, tickets, and were told the doors wouldn't open for another 15 minutes, which would be 15 minutes before the show was due to start. There were thousands of people there. And they refused to open the doors until 7pm, and then tried to funnel thousands of people past two ticket collectors at the bottom of one set of escalators, while later arrivals were still trying to get their tickets. It took forever to get everyone in and the show was half an hour late starting. Why oh why did they not open the house earlier and let people go in earlier and avoid the chaos and let the show start on time? It's a Friday night in the Fringe - people often have shows booked back to back and a show starting late means people have to leave early or be late for the next show and not get in. Eejits.

Anyway, the show started. It started off with a Danny Bhoy In Association With The Tourist Board of Scotland video clip of him showing all the sights and experiences of a holiday in Scotland. That bit was very, very funny. Then he came on stage and the proper show started.

I like Danny Bhoy. He's funny, and he's very pretty - oh, he's so pretty - and he's engaging and likeable. A couple of years ago I saw him at the Assembly Rooms and one bit made me laugh so hard I stopped breathing and had to find my inhaler. He's never reached those heights since though. It was amusing, I laughed all the way through, but it wasn't really hilarious. I think he's at his best when he's talking about Scotland. He has a way of noticing things about Scotland and Scottish culture and turning them into little comedy gems, and he's not as good when he talks about other things, and there was too much other things tonight. I can't remember most of what it was - there was some funny stuff about hotels always making the beds up so tightly that getting in between the sheets is like being faxed, and a funny story about his mum buying him a goat and then tying it up outside BT headquarters, and an excellent bit about walking on stage to do a gig in Burnley wearing a KKK outfit just after they'd elected a BNP councillor, but the really really funny bits were all in his tourism film clip.

7.5/10 and the .5 is because he's so pretty.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 August, 2008, 10:43:09 pm

A Partisan’s Daughter

A Partisan's Daughter is the new Louis de Bernieres book. I really like his books, and I've seen a Fringe adaptation of Captain Corelli's Mandolin several times. Tonight was the man himself performing with Bavarian flautist and keyboard player Ilone Antonius-Jones. He played clarinet, guitar, mandolin, and a variety of other stringed instruments and she played flute, alto flute and keyboards. They played a variety of Greek tunes and tunes from the Balkan states, and some Elgar, and a piece written by Antonius-Jones called The Girl From Belgrade, interspersed with readings from A Partisan's Daughter and gentle banter between the two of them. And, they handed out percussion instruments to the audience - cowbells and maracas and goats' feet and spoons, and we all got to play them whenever we felt like during the tunes.

It was a pleasant way to spend an hour and the excerpts from the book were carefully chosen to make you want to go and buy it! The performance was in well known Edinburgh Italian deli, Valvona & Crolla, and they had copies of the book to buy, and L de B was happy to sign them for us. I wasn't impressed with his chatting skills though. I asked him if he was going to do any more of the Senor Vivo books - I like those best - and he just said "no." I didn't feel I could just walk away so I said oh, I like all the books, but those are my favourites, and he said "I might do another one if I get another idea for one" and I said I like them, and he said "yes people do seem to like those best" and was really very grumpy about it. A simple "I'm glad you like them" would have sufficed. 7.5/10
 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 09 August, 2008, 10:59:48 pm

Charlie Victor Romeo
Udderbelly Barn

Perhaps an odd premise for a piece of theatre, the voice recordings from 6 plane crashes are re-enacted on stage (CVR, or Charlie Victor Romeo, being the term for 'Cockpit Voice Recorder'). The show had great reviews, and was a pre-Fringe pick for the Guradian and Times, as well as already having a great deal of success in the States. Some personal reviews on the Fringe website reckoned this was a bit dull and repetitive.

The people who posted that have the attention spans of gnats (I'm assuming gnats have pretty short attention spans but please note I am in no way an expert...)

There is something remarkably compelling about a simple stage set with a mocked-up cockpit and 2 or 3 people talking in what for a lot of the time might as well be a foreign language, given the technical nature of what they're saying. But it works for one great big reason - it's almost unbearably human. The performances get you right into that frame of mind of wondering what on earth the real people involved must have gone through.

Each of the 6 scenarios are real, and an overhead screen tells you the date, aircraft and what caused the crash. When the scenario is finished this is repeated, with the additional information regarding numbers of fatalities and injuries. A couple of the stories in particular simply have you gripping the seat wondering when the inevitable is going to happen, and one in particular hit the button with so much of the scene being general chatter and banter going on between the crew. The problem, icing, was mentioned a few times, but just as a possible thing to keep an eye on. And it becomes a major problem. Ten seconds later the stage is dark.

8/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 August, 2008, 11:23:08 pm

That sounds heartbreaking. I don't think I could have sat through it.

I thought I might take a wander round Fringe Sunday tomorrow but the Meadows are like a mud flat just now and the forecast for tomorrow is heavy showers.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 09 August, 2008, 11:28:27 pm

The weather hasn't been too kind recently - and the book festival is underway now as well (yay! lunchtime coffees there are great!). CVR was quite hard viewing at times, and plays on your mind for quite a while after.

And I wanted to strangle the people beside us who on seeing on the screen 'multiple bird strike' before one scenario found this terribly amusing and worthy of giggling, doubling their efforts when the sound effects had those geese calling. They left after that one (number 4 I think). Morons.

Will be heading to Teviot Square for 5 tomorrow to go and see Russell McGilton (Bombay to Beijing by Bicycle) - bumped into him in the queue for CVR as he was handing out his own flyers. Top bloke, and seems to be getting the good reviews now.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 10 August, 2008, 11:35:34 pm

St Joan by Theatre Alba tonight, in the gardens of Duddingston Kirk Manse.

I've seen several Theatre Alba productions in the same place. It's a beautiful garden with a view across the loch and over to the hills. The shows start at 1930 when it's still daylight and twilight falls and then proper night arrives while the show goes on, and by the time the shows finish at the back of 10, it's full dark. This year, for the first time ever, I did have enough layers with me so I wasn't cold. Next year I'm going to aim for enough layers and insect repellent, as the tiny bits of me poking out were gradually nibbled away by the midgies. I have no head any more, just a bleeding stump on my neck.

Anyway, the production. St Joan, by Bernard Shaw. The blurb in the programme says that the play is complex and brilliant in its depth of study, precariously balanced between the politics of the day, whether within the Church or the Nobility, and that he dwells probably more on the politics than on the spirituality within the piece. Then it goes on to say that Theatre Alba's production, while in no way ignoring the political struggle and intellectual arguments, has placed itself very firmly towards the spiritual aspects of the play.

The play starts with dead Joan speaking to the Dauphin-now-the-king about being burned to death and asking him about what has happened in France after her death, and then moves on to tell of her battle to get the nobility and church to believe that she was doing God's work, her success in battle, the army's refusal to let her lead them to take Paris, then her trial and execution. Anna Guthrie played Joan and she was excellent. I'm not sure that I agree with the programme blurb - I didn't find it a particularly spiritual production. I thought it was feminist, it spoke clearly against the patriarchy of the church and their dismissal of Joan because she was a woman, and I think the politics of and between the nobility and the church were very clear, but the spiritual aspects less so. Joan appeared to be used a  pawn by the nobility, the army and the church in their battles against each other - France not being a united country so much as a series of dukedoms and earldoms etc, various of those dukedoms being held by Englishmen, those Englishmen believing themselves to be superior to France (no change there then) and that God sent them there to rule France because it wasn't capable of ruling itself, Joan disputing that and believing that God sent her to rout the English, the church believing that the only country on earth which matters is the holy Roman empire and that nationalism set nations above the church and was therefore wrong... There was a lot going on, and I think the spiritual aspects, and whether Joan was truly guided by God or just barking mad, were the least of it.

It was an interesting production, well acted - they're a good company - and cleverly staged. It can't be easy to light a production in a garden where the first hour or so is more or less daylight which has turned into proper night by the end. And it managed to hold everyone's attention, even though we were being turned into headless bleeding stumps by the midgies. The one thing which was really off putting was Gilles de Rais, Bluebeard, who was actually wearing a comedy fake blue beard. It was completely unnecessary and made him look half noble, half Muppet. It was the topic of conversation in the queue for the toilets during the interval.

8/10

Cycling home was interesting though - I came through the park rather than the Innocent path. I hadn't realised the road through the park isn't lit (although I was well lit with 2 front lights, 2 back lights, hi-viz vest, hi-viz reflective trouser clips and white pannier with reflective bits on), and it's very narrow - it's not possible for cars to overtake a bike if there is traffic coming the other way; there just isn't space. Didn't stop them trying though. *fear*  :-\

No shows now until Friday, and I'm really looking forward to that - Romeo and Juliet at Roslin Chapel.
 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 11 August, 2008, 09:38:56 am

Bombay to Beijing by Bicycle: Russell McGilton
Gilded Balloon, Balcony

I should probably declare an interest in this to begin with. Before coming over from Oz to do his show Russell had been in touch with me and he's going to be featured in the next citycycling. To this end, last week we had a few pints one evening and chatted about the show and India and cycling in general. Last night I finally got round to seeing his show.

Basically around 10 years ago Russell decided to ride from Bombay to Beijing. It was kinda precipitated by his father dying the year before, and a big newspaper in Australia turning him down for a job, and him saying *%$@ you to it all and getting a publisher to agree to the idea. As long as it was alliterative.

The show is basically a comedic dramatisation of his experiences, but if you're expecting Michael Palin-esque travelogue you're gonna be surprised.

Taking on about 20 different characters that he encounters on the way, from his girlfriend coming to meet him and deciding she wants to ride with him, to the Indian doctor who gives him the 'wonderful' news that he has malaria ("Congratulations!") and everyone in between, this is physical, loud, crude (though toned down apparently as the British audiences didn't take to it in the same way as the Aussie ones do!), and in the small hot room the audience got knackered just watching him leap about stage. One scene (about drinking your own urine to cure malaria) was put in just so Russell could get a drink on stage - there's no time to stop for one otherwise.

Meeting up after the show Russell was happy with how it had gone for the first time. But given he hasn't performed it for over 2 years it has taken a bit of time to get right back into the characters, and chop and change the various tales to suit the audience here.

Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the show, with the most common questions being whether he really was Australian, and if he really had done the cycle. The answers to both are obviously yes, and everything seen on stage actually happened (with remarkably little exaggeration). To top it all off Russell is a really nice bloke.

8/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 August, 2008, 12:17:08 pm

Did he clarify whether or not there are in fact 9 million bicycles in Beijing?

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 11 August, 2008, 05:27:48 pm

He got bored after counting to 8,343,782.

Booked Tim Minchin for Saturday, and seeing Jimmy Carr on Friday. Possibly seeing Stewart Lee tomorrow night, and we were thinking about the Aluminium Show as something a bit more off the wall. Been my busiest Fringe for a while!

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 August, 2008, 08:41:16 pm

Punch Jimmy Carr for me.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: clarion on 11 August, 2008, 09:40:00 pm

+1

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 12 August, 2008, 12:14:42 pm

I really wasn't keen on the guy from the TV stuff I saw, but then watched him doing a stand-up piece late one night, and it sort of clicked. It'll be interesting to see what he's like live.

Booked Otis Lee Crenshaw for a week on Thursday as well.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 12 August, 2008, 01:31:38 pm

Otis Lee Crenshaw is fab. A week on Thursday I will be on the train to Noocassell where I will spend the night in a Premier Inn before departing these shores for Greece.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 August, 2008, 11:34:55 pm

Romeo and Juliet tonight. It's not a play I really like - I find them appallingly emo and just want to slap the pair of them and tell them to pull themselves together. But this was performed in the stunning setting of Rosslyn Chapel, site of the holy grail which we all know is Jesus's wife and not a cup. (Thanks, Dan Brown). Just to fool us, they had fake grails on sale in the gift shop with G for Grail on one side and pentacles on the other.

I've never been to the chapel before and I really want to go back in daylight to have a proper look round. It's very beautiful, in a very old, historic, slightly pagan religious way. The stone is grey and yellow and the carvings - well, the carvings are just everywhere, and so ancient. And very few of the carvings seem to be Christian - some of the ones outside are of people who are probably saints, although it's hard to tell, but the rest are green men, stars, roses etc. It's amazing.

The play was performed in the main body of the kirk, with chairs for the audience set round four sides. There were only 3 people in the cast, 2 blokes and a girl, and they split all the parts between them. One of the blokes was Romeo and Juliet's mother, the girl was Juliet, the nurse, and Mercutio, and the other bloke was Tybalt, Juliet's father, the nurse, the priest and the apothecary. All three of them were excellent. They managed the changes in role by changing costume - they all wore dark trousers, boots and white tops and then put other things over the top to make the changes between characters. All of the performances were excellent, and they did the whole play without missing out the boring nurse comedy banter bits.

They came and went using the back of the church to move from one entrance to another, and to change costume. And they used outside the church as well - the audience had to get up and follow them outside and back in again. I think we went outside three times. They very cleverly used the scaffolding on the church for the balcony scene. There was also a harpist providing music.

This was one of the best things I've seen in years. As much as I'm not keen on the play, the setting was atmospheric, unusual and used very creatively, and the performances of the three cast members were excellent.

9/10.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 August, 2008, 11:17:38 pm

Jason Byrne.

The thing about Jason Byrne is, his shows go all over the place and they're completely random. He seems to write a show and will get in some pre-prepared stuff, but it's only about 30% of the show and the rest of it is him reacting to the audience. He's like a pinball, bouncing around in different directions, but always, always funny. There's no point going into what the show was about for a review, because tomorrow night it'll be completely different. So I'll just say that he's very funny and tonight's show included a 6'10" policeman in the audience, a posh 19 year old, West Lothian is synonymous with "the sticks", it's spooky living in the country if you've always lived in a built-up area and Riverdancing with additional trousers and shoes worn on a frame round the neck.

Oh, and he said that one night he had Chris Hoy in the audience and got him up on stage without realising who he was, and a member of the audience shouted out "that's Chris Hoy" and he made him take his trousers down to show him his thighs (described as looking like the New York skyline) before he believed it was really him.

8/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 19 August, 2008, 11:15:05 am

Jimmy Carr

I'm not quite sure where I stand on Jimmy Carr. I used to hate the sight of him on the television and wuld quickly change channel before I'd have the chance to put my foot through the screen - but then I saw him doa  piece of standup and everything seemed to click. It was only 10 minutes worth, but the gags seemed to work.

The problem is, that's the entire show in a nutshell, stretched out to a little over an hour. Gag after gag after pun after gag after pun. It all gets a little wearing. And while some of the jokes are simply superb, I'm not sure they're worth it for all the ones that don't work. It all seemed at its best when not scripted anyway, with questions invited from the audience. It was only the second night of the run as well, so he just didn't seem completely into his stride.

I was beginning to realise that take all the best gags and you simply have that ten minute stand up from the tv. Granted I didn't get in in the finest of moods after ticketing problems meant we had to turn up an hour early to exchange our tickets for ones with seat numbers. That was easily done, but we definitely didn't need to be there an hour early, and equally annoying was not being allowed to pick them up the day before (I work 5 minutes from the venue).

Overall, as is usual with seeing people from the television, just a bit disappointing.

6.5/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 19 August, 2008, 11:20:05 am

Tim Minchin

This man is an unmitigated genius. And after the Fringe he's embarking on a UK-wide tour. GO AND SEE HIM!

Right from the huge bombastic musical start his slightly off-beat humour is in evidence. Anyone who has seen (and liked) John Hegley will feel right at home here. The premise is similar, with music forming the backdrop of the show, with single words stuck on the end of a line making the whole thing come together, but with a bigger and more adult feel than Hegley.

Every number is a new one for this show, and in between Minchin's ramblings on life are engaging and as good as any 'normal' stand-up. Early reviews had played on the 'anti-religion' slant of the show, and apparently people have been leaving, presumably offended. But while there is a definite side of this to the show, it's more couched in his own personal philosophy of this being our one life and how we should use it (or not waste it).

And then there's the nine minute beat poem.

Quite simply the single best thing I've seen at this year's Fringe. Superb.

11/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 19 August, 2008, 02:33:25 pm

Quote from: blackpuddinonnabike on 19 August, 2008, 11:15:05 am

I'm not quite sure where I stand on Jimmy Carr.

I would suggest his neck.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 August, 2008, 12:51:59 pm

Omid Djalili last night ,at the Pleasance. I've seen him before a few times, and I don't think I'll bother again. The show was tired, stale, dull, unfunny, predictable and we'd seen a lot of it before, same old jokes. Some of it was reasonably amusing - although nothing has stuck in my mind - but a lot of it I'd seen before from him, and not just once, over several years. It's a shame, because he is a talented comedian with interesting observations about British and Iranian culture, but he seems to have got lazy and complacent. 4/10.

That was my last show this year! Tomorrow night I'm off to Noocassell and Friday morning I'm flying off to Greece.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: citoyen on 20 August, 2008, 06:17:21 pm

I saw Pappy's Fun Club doing a preview of their "Funergy" Edinburgh show and would highly recommend it to anyone Fringing it this year. Completely off the wall and it really ought to be extremely irritating but it's actually extremely funny - well, the best bits are extremely funny, but it doesn't maintain a consistent level of brilliance. That said, the Owl/Internet section is worth the price of admission by itself. Go and see them now before telly discovers them and ruins them.

I also saw Paul Sinha at the same show, also doing a preview of his Edinburgh act. If you've heard Paul Sinha on Radio 4, you'll know exactly what to expect - openly gay, overtly left-wing, unashamed Guardianista, highly intelligent and mildly polemical. His style is that of a long, rambling lecture packed with illustrative anecdotes - similar in some ways to Mark Steel but less of the ranting Trotskyist. He's always a pleasure to listen to, even when he's not being laugh-out-loud funny, but then he drops in moments of unexpected comic verve that are all the funnier for taking you by surprise.

d.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 22 August, 2008, 12:50:32 pm

Otis Lee Crenshaw

Having seen Rich Hall's show the last couple of years we were going to give him a miss this year. It's not that it wasn't funny, it really was very good indeed, but there was a fair amount of repeated material. But this year we ended up figuring the Otis Lee Crenshaw character of his (basically what he would have been like if he'd never left Tennessee) would be a bit different.

We weren't disappointed, sitting in a small 'cabaret' bar to see a mix of country music and stand-up, with two sidekicks playing alongside. It really was very funny indeed, though there were still some jokes that were hanging on from last year. The show was a bit more ramshackle, but seemed all the better for it, and Rich Hall was able to play to the audience perfectly.

Given the last show we saw was Tim Minchin it was interesting to compare the musical side of things (Tim wins) and there was even a joke they shared in common about the mathematical improbability of finding the 'one' for you (Tim's was a song about it, Rich did it as part of the stand-up).

8/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 August, 2009, 07:49:43 pm

Went to a Jason Byrne preview last night (cheaper than the proper show). Was supposed to start at 8.15pm. Didn't start till nearly 9pm. We were kept waiting outside in the queue, which did not please us; we wanted to sit down.

Interesting set. Stage containing his usual bizarre accoutrements - last night a giant peg (wooden one with a spring clip, not a cheap plastic dolly peg), a stick, a red feather boa, a towel and a long platinum bouffy wig. Backdrop was from left to right, giant X-ray of a knee with torn cartilage and callous on tibia, giant poster of Jason dressed as Bond in classic leaning-gun-against-the-upper-arm pose but with face blacked out, giant X-ray of left clavicle and scapula, clearly displaced, with chip of bone missing.

Jason Byrne is fairly madcap and random (more madcap than Ross Noble but not as random) but seemed to stick to more or less his prepared set last night. Audience banter, people in boxes being sawn in half, explanation of the choice of X-rays as backdrop which included explanation of how he got the injuries. All very funny, excellent stuff. 8.5/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: her_welshness on 07 August, 2009, 11:53:57 pm

Quote from: Kirst on 02 August, 2008, 11:34:23 pm

Rich Hall as Otis Lee Crenshaw at the Pleasance.

I like Rich Hall. He does very intelligent comedy, pointed but not malicious, and he's always very funny. Otis Lee Crenshaw is a character he does, the premise being that OLC is Rich Hall's Tennessee cousin who's spent his whole life in prison and been married 7 or 8 times, every time to a woman called Brenda. Now he's in a prison country and western band. The band used to be the Black Liars - they were really good, but now it's a different band, just a guitarist and a banjo player, plus OLC on vocals and keyboard. The banjo player and guitarist walked on and immediately started playing Duelling Banjos.

He does a little bit of audience banter, has a comedy chat with a couple of audience members and then makes up country and western songs around the info they gave him. Tonight was a housing officer called Michael from Nottingham, and an IT bloke called Ian from Ayr. He also does other songs, one about Roberta in the KKK, some others, and a fantastic one about whisky and how Scotland invented whisky and America ruined it.

It's very clever and very funny and I enjoyed it very much. 9/10.

 
 

I adore Rich Hall, and Otis Lee Crenshaw is absolutely brilliant  :thumbsup: Am so jealous!

My fave song of his has to be 'Are you my new Daddy now?' Sad, but funny.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 08 August, 2009, 10:36:26 am

I like "I didn't come from no monkeys" more.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Aidan on 08 August, 2009, 11:48:07 am

Quote from: Kirst on 19 August, 2008, 02:33:25 pm

Quote from: blackpuddinonnabike on 19 August, 2008, 11:15:05 am

I'm not quite sure where I stand on Jimmy Carr.

I would suggest his neck.

;D ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: токамак on 10 August, 2009, 01:05:11 pm

I'm in Edinburgh this weekend and I'm wondering what's worth seeing. I haven't bothered looking up any reviews or anything obvious like that (far too lazy to actually read stuff ;)). I think in years past I went to one of those review shows - 'Best of The Fest' and it was a bit disappointing. I do recall seeing the most amazing street performers. Is it possible to still get tickets for any of the good shows anyway?

[edit] I have seen Rich Hall as Otis Lee Crenshaw at the Melbourne Comedy Festival some years ago - he was brilliant.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: citoyen on 10 August, 2009, 01:10:11 pm

Quote from: TOKaMaK on 10 August, 2009, 01:05:11 pm

I'm in Edinburgh this weekend and I'm wondering what's worth seeing.

If I were up there, the top three acts on my must-see list would be:

Richard Herring's Hitler Moustache (I've been following its genesis and development over the past year via his podcast with Andrew Collins, so would be very interested to see how the show has turned out)

Josie Long (utterly adorable and very funny)

Pappy's Fun Club (saw a preview of their 2008 Edinburgh show and loved it)

I'm sure there are others but I can't think of anything right now.

d.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Aidan on 10 August, 2009, 07:25:43 pm

Step Daughter is performing in Losing Susan at the space, royal college of surgeons.  Its had good reviews and is supposedly going to get a full page in the review magazine! Go and see it!

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 August, 2009, 10:17:48 am

Rich Hall on Friday night. I've seen him be much funnier. I think perhaps with it being very early in the run he wasn't quite into his stride yet. And he says since George Bush left office he's lost 63% of his material.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ariadne on 11 August, 2009, 12:54:51 pm

We saw a few things this weekend -

So, let's see. first we saw One Man Lord of the Rings, at the Udderbelly: http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16401 (http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16401)

It was tiresome and dull. He tried hard, and was very clever, mimicing all the voices and acting out the film. but it was very much about the film, rather than the books - and would have been amusing for 10 minutes from a pal down the pub. And he said something about being in England and got booed, the poor chap! So - a dud.

Then David O'Doherty: http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16226 (http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16226)

He was - quite amusing. What a killer compliment, eh? But it was fine, made us laugh, i wouldn't say not to go but I wouldn't sell my granny to go again.

Shakespeare Bingo: http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=13679 (http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=13679)

I was quite surprised by this - it was brilliant! Completely silly, but clever and funny and What The Fringe Should Be. Be warned though: if you win the bingo you get a part in the play...

Andrew Maxwell: http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/search.php?search=andrew+maxwell (http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/search.php?search=andrew+maxwell)

He's pretty funny - it did have the feel of a preview and he was clearly still sorting out material, but he's pretty amusing.

Art: http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16433 (http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16433)

Wow. Go, if you can - I loved this. The play was on in London a while ago and I remember reading about it - and these guys do it really well. The synopsis: Tensions rise when Serge shows his friends his new, very expensive, all-white painting.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 August, 2009, 05:32:24 pm

Quote from: Ariadne on 11 August, 2009, 12:54:51 pm

We saw a few things this weekend -

So, let's see. first we saw One Man Lord of the Rings, at the Udderbelly: http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16401 (http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16401)

It was tiresome and dull. He tried hard, and was very clever, mimicing all the voices and acting out the film. but it was very much about the film, rather than the books - and would have been amusing for 10 minutes from a pal down the pub. And he said something about being in England and got booed, the poor chap! So - a dud.

Oh no! I have tickets for that later in the month. I saw his one-man Star Wars last year and really liked it.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: citoyen on 12 August, 2009, 05:12:38 pm

From Richard Herring's blog:

Quote

I actually had to head to the Gilded Balloon to judge a semi-final of "So You Think You're Funny". Luckily (or unluckily if you are the me the day after writing this) I was provided with wine. I thought I might need it to get through a night of watching eight new comics doing their sets.

But the standard was extremely high and nobody was terrible, even though they had (supposedly) all been going for less than a year. It was between about three of them who were all great in different ways, but then a guy called Naz Osmanoglu came on to close and made it a slightly easier decision. He is a name to remember, however difficult that might be. Very confident, very original and tightly performed.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 13 August, 2009, 10:59:48 pm

Adam Hills tonight. Excellent. Consistently hilarious, and joyful and uplifting as well. Came out feeling full of joy. 10/10

We learnt the BSL signs for Scotland, England, Ireland, lesbian, Iceland, and the Australian signs for "fuck you, fuck you all." Also covered paralympics, the politeness of Dutch audiences, the inflatable joke, Bon Jovi songs are the universal constant, and if you're going to be sick, eat a kitkat and then when you throw up it'll taste of kitkat.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 August, 2009, 07:28:55 pm

Just in from a Theatre Alba production of The Outlaw, rendered in Scots as The Ootlaw. Was supposed to be performed in Duddingston Kirk Gardens but it's been pissing down all day so they moved it into the church. I didn't particularly enjoy it. I've seen several of their productions before and loved them all, but this was really hard to follow. It was all in Scots and I was struggling to follow it, although I managed a couple of years ago when they did The Lass Wi The Muckle Mou. It was something to do with Vikings and Norse gods and the coming of Christianity, and Anna Guthrie in particular was very good, but it was so hard to keep up with what was going on. 4/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 August, 2009, 11:10:44 pm

One Man Lord of the Rings tonight. Saw the same guy last year doing One Man Star Wars, which I loved. Was less keen on One Man Lord of the Rings. Only an hour, but I felt it dragged - but then, I felt the films dragged too. He followed the story faithfully, but went with the film rather than the book where the two diverge. Some of his voices were very similar to his Star Wars voices - Gandalf had a touch of Obi-Wan, Gollum was a bit Yodaish, Luke and Frodo - practically identical. Bits were quite funny, some clever puns around Elvish/Elvis (the one ring inscription becoming one for the money...) but I think the films are soooooooooo long that there's way too much to cram into a one hour show and it was a strange mixture of way too much going on but dragging a bit as well. And not helped by being in the Udderbelly Pasture with the noise of the bar very audible. 6/10.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 August, 2009, 06:35:41 pm

Reginald D Hunter at the Udderbelly Pasture.

Every time I've seen him on HIGNFY, he's been hilarious. Unfortunately, he can't stretch that to a full hour of hilarity. His act seems to be "I'm black, I like to say nigger a lot, I like sex, white people are different, I'm black, I have a cool accent, I like to say nigger a lot."

Some of what he was saying was funny and I did giggle most of the way through, but there were no belly laughs and it did get a bit samey. I think he's a clever man and some of his observations are very good, but he needs to work on that more and move away from the "I'm black and I like to say nigger a lot" stuff. None of what he said is really sticking in my head.

My overriding thought throughout the show was "why is someone who has lived in Britain for 12 years wearing such terrible American jeans?" You know how Americans seem to have stuck with narrow-legged stonewashed jeans rather than moving on to darker denim and wider legs? You can spot an American a mile away by the cut and colour of their jeans.

6/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 24 August, 2009, 12:55:58 pm

OK, a bit sad to repost a link I saw on The Register, but here's the tope Ten Fringe jokes:

Dave Award for Funniest Joke of the 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe revealed (http://dave.uktv.co.uk/library/davenews/funniest-joke-2009-fringe-revealed/)

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 24 August, 2009, 08:46:40 pm

For someone who loves reading as much as I do, it's odd that I don't often go to book festival events. Well, not really, most of them are during the day and I have a Job. But this year I have seen two events.

The first one was Ben Moor and his book, More Trees to Climb. I have written about Ben Moor before. Well, not so much about Ben, more about his wonderfully marvellous beautiful moving funny lovely one-man Fringe shows. I've seen 'em all and loved 'em all. He's collected three of the shows together into a book - Not Everything is Significant, Coelacanth and A Super-Collider for the Family. I recommend it. It's marvellous. And it has a really cool retro design on the cover.

I wasn't sure what the book festival event would entail, whether it would be Ben reading passages from all three of the stories, or if he would be performing one in its entirety, or whether there would be a Q&A session afterwards, which is de rigeur at book festival events. I was hoping there would be questions afterwards as I had already decided to ask him if he'd rather have a really heavy head or gravity defying arms, much to Toria's amusement. Or was it bemusement? But sadly there was no Q&A, just Ben performing Coelacanth. Not that that's anything to be sad about, it's lovely. It's about love and romance and family and competitive tree-climbing and isolation and numbness and acceptance and hope and peace, and bits of it are really funny. And it has a big stick in it, (which I want to steal because it is a nice stick) and an eye-patch which once I wrecked with just the power of my mind. Well, that was a different eye-patch, but you know what I mean. So, that was Coelacanth. If you get the chance to see Ben doing his plays, take it. Totally worth it. Beautiful.

And the other event I went to was David Sedaris. He's an American comedy writer and one of his sisters is Amy Sedaris who has acted in quite a few things you might know. Google her, I can't be arsed typing it out. I've read several of David's books. I know he writes a column for the New Yorker and I think that at least some of the books are collections of the columns; the chapters have that sort of feel about them. Each of them is a story in and of itself and the only constants are the characters - David, his family, his partner Hugh. He talks about his life, his childhood, jobs he's had, mistakes he's made. He has a very distinct written voice, funny and wry and not ashamed to admit his flaws or talk about the stupid things he's done. His story about the performance art he tried to do when he was on drugs is hilarous.

He read two shortish pieces. One was in the shape of an email from a woman to a friend, thanking her for a wedding present of a voucher for two free pizzas which started off funny and got funnier - and crueller - as it went on. The next piece was very interesting in terms of structure. He was talking about his recent trip to Australia and some of the things they did and saw, which included feeding raw duck meat to a kookaburra, but he tied it into another story about he and his sister Amy singing a song about a kookaburra when they were kids, a song he'd learnt at school. Neither anecdote was really much of story by itself but tying them together made them interesting, relevant, poignant and funnier. He talked a little bit about it in the Q&A afterwards, about how neither anecdote was worth much individually, but how interweaving them made them into something different. It was interesting for me to see a little bit of how he works at his writing to craft something from almost nothing. Must get his new book.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 August, 2010, 10:27:28 pm

It's August and so the thread is back!

Tonight I went to see Danny Bhoy. I've seen him be funnier, but he was good. Charming, engaging, likeable, funny, very funny when talking about Scotland and Scottish culture, very pretty and I could see his nipples through his shirt.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 06 August, 2010, 10:46:44 am

Quote from: Kirst on 04 August, 2010, 10:27:28 pm

It's August and so the thread is back!

Tonight I went to see Danny Bhoy. I've seen him be funnier, but he was good. Charming, engaging, likeable, funny, very funny when talking about Scotland and Scottish culture, very pretty and I could see his nipples through his shirt.

Excellent, looking forward to your annual reviews of the Fringe!

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 06 August, 2010, 10:55:34 am

Thanks Kirst!

I'm heading for the Fringe tomorrow.
First off - Mervyn Stutters Pick of the Fringe. This year it is at the Pleasance.
Every dat at 1pm Mervyn gets in acts which are good, to od a short selection from their show. It is a great way to sample productions, and get tickets for the full show later on. Recommended.

Later on in the evening Reginald D Hunter

Will be staying in a student flat near to the Udderbelly, should other YACFers be around.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 06 August, 2010, 06:02:14 pm

Quote from: Wascally Weasel on 06 August, 2010, 10:46:44 am

Quote from: Kirst on 04 August, 2010, 10:27:28 pm

It's August and so the thread is back!

Tonight I went to see Danny Bhoy. I've seen him be funnier, but he was good. Charming, engaging, likeable, funny, very funny when talking about Scotland and Scottish culture, very pretty and I could see his nipples through his shirt.

Excellent, looking forward to your annual reviews of the Fringe!

Yes, you go so we don't have to  :)

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 August, 2010, 06:06:16 pm

Am just heading out to see Adam Hills.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Jaded on 06 August, 2010, 06:13:24 pm

Quote from: Kirst on 06 August, 2010, 06:06:16 pm

Am just heading out to see Adam Hills.

Near to Lammermuir Hills?

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 August, 2010, 09:20:08 pm

Adam Hills.

Only about 15 minutes of tonight's show was prepared material. The rest of it was him talking to members of the audience, in a nice interested way, not a scary humiliating way, and making comedy from that. Tonight we had a disaster recovery bloke, a rugby league player from Glasgow who gave a fake name, a "cougar" who was letching at the rugby player, an Aussie who had to go for a piss and a blue and red toy called Honker which is going to be the show's mascot for the duration of the Fringe and feature in a campaign to raise money for the Royal Hospital For Sick Children. Audiences of subsequent shows will have to come up with the campaign. Irn Bru was also featured.

I'd be interested to go back later in the run and see how the campaign has developed.

I like the idea of not preparing stuff and just seeing what comes from the audience. It worked well, but I think he struck lucky with the people he picked. He did end up staging a small game of rugby league between himself and the rugby player, refereed by the disaster recoverer. It looked sore. (It must be 30 years since I was last at a league game).

Funny show. 8/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 August, 2010, 10:55:50 pm

Jason Byrne tonight, at the Assembly Hall on the Mound. Firstly, and most importantly, don't sit in the front row. Ever.

Mixed bag tonight. Most of his material seemed pretty thin, really. Much of it was basically him talking about sex with his wife and that sex in a long term relationship goes out of the window because women aren't interested in sex and only do it as a way of getting men to do chores around the house. I didn't like it. It wasn't very funny, it was charmless and it came across as unpleasant misogynistic nastiness. Bits of it were funny but a lot of it was just Jason Byrne being manic, shouting and thrusting his crotch about while moaning that women use their vaginas to keep men's stolen souls in. However, in the middle part of the set he used the big screen behind him to display photos of him and his family, when he was a child in the 70s. This bit was wonderful, laughed till I cried. Could have done with a lot more of that. 10/10 for that bit, 5/10 for the rest.

Walked past Danny Bhoy on the way home, overtook him. He is absolutely the prettiest man ever close up, but roughly the size of a half-grown hobbit. I would have said hi but he was with people.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 08 August, 2010, 05:05:29 pm

Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile. Wow, I loved this. It was a guided walking tour, 90 minutes long, of the gardens in the closes off the Royal Mile. Some of them I'd seen before because the Royal Mile has been part of my catchment area at work for the last 10 years, but we saw several I'd never noticed before. Dunbar's Close in particular has a beautiful peaceful garden funded by the enigmatic Mushroom Trust. Got some great photos which I will upload later. Some of them were community gardens created and maintained by the residents in the tenements around them and you could tell how much pride the residents take in them. Some of them were just flowers, one was a herb garden, some were mainly flowers but with veg growing in the middle - cauli and beetroot and courgettse in the middle of flower beds. And a fig tree!

The tour is run by greenyonder tours: see Edinburgh in a green light (http://www.greenyondertours.com) and they do other ones too. I'm booked in for By Leaves We Live in a couple of weeks, and I'd love to do the Healing Herbs in the City one in September.

I heartily recommend this for anyone who wants to see a bit of central Edinburgh that isn't well known, and who likes gardens. Not suitable for people with walking difficulties though.

10/10

Photos at Photos (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v379/Flossiesdoll/Hidden%20Gardens%20of%20the%20Roya%20Mile%208th%20August%202010/)

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: SandyV on 09 August, 2010, 08:27:33 am

Great pictures Kirst!  I particularly liked the cauliflowers and zucchini courgettes.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: citoyen on 09 August, 2010, 09:35:21 am

Quote from: Wascally Weasel on 06 August, 2010, 10:46:44 am

Excellent, looking forward to your annual reviews of the Fringe!

+1.

I must say, it makes a pleasant change to find an Edinburgh native who doesn't have a total downer on the whole affair.  ;D

Though it does make me rather envious at missing out on some of these great shows.

d.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ariadne on 09 August, 2010, 09:48:48 am

I've been to a couple of things this weekend.

On Saturday we went to a free show called Everything you ever wanted to know about Greece but were afraid to ask. We didn't have high expectations, to be honest! But Corvine's an Australian Greek and we went with another 'Scozzie' couple, just to see.

He had some good material, and some funny takes on Greece and its current situation - but that was countered by some pretty offensive material about suicide bombers, jews (sparked by finding there was an Israeli woman in the audience), and some tasteless clitoris stuff...

I'm not that easily offended and a lot of the topics can be done well by other people - but this was more like your pal's crazy old dad telling crappy jokes.

The last night I went to Alba Flamenca, a flamenco show. The music was just incredible, really worth going to. Flamenco dancing leaves me a bit cold: it's fine, I can see the skill, but I don't love it. But it's worth going for the music - really quite something.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 August, 2010, 11:21:23 pm

Busting Out, and Arj Barker - neither of these were my choices, both were late invites from people who found themselves with spare tickets - Scum of the Road and Mrs Scum of the Road, and Mercury Kev.

Busting Out is possibly the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in my life. Kind of like Puppetry of the Penis but with middle aged women contorting their breasts. Now, I did see Puppetry of the Penis a few years ago and laughed my way through it but I was very very drunk and there was only about half an hour of it, and having seen it once, I never want to see it again. Busting Out was over an hour and I'd had one glass of Pinot Noir (very quaffable). There was about 10 or 15 minutes of funny material stretched out to cover 70 minutes and it really wasn't good. Some of it was unfunny songs about various aspects of bosoms, some of it was contorting their breasts into funny/gruesome/slightly worrying shapes, there was some very funny shadow puppetry which did work really well, there was an odd bit where they got a man out of the audience and made him wear a bra. And there was a bit where they picked three women out of the audience, made them race to see who was quickest in removing their bra from under their clothes (ladies, it's quicker if you undo the back first, and better for the straps, I just did mine in about four seconds), and then got them all to stand in a row and lift their tops up to flash their tits to the audience. Two of them did, one of them didn't. Now, I know at any Fringe show there's a chance there will be audience participation, but I think asking women to flash their tits to the crowd is a step too far. Really.

I have no objection to nudity. It doesn't bother me or offend me - or amuse me - and in the course of my work I have probably seen several hundred naked people. I'm not uncomfortable seeing naked flesh. But I think that selecting women from the audience and putting them into a situation where they are expected to show their breasts or be seen as a bad sport is unfair.
 
If they cut this show down to half an hour, concentrated on the contortionism and shadow pictures (who knew two pairs of breasts could be shadow made to look like the bat signal?) and cut out the crap characters and unfunny songs, it might be an amusing novelty act for the very drunk, in the same way that Puppetry of the Penis is. But I don't think this show is empowering particularly, or the great feminist statement the blurb seems to think it is. It's good that middle aged women who don't have perky tits are showing that not every woman has youthful firm flesh and that certain changes are inevitable with age, but this was not the Vagina Monologues with jugs. It was just 10 minutes of funny material stretched out to a pendulous hour for no good reason. 3/10. But I do appreciate the offer of the ticket and it was nice to see Mr and Mrs Scum of the Road.  :-[ *not ungrateful, really*

Arj Barker I've never heard of, but Mercury Kev's wife had to work so he had a spare ticket, so I went along, thanks Kev. Some of the stuff was really good, started off as what seemed to be your basic bog standard stand-up but then he would twist it or make it that bit quirkier or just have a slightly different take on it which made it more interesting. Good Star Wars joke from a boring build up about black box material and planes. No real belly laughs or crying with laughter moments, but consistent giggles all the way through, no nudity and no audience participation, fine by me! 6/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 10 August, 2010, 12:11:54 am

Just back from seeing the Boy with Tape on His Face

The Boy with Tape on his Face (http://www.theboywithtapeonhisface.com/)

One of the best shows I have ever seen. Hard to describe - just go see it if you ever get the chance. He gets people from the audience up - and when they don't catch on and do things right the expressions are priceless.
10:30 at the Gilded Balloon, and not a pair of breasts in sight.

Oh, and on the way out Mrs Scum almost ran over Stifler's Mom.
It is not often you get to say that.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 10 August, 2010, 12:18:01 am

Quote from: ScumOfTheRoad on 10 August, 2010, 12:11:54 am

, and not a pair of breasts in sight.

That's not the way to sell a show to this lot!

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 10 August, 2010, 12:30:01 am

Another review - again without naughty bits.

Paul Zerdin: Sponge Fest Revisited - 2010 Edinburgh Fringe - British Comedy Guide (http://www.comedy.co.uk/fringe/2010/paul_zerdin_sponge_fest_revisited/)

Paul Zardin's Sponge Fest is a ventriloquism act, but it is just so superbly done. At one point he swaps voice with the puppet - ie he takes on the puppets voice as his lips move and vice versa. I can imagine that must be so, so difficult.
Would recommend this show to anyone.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 August, 2010, 08:52:56 pm

Tonight I did something I've never done before. I left a play at the interval and came home.  :-\

It was Theatre Alba's production of The Seagull by Chekhov. I don't know the play and by half time I didn't really care. I couldn't give a stuff about any of the characters and had no interest in staying to find out. I might have stayed despite my lack of interest, out of politeness, but it was outside and I was being attacked by midgies - I was even removing them from my eyelashes. I've seen Theatre Alba productions before and sat shivering in the pouring rain for two hours and enjoyed the play despite the weather, and there was one memorable year when the midgies ate my whole head and I was just left with a bleeding stump for a neck, and I enjoyed the play despite that, so I think this year it was mainly that the play bored me and the characters irritated me.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Mr Larrington on 12 August, 2010, 11:27:38 am

(click to show/hide)

Konstantin kills himself.

The End

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 12 August, 2010, 11:55:41 am

Better him than me.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: clarion on 12 August, 2010, 12:17:05 pm

Seagull & Cherry Orchard are very much 'actors' plays'.  They love them, and feel they are wonderful nuanced pieces which show off their 'serious' acting skills to the full.

Shame is that they are stultifyingly boring for everyone else.  You can't do anything interesting with the design, lighting or FX unless the director is prepared to go completely overboard (they rarely are).  So the entire crew and audience (what there is - Chekhov's never a great Box Office Name) are trying hard to stay awake while the luvvies chunter on and act their period socks off.

It's such a shame, because Chekhov's short stories are pithy, funny and really sharply observed.

</long-simmering rant>

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: mike on 12 August, 2010, 12:21:25 pm

quick plug - a very thespy old schoolfriend of mine is doing a one-woman show up there this year - 'sometimes I laugh like my sister', about her sister who was killed in somalia while working for the BBC. 

It's getting quite good reviews if anyone in embra has time to go see it............

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 12 August, 2010, 08:17:18 pm

Food festival (http://www.foodiesfestival.com/edinburgh-features/)

Anyone want to come with me on Saturday?

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 13 August, 2010, 09:19:16 am

Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
Voted the hit of the Fringe by Mrs Scum. I wasn't at all sure Mrs Scum would understand this - her not being Scottish. We got last minute tickets, and disappeared into a small room in the Gilded Balloon. An hour of hilarity.
For the finale, the Socks asked the audience for the name of a famous singer, so they could improv a final song.
Mrs Scum, in all innocence,  - "Nat King Cole"
Well - once they had brought the oxygen on after the Socks couldn't breathe for laughing (*) they had to point out this wasn't an audience plant. Then had to ask Mrs Scum about the life of Nat King Cole she couldn't respond for laughing.


(*) For those South of the Border it is worth explaining that in Glasgow rhyming slang "getting your Nat King" mean getting yout hole.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 13 August, 2010, 09:41:34 am

Re the Food Festival we are leaving - but would be happy to come along if you could make it early.

We are in the Pleasance Courtyard this afternoon if anyone fancies a YACF meetup.

1pm - hope to make Sometimes I Lauged Like My Sister as recommeded by Mike

2pm - Memories of a Biscuit Tin

4pm - Gyles Brandreth

Any YACFers fancy a cabaret type show in the evening?

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 13 August, 2010, 04:39:25 pm

Anyone seen/planning to see Kevin Eldon’s show?

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: groucho on 16 August, 2010, 03:32:30 pm

Flying up from Cardiff for the day on Wednesday with Mrs g to watch our niece and friends in a 'review'.

Arr 10:00

Dep 18:05

and in between meet little brother, have lunch, watch review at 15:00, meet cast......dash to airport. 8)

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 August, 2010, 05:02:05 pm

Jeanette Winterson at the Book Festival today - very cultured.

It's 25 years since Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit was published so a special anniversary edition has just been released. For those who haven't read it, it's a mainly autobiographical book, with some characters and events who/that didn't actually exist/take place. Jeanette was adopted by Mr and Mrs Winterson when she was very young. Mr Winterson is almost a non-character in the book. Mrs Winterson is a fundamentalist Christian evangelist, Pentecostal. Page one of the book says

Quote

There were friends and there were enemies.

Enemies were:
The Devil (in his many forms)
Next Door
Sex (in its many forms)
Slugs

Friends were:
God
Our dog
Auntie Madge
The Novels of Charlotte Bronte
Slug pellets

and me, at first.

The book goes on to talk about Jeanette's childhood in a grim Pennine mill town - the wrong side of the Pennines, at that, and what it was like growing up with a fundamentalist mother, for example being taught to read from the Book of Deuteronomy. And then what happens when Jeanette began to realise she was gay - she's thrown out of her home by her mother.

The book is wonderful. It's intelligent and feminist and funny and sad and thought-provoking, and it's very very northern. For me, it's overwhelmingly, essentially northern. Perhaps because I also had a northern upbringing, although mine was on the right side of the Pennines, but for me this book couldn't be set, these people couldn't have existed anywhere else.

Today Jeanette spoke intelligently and humorously about her life, her family, her thoughts about the world. She talked about art and the importance of it and how it's viewed as a luxury, and how the predicted end of books and replacement with digital media is undemocratic and will lead to inequality. I would have liked to ask some questions but couldn't think of any till several hours afterwards, and I couldn't stay for the book signing as I was meeting someone for lunch. (Café Rouge - mediocre food, terrible service, pricey).

If you haven't read Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, you should, it's great. And I really enjoyed this session. 10/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 August, 2010, 05:44:01 pm

More book festival today. Today was a discussion session with Natasha Walter, promoting her new book Living Dolls the Return of Sexism, and Kat Banyard with her new book The Equality Illusion. Fantastic discussion about the resurgence of sexism and misogyny, debate about porn, lapdancing, stripping, lads mags, work life balance, empowerment. I was pleased to have it confirmed that I'm not the only woman who doesn't see stripping, glamour modelling and lapdancing as empowering, but degrading, demeaning and exploitative. Bought both books, had them signed, and started reading Living Dolls on the way home.

Paid a stupid amount of money for a not very satisfying lunch from the book festival café - won't be making that mistake again, then went for a sports massage to see if that would help my sore back. It's still sore, but I'm moving more easily now. Then went to Mellis's for cheeeeeeeese and got Grimbister and Mimolette. Cheeeeeeeeeese.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: citoyen on 17 August, 2010, 05:58:04 pm

Not actually in Embra myself, but I've been enjoying listening to the Collings & Herrin podcasts, recorded live at the GRV. Most amusing. I was almost wetting myself on the train this morning. Don't know if it's still possible to get tickets for the remaining shows though.

d.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: groucho on 19 August, 2010, 09:34:46 am

Quote from: groucho on 16 August, 2010, 03:32:30 pm

Flying up from Cardiff for the day on Wednesday with Mrs g to watch our niece and friends in a 'review'.

Arr 10:00

Dep 18:05

and in between meet little brother, have lunch, watch review at 15:00, meet cast......dash to airport. 8)

As we had a gap between lunch and 3:15 show we decided to catch some free comedy. So in the back room of Bannermans we saw Charlotte Young's show Aude Vide Tace. Interesting concept with one or two nice observations but best summed up by my brother trying to keep the lady next in him, in the front row, from going to sleep. He failed!

The off to the Radisson Theatre 2 - Spaces on the Mile to see Blue Beard - a tale of lust, betrayal and death. Portrayed through song, dance and fun. Really enjoyable and inventive performance from the 6th Form of Kingston High School.

The proud father was sat opposite his daughter and managed not to make eye contact throughout.

Blue Beard  |Edinburgh Fringe 2010 | Fringe Review | Fringe Theatre Reviews (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:na6AyI63KCAJ:www.fringereview.co.uk/fringeReview/3652.html+Bluebeard+review+Edinburgh+Fringe&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk)

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Hello, I am Bruce on 19 August, 2010, 11:21:13 am

Went to Cargo (http://iron-oxide.org/cargo.php) at Leith Links.

The show is being produced by an old friend, and another friend encouraged a group of us to go, but all I knew before I went was that it had something to do with migrants on boats, and the audience wear ponchos because there's water in the show.  Based on the industrial looking logo on the flyer, I was expecting something a bit serious about human trafficking or refugees.

What it was though was an outdoor performance set in a fairytale waterworld where strange boats sail through the audience chased by pirates and mysterious women fly in on umbrellas to have some fish for dinner.  The whole thing was done without dialogue, but with a very clear story about the main character searching for a new home and there was  none of the dreary waiting and repetition that street theatre often involves.

The audience all wear blue plastic ponchos, which really added to the atmosphere as we formed part of the sea that the boats sail in.  We quickly learned to move around the space to get a good view of the action (and avoid the water that was sometimes thrown around).

Go and see it!

No25 bus or bike up Leith Walk to get there (there was a bike outside the performance when I was there and it looked quite safe).  Last performance on the 22nd.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ian H on 19 August, 2010, 03:31:46 pm

The Fringe has grown and spread. We caught Fred Macaulay and Shappi Khorsandi at the 'Fringe by the Sea' - in a tent at North Berwick. It was a rather superior tent, having polished wooden sides with mirror glazing, and a bar.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 August, 2010, 12:22:27 pm

Darian Leader at the Book Festival this morning.

The blurb in the programme said "With depression cited by the World Health Organization as on a par with heart disease when it comes to damaging our well-being, it’s timely that psychoanalyst Darian Leader has gone beyond the common behaviour-focused analyses in The New Black. Subtitled ‘Mourning, Melancholia and Depression’, the book argues against simply throwing medication at the problem and votes for creativity as one of the means by which sufferers can deal with loss and grief."

So I assumed that that's what he'd be talking about, and it sounded interesting and work-related so I decided to go.

Pah.

Apart from his first few sentences where he talked about how society seems to be moving away from viewing grief as an individual reaction to a personal loss and towards a view of grief as depression which is the same for everyone and requires medical treatment, the rest of the hour was spend talking about mourning, different mourning practices in different cultures and meanings of mourning. Some of it could have been interesting if we could have debated it, but there was no time for questions at the end. Some of it annoyed me - he seemed to be over-complicating some things, almost as if they had to be made more complicated so that his job as a Freudian psychoanalyst has meaning.

A lot of what he said was so convoluted that my brain hasn't retained it at all. He did say that it's well known that people who have always been loved are not capable of loving, which seemed utterly bizarre.

This was not a good use of ten of my pounds, or worth getting out of bed before 8am for. I am disgruntled.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: mattc on 20 August, 2010, 12:44:39 pm

Quote from: ScumOfTheRoad on 13 August, 2010, 09:19:16 am

...
Mrs Scum, in all innocence,  - "Nat King Cole"
...
(*) For those South of the Border it is worth explaining that in Glasgow rhyming slang "getting your Nat King" mean getting yout hole.

Sorry,  I have to ask:
Presumably this refers to a particular hole - not just any old hole (e.g. a pothole). Otherwise I can't understand the hilarity that resulted.

"getting youtr hole" is not a phrase I am familiar with (although I'm guesing bodily functions are involved).

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 August, 2010, 01:08:28 pm

Urban Dictionary: nat king cole (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nat%20king%20cole&defid=126119)

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: mattc on 20 August, 2010, 01:25:52 pm

Thank you, kind scottish maiden.

I shall file this away ready for my next trip to the unruly regions north of the wall.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 August, 2010, 10:19:12 pm

Alan Warner at the Book Festival tonight, reading extracts from, and talking about his new book, The Stars in the Bright Sky. It's the sequel to his 1998 book The Sopranos and it takes up a few years after The Sopranos ended. It's a great book with memorable characters and beautifully written dialogue, and he talked well about it. I'm tired tonight and I wasn't sure I could be bothered going, but I'm glad I did.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 August, 2010, 06:20:20 pm

Two things today.

First thing was By Leaves We Live, another guided walk of gardens in the old town, all at Lawnmarket, Johnston Terrace, off the Grassmarket and surrounding areas. Lots of information about social reformer Patrick Geddes who worked very hard to provide garden space for the most congested city in Europe. Really enjoyed the walk, and must make reservations for the healing herbs one in September.

Then went to Duddingston Kirk Gardens to see Theatre Alba do Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer. It was great. It was nice to be there in the daytime, in the sunshine and the warm rather than at night in the cold and clouds of midgies. The play was good, lots of tension, desperate to know what was going to happen next, but very sudden ending! Really enjoyed it, highly recommended. Theatre Alba are great.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 25 August, 2010, 09:45:13 pm

Tommy Tiernan tonight. The last time I saw Tommy he was a scary angry man who wasn't very funny. Tonight he was mainly whimsical, occasionally charming, once or twice a bit bonkers and sometimes a bit unpleasant and/or dull. But he seems to have got his sense of humour back, some of his stuff was really good and the show was enjoyable rather than scary. I wish he'd stop talking about sex though. It doesn't suit him and he doesn't look comfortable and it ends up not being funny.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 August, 2012, 11:45:37 am

Can't believe I didn't review anything we went to see last year. Must have been too busy enjoying being with that bobb.  ;D

It's Fringe time again!

I kicked off last night with Danny Bhoy, who's only doing a few nights at the EICC. I have to say, if he brings his Dear Epson show to London, Julian should go, because nearly all the show is him reading out his grinks for our comedy amusement. There were grinks to Epson, BT, BA, Sepp Blatter, Easyjet, Gillette, and lots more. I do really like Danny Bhoy. I think he's at his best when he talks about Scotland, which there wasn't much of last night (apart from his letters to Sepp Blatter) but it was still funny - belly laughs all the way through the 90 minutes. 8.5/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: RJ on 05 August, 2012, 04:58:26 pm

Phew!  Managed to get a ticket for Richard Thompson at the Queens Hall ...

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 August, 2012, 09:43:52 pm

Tonight we went to see Swing a Midsummer Night's Dream - the Shakespeare play set to the music of Cole Porter.

It's not a play I particularly like; I think it's very misogynist. I've seen it performed a couple of times - once in Russian and once set to the songs of Bacharach & David and enjoyed the performances despite the play rather than because of it. Tonight was much the same.

It was set in London during WWII. The acting was a bit patchy, the women on the whole being better than the men. The woman playing Helena was excellent and I can see her going on to a career in comedy acting. The singing was mixed too. All of them could carry a tune, but some only just, and a couple of the women were excellent.

They managed to make the mechanicals bit funny rather than tedious which doesn't always happen. Oberon came across as the dickhead that he is. The Cole Porter songs they picked, both within the play and during scene changes, were appropriate and done well. The costumes were a bit ramshackle looking, especially the fairies, and the dancing was a bit Legs & Co, by which I mean it was generally a bit lumpy and very much about doing actions to the words.

The quality of the cast, particularly the woman playing Helena, and the use of the songs made this worth seeing. I wouldn't say you must rush out and get a ticket, but if you have a spare hour and it's raining, there are much worse things you could spend your money on.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 12 August, 2012, 08:00:30 pm

Love Letters to the Public Transport System tonight, by Molly Taylor. It's a one-woman show in the Assembly Rooms. It's hard to describe. She's talking about her life, with particular reference to how the most significant moments of her life have been facilitated by public transport, also weaving in the stories of other people whose lives have been affected for the better by public transport and the drivers of the services. It's funny and thought-provoking and sad and moving. It seems to be selling out, so get a ticket as soon as you can.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 August, 2012, 12:02:31 pm

Yesterday morning I went to see Edinburgh: The Medical City in the Royal College of Physicians. It was done by Prof Purdie of the RCP and Iain Milne who is the Sibbald librarian. They were talking about Edinburgh's history as a seat of learning and practice for medicine, from the middle ages onwards and particularly during the Enlightenment. I suppose it might not be of much interest to a general audience, but if you're interested in Edinburgh's history, or the history of medicine, then it's fascinating. Could have done with more than an hour though - it really was a whizz-through with no time to go into any kind of detail about things. They didn't spend too much time talking about Burke & Hare, thankfully.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 August, 2012, 10:37:21 pm

Bobb and I went to see Adam Hills tonight. His messing around show is the same concept as it was when I saw it two years ago - rather than prepare a show, he just chats to the audience and builds a show out of that. It works well. We laughed a lot.

He mentioned that he's doing a show on Sunday at midnight which will take the form of an auction to raise money for Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Sick Children. He intends to auction off Olympic memorabilia - which means he needs to get hold of some Olympics memorabilia. So if you can get some to him by Sunday, or you know somebody who can, let him know. He asked the audience, and after a few minutes, someone in the audience remembered that he's friends with Michael Jamieson so Adam Hills rang him and got him to agree to donate something.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 August, 2012, 09:18:22 pm

We just went to see Suggs at the Queens Hall, doing a one-man show. It was a sort of quick autobiography of Suggs, interspersed with some singing bits. He was talking about when he turned 50 he was inspired to find out more about his father, whom he never knew, and he intermingled the story of his search with stories of his childhood, the beginnings of his music career, and some cracking stories from the Madness days.

My favourite story was that Madness reformed to play a farewell gig in 1992, 2 nights at Finsbury Park, and the police contacted the seismological people to ask if there had been an earthquake because so many people had phoned to say they were sure they had felt one. The seismologist said no, it's the Madness gig, and the police didn't believe it until the same thing happened the next night.  ;D

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: citoyen on 22 August, 2012, 01:48:15 pm

Nominees for the comedy award announced...

http://www.suchsmallportions.com/news/edinburgh-comedy-awards-dr-brown-josie-long-james-acaster-tony-law-claudia-odoherty-and-pappys-

I've seen Josie Long a few times and I totally adore her. I saw an early incarnation of her current show in February and it was brilliant. Utterly adorable, very clever and extremely funny. I hope she wins.

I've also seen Pappys a few times, though not their current show. I love them too. They're very funny indeed. I've seen Matthew Crosby's current solo show and that's excellent too. I would definitely recommend both those shows.

I saw James Acaster supporting someone, I forget who, last year and he was good, if a little unpolished. He'd be worth catching too.

Haven't seen any of the other acts on the shortlist.

d.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 August, 2013, 10:14:13 pm

Eurobeat
I’ve been lucky enough to see Eurobeat twice before. The first time, a friend of mine was over from Ireland for a few days, and we were sitting drinking in the Pleasance courtyard when we were accosted by a leafleter. Fairly well oiled, and both Eurovision fans, it didn’t take much to persuade us to give this Eurovision spoof a go. And we loved it. I loved it so much I went back to see it again at the Festival theatre, with more or less the same professional cast. This version was an amateur production, and what it lacked in polish it made up for in enthusiasm and effort.

Eurobeat is a spoof/pastiche/parody of Eurovision. I am a Eurovision fan – I love the naffess, the kitsch, the terribly political voting, the whole thing. But bobb is absolutely not a Eurovision fan, and he really liked it too. The show proceeds as if it was the actual Eurovision song contest, in Sarajevo, hosted by the glamorous Boyka and slightly creepy Sergei. A number of countries take part – Poland, Italy, Germany, Royaume-Uni, Russia, Hungary, Sweden, Ireland, Greece – performing their songs, and then there’s an interval while the audience get to vote by text for their favourite, and the hosts perform the traditional Eurovision voting entertainment (in this case, a song about a turnip). The professional version has Iceland as well, but Fringe shows are limited for time and so Iceland were missing from this.

Writers Craig Christie and Andrew Patterson are geniuses. SRSLY. The Eurobeat songs are such brilliant pastiches that they could almost be genuine entries. Russian boyband, Irish crooner singing “lalalalalala,” terrible UK entry, surreal German Kraftwerk-pop, Hungarian folk song about killing a chicken and eating its entrails, Swedish ABBA rip-off with a piano line ripped straight from Waterloo – it’s all perfect.

Eurobeat has quite a small cast, maybe 20 or so, so they take turns being singers and dancers for each of the countries. They have to work hard, learning several songs and interpretive dance routines each. The couple doing the UK song probably have one of the easiest jobs as going slightly off-key is just part of the act. This cast manage the songs well, although the dancing could be better, and the sound mix sometimes drowns the singing out with the music. After the songs comes the voting. This time Ireland won, but on both the previous times I saw it, Poland won.

If you love Eurovision for its own sake, or you enjoy laughing at it for its awfulness, then Eurobeat is worth a look. This wasn’t the best production of Eurobeat I’ve ever seen, but it was still utterly enjoyable and a whole lot of fun. 6.5/10

Mark Thomas - 100 Minor Acts of Dissent
I have a soft spot for Mark Thomas because years ago I was heavily involved in a campaign to stop the government building a replacement for the hospital I worked in via the PFI route rather than through public funding. Mark Thomas assisted us in that campaign, as did the late and much missed Paul Foot, and Jeremy Hardy. The campaign had no effect and the PFI deal has proved disastrous, but that’s by the by.

Tonight’s show, 100 Minor Acts of Dissent, is about Mark Thomas’s pledge to complete 100 minor acts of dissent between 14/05/13 and 14/05/14. These include such things as photographing police officers, stickering books in large booksellers with stickers that say “also available in charity shops” and taking a ceilidh band into the Apple store to protest the fact Apple don’t pay taxes in the UK, among others. Stickers and badges are available for sale after the shop, so take small change.

I would also like to draw your attention to this site http://www.wewilldrivethemtotheairport.co.uk/ .

If you like intelligent comedy, you like a bit of mischief and you’re not appalled by people not behaving themselves, then you’ll probably really enjoy this show. I would give it 10/10 but there are some parts of the show where Mr Thomas speaks really quietly into the microphone and we couldn’t hear him, so 9/10. Now, I’m off to make use of my bastardtrade stickers.

Ben Moor- Each of Us
One of my most favouritest ever Fringe performers is Ben Moor. I saw his first one man play, It Takes Forever If You Go By Inertia in 1993, and I’ve seen every one since then. I think my favourites have been Twelve – any play which explains Bohemian Rhapsody is worth seeing – and Not Everything Is Significant, but I loved all of them. I was less keen on Black Cocktail, but that was written by Jonathan Carroll and didn’t have Ben’s off the wall delightfulness.

It’s really difficult to describe Ben Moor’s plays. They are touching and funny and quirky and sweet and melancholy and joyful and life-affirming and moving and beautiful. They’re set in all sorts of strange universes – competitive tree climbing, tightrope-walking around the world, nuisance phone calls and miniature Pope clones – but essentially they’re about love, hope, relationships and the possibility of second chances. One of the great things about seeing all of the plays, from 1993 onwards is that I’ve been able to watch Ben develop as a writer and as a performer. He has a wonderful face and he can use his whole body very expressively to convey emotions and actions and whole concepts, but over the years he’s toned that down. He seems to be a much more confident performer now, secure in the quality of the writing and not relying on the funny movements to get a laugh, just using them when they really add something to the show.

So, Each of Us. I liked this play, I enjoyed it very much, but it’s definitely not my favourite. It’s been 4 or 5 years since Ben brought a new play to the Fringe, but somehow something about this one feels rushed. The relationship between the narrator and Radium happens and then ends so quickly that you never get the chance to care about it, and the narrator just comes across as a bit of a numpty, and the two characters who appear later, whose names escape me, never really seem to have much point to them. The play is filled with Ben’s characteristic quirky and romantic touches, and has a joyfully hopeful cliffhanger ending, but something just didn’t click for me. I am pretty sure my employer has at least 5 corporate thwarters in every department though…

One of the central ideas in Each of Us is the idea that our souls, human souls, really exist in the memories and minds of the people we have met, the people whose lives have interacted. The idea that the memories people have of us ensure that we live on after our death has appeared in other plays of Ben’s – I’m sure it was Not Everything is Significant, but I could be misremembering. It’s a beautiful idea and it was used to great effect in whatever the other play was, but if feels a bit shoehorned-in here. I’m not sure what it was about Each of Us that didn’t really work for me, and a not-as-good-as-the-others Ben Moor play is still a great play, but I think I can only give it 8 out of 10.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 August, 2013, 09:34:17 pm

Adam Hills, Happyism
Adam Hills isn’t edgy. You don’t have to worry about sitting in the front row because if he talks to you, he won’t humiliate you. He’s safe, he’s not scary, he’s not controversial. But he is very very funny and when you come out of his show, you’ve had a good laugh and you feel better, and sometimes, that’s all you want. 10/10

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 August, 2013, 01:45:19 pm

I don't think this lady liked much http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/22031823-452/modern-scotland-is-deep-in-socialism.html

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 21 August, 2013, 02:16:45 pm

That's brilliant. Well, the comments are, anyway. The actual article reads like a spoof of americans that doesn't quite manage to be funny.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: bobb on 21 August, 2013, 02:20:06 pm

An article where it's actually worth going to the bottom half of the internet!  ;D

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: clarion on 21 August, 2013, 02:39:17 pm

That was worth reading! ;D

And there were loads more comments I didn't get to.

I particularly enjoyed the sole USAnian wingnut with the old 'saved your asses in WWII' line, who was firmly put in his place.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 August, 2013, 03:20:13 pm

My favourite comment was "Mona, ya total fud."

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ham on 21 August, 2013, 04:40:38 pm

I rather liked "the reason we have more pandas than Tory MPs in Scotland is that we actually prefer pandas."

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 August, 2014, 06:09:55 pm

First show of the year for me was Pam Ayres at the Assembly Rooms. This show is a mixture of Pam sharing anecdotes, reading passages from her autobiography and reciting her poems. She had the audience in stitches with her description of how the teenage Pam tried so hard to look like Dusty Springfield, in yellow lipstick.

There’s not much to say about it really – it’s warm and funny and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Bairn Again on 09 August, 2014, 08:50:11 pm

Im off to see "The Weegies Have Pokled Edinburgh's Pandas" and "Chris Martin: Responsibilliness" tomorrow evening

Will post reviews. 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 10 August, 2014, 10:12:38 pm

Danny Bhoy tonight. He's been better, but it was an enjoyable hour.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Bairn Again on 11 August, 2014, 06:09:52 pm

Quote from: , on 09 August, 2014, 08:50:11 pm

Im off to see "The Weegies Have Pokled Edinburgh's Pandas" and "Chris Martin: Responsibilliness" tomorrow evening

Will post reviews.

"The Weegies Have Pokled Edinburgh's Pandas" was a one man show by the poet Robin Cairns.  An hour of Edinburgh v Glasgow banter wrapped up in a daft story that was well executed, but lacking in real quality.  Best appreciated by the locals I think, goodness knows what the tourists would make of it.  6/10 no make that 7/10 as it was only £7.   

"Chris Martin: Responsibilliness" was good.  Foul night meant a small audience which was a shame as he was at his best while interacting with the audience.  In contrast other parts of his show were too obviously prepacked and failed to recognise the audience.  Still, reasonably polished and funny.  7/10 too.

Hoping to see Alun Cochrane too.   


 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Bairn Again on 11 August, 2014, 09:32:09 pm

Im on a roll now, off to see Sean Nolan then Alun Cochrane both on Wednesday evening.

 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 12 August, 2014, 10:13:21 am

Carly Smallman is good - or at least has been in the shorter sets I have seen her do in London.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Bairn Again on 14 August, 2014, 12:17:31 am

Quote from: , on 11 August, 2014, 09:32:09 pm

Im on a roll now, off to see Sean Nolan then Alun Cochrane both on Wednesday evening.

Sean Nolans website says "Sean’s first gig was on January the 27th of 2012 at the age of 23, and in his first year and a half he has quickly risen through the ranks becoming the most talked about new comedian on the Irish circuit, most recently winning RTE’s latest televised comedy competition the ‘New Comedy Awards.’ Sean is known for his striped back approach, quiet confidence and his intelligent and hilarious one-liners. Sean is based in Dublin and regularly performs at The International Comedy Club, The Roisin Dubh and The Laughter Lounge. And is soon to be performing at the Vodavone comedy festival 2013."

He was excruciatingly, embarrasingly, buttock clenchingly awful.  I have never been so embarrased at somebody on stage so bathed in ineptitude.  He lacked any stage presence and I left after 20 minutes of the scheduled hour leaving 9 other brave souls to see out the remaining 40 minutes.  I honestly cant believe this guy won a serious stand up competition.  1/10.

Alun Cochrane.  Excellent, droll, good interaction with the audience, felt like a bargain at £12.  He is a big name on the quiet.  8/10
 

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Nuncio on 14 August, 2014, 10:50:52 pm

Keep these coming.

I'll be up for a few days next week. Just booked one of the Alex Horne shows, Lucy Beaumont, Rhys James and Stuart Goldman. Hoping to fit in a few more free/pay what you want shows this year.  I've put Alun Cochrane on the probable list.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Jaded on 15 August, 2014, 01:02:35 am

Hmm. Alun Cochrane sold out for tonight, but might be available for next Friday. Worth truncating a holiday for...?

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Nuncio on 15 August, 2014, 08:56:56 am

See you next Friday Jaded.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Jaded on 15 August, 2014, 08:05:45 pm

Yup!

Went to see '10 Films with My Dad' by Aidan Goatley at the Voodoo Rooms today. A fun and whimsical trip through his relationship with his dad via films they saw together. Free, but drop money in a collection as you leave, so as it was rather good, not free! Daily at 14:30.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ham on 19 August, 2014, 01:24:10 pm

In Edinburgh atm, any suggestions of what to see (without a booking)? Haven't decided yet whether to go to a show or for a ride, if it is raining it might be an easy decision.

Come to that, anyone up here fancy a ride ? (Tues 19th)

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Jaded on 19 August, 2014, 07:46:48 pm

see post above - free. I got there about 20 mins before it started.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ham on 20 August, 2014, 09:49:07 am

Went for a ride in the end, managed to avoid most of the water except for the last 15 minutes.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 11:04:45 am

Quote from: Ham on 19 August, 2014, 01:24:10 pm

In Edinburgh atm, any suggestions of what to see (without a booking)? Haven't decided yet whether to go to a show or for a ride, if it is raining it might be an easy decision.

Come to that, anyone up here fancy a ride ? (Tues 19th)

Come and see 'This Way Madness Lies' at Surgeon's Hall on Nicolson Street, daily at 13:05.     

The show ends it's run on Saturday and it's been very hard work.   Seems that everybody comes to the Fringe to see the established names and shows and there appears to be less bums in the real fringe shows this year.   

I've been talking to lots of performers in a similar position to my friend and the feeling is that the Fringe has got too big and there are too many headliners here sucking the life out of the small fish.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Jaded on 20 August, 2014, 11:38:27 am

I think you are right PB. On my way though Edinburgh last Friday I passed up the Royal Mile. It seemed to be fringe performers desperately trying to promote their shows to other fringe performers.

Given there are 250+ venues, and multiple shows at each venue, it is probably possible to work out how many punters are needed to fill the shows. Its probably reached its limit.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ham on 20 August, 2014, 11:47:12 am

Quote from: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 11:04:45 am

Quote from: Ham on 19 August, 2014, 01:24:10 pm

In Edinburgh atm, any suggestions of what to see (without a booking)? Haven't decided yet whether to go to a show or for a ride, if it is raining it might be an easy decision.

Come to that, anyone up here fancy a ride ? (Tues 19th)

Come and see 'This Way Madness Lies' at Surgeon's Hall on Nicolson Street, daily at 13:05.     

The show ends it's run on Saturday and it's been very hard work.   Seems that everybody comes to the Fringe to see the established names and shows and there appears to be less bums in the real fringe shows this year.   

I've been talking to lots of performers in a similar position to my friend and the feeling is that the Fringe has got too big and there are too many headliners here sucking the life out of the small fish.

Too Much Werk for a lunchtime jolly :(

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 12:31:13 pm

Last day Saturday Ham if you can squeeze us in  :)

Quote from: Jaded on 20 August, 2014, 11:38:27 am

I think you are right PB. On my way though Edinburgh last Friday I passed up the Royal Mile. It seemed to be fringe performers desperately trying to promote their shows to other fringe performers.

Given there are 250+ venues, and multiple shows at each venue, it is probably possible to work out how many punters are needed to fill the shows. Its probably reached its limit.

There are 3000 shows and, in our venue, three others start simultaneously with ours.   Awesomely bad planning.   It is a nightmare to get the queues sorted and many people join the wrong queues causing chaos.   The 'box offices' at the venues tend to have just one computer and two phones.   People ring in to make advance bookings and the staff will stop serving the queue and deal with the phone call.   Not surprisingly, punters get fed up and walk away.   Posters outside and inside are haphazard.   Some shows seem to get three or four whilst other  shows get none.   They give priority to big name shows at other venue sites (there are eight sites for the Space which is where we are) and forget to put up posters of the shows actually on at that particular venue.   After the latest rain deluge they put up posters for shows that had finished their runs FFS!!!   

I am well known for being forthright now and the manager tends to put in an appearance now in the lead up to our show.   We've had crossed words.

Venue organisation and promotion of the performers (who have paid £lots to be there) is incredibly poor.   

Flyering is a pure waste of time.  The Mile is all performers and no punters.   Central fringe venue is better but there are venues attached making it difficult if you're not in the central fringe venues to make any headway there either.

I had a very rude lady snatch the flyer from her husband's hand yesterday and thrust it back telling me that 'they weren't going to be here when the show is on'.   I didn't take it back of course.   Quite a domestic ensued before me.   :D

We have a massive 'lessons learned' and future ideas list for next time.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 August, 2014, 12:51:31 pm

Quote from: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 11:04:45 am

The show ends it's run on Saturday and it's been very hard work.   Seems that everybody comes to the Fringe to see the established names and shows and there appears to be less bums in the real fringe shows this year.   

I've been talking to lots of performers in a similar position to my friend and the feeling is that the Fringe has got too big and there are too many headliners here sucking the life out of the small fish.

Part of the issue is the cost. I didn't mind paying a fiver to see someone I'd never heard of. If I'm paying £15, I want to be sure I'll enjoy it, so I see the big names.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Ham on 20 August, 2014, 01:52:52 pm

Quote from: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 12:31:13 pm

Last day Saturday Ham if you can squeeze us in  :)

Grrrrrrrrrr

As it turns out, not only could I have visited but this entire trip has turned into a waste of (work) time. I fly back 19:00 today.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 02:30:41 pm

Quote from: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 August, 2014, 12:51:31 pm

Quote from: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 11:04:45 am

The show ends it's run on Saturday and it's been very hard work.   Seems that everybody comes to the Fringe to see the established names and shows and there appears to be less bums in the real fringe shows this year.   

I've been talking to lots of performers in a similar position to my friend and the feeling is that the Fringe has got too big and there are too many headliners here sucking the life out of the small fish.

Part of the issue is the cost. I didn't mind paying a fiver to see someone I'd never heard of. If I'm paying £15, I want to be sure I'll enjoy it, so I see the big names.

Well, it's only £7.00...

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Bairn Again on 20 August, 2014, 05:12:16 pm

I went to see Fred McCaulay last night with my wife and 20 year daughter. 

Funny without ever breaking into a side splitting guffaw.  At £15 it felt like one of the safest options at the Fringe.

Hes quite polished generally as opne would expect from a veteran (though he looks at the floor a lot)

I came away thinking it was amusing, but a bit tame.   

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Polar Bear on 20 August, 2014, 08:46:33 pm

But surely Fringe isn't supposed to be about established stars but about new and niche performers.    ???

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: jsabine on 20 August, 2014, 09:45:13 pm

Not for the past umpteen years ...

Festival = Proper Culture
Fringe = the rest

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Polar Bear on 22 August, 2014, 11:13:33 am

Talking to some more one person acts yesterday.  We got to likening the state of the Fringe to the state of television.   Lots of 'safe' big budget mainstream, plenty of repeat stuff from the archives and very little new and original stuff.   What there is is being crushed in the stampede for dumbed down entertainment.   

Thankfully there are still some people out there willing to seek out something different.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: lastant on 26 August, 2014, 02:54:35 pm

Went up for the Fringe this year for the first time - only a quick trip using the train up from London, up on the Friday night and back home on the Sunday. Managed to fit in a few things though, and am definitely going to go up again in a future year.

Quick thoughts on things seen (other than a 'value' show on the Sunday morning featuring four stand-ups, that was good though)...

The Circus - Supposedly a group of comics thrown together to produce a wonderfully madcap circus night after night. Didn't really work as an overall 'thing' for us though, although I did end up on stage as Tim FitzHigham's 'lion' during his lion tamer act which was an interesting start to proceedings!

Tony Law - Canadian comic that's been far better when I've seen him on telly than he was at 12.10 on a Saturday afternoon. Disappointed.

John Kearns - a 'lucky dip' pick from the programme for me and I'm *so glad* we went. Thought he was superb, both of us left saying we'd have paid far more than we did for what was a free show. Found out a couple of days ago that he won the prize as comedian of the Fringe. If he comes near you in future, go!

Kraken - Mime act, a few bits dragged but overall a great show and one that I wouldn't have picked myself but am pleased someone else in the group did so that we went along.

Tim FitzHigham's 'Hellfire' - Very Dave Gorman, very good. Definitely going to follow up by finding his Radio 4 shows and would definitely go and see his next piece.

Sh*tfaced Shakespeare - One play from one cast with one member ensured drunk before the show. Hilarious.

Overall I enjoyed the experience and have to admit it's far more bonkers than I anticipated...I knew it was going to be busy and with lots of acts but did not expect it to be quite so crazy!

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Nuncio on 27 August, 2014, 12:36:15 pm

We fitted in one more day that you lastant - arriving Wednesday evening and returning Saturday.  The location of my boy’s new flat (South College Street) couldn’t have been better, and we managed to cram in 15 acts, I think, all comedy except for one 'comedy drama' and one straight drama (well it was meant to be straight but was written by Richard Herring, who couldn't resist throwing in a few jokes) . 

From memory.

Eleanor Tiernan. In a very hot, small, pub attic. Stuttering delivery at times, but rather charming, and funny.

Horne Section, feat Alex Horne with guests Mark Watson (a bit too drunk) and Sam Simmons (a bit too crazy).  If you’ve heard the radio show then this was really no different.

Liam Williams. In a pub cellar. I don't know what to make of this. Started as very sharp anti-global-capitalism discourse and the guilt in his/our ineffectiveness in trying to counteract it, but slowly morphed into what looked very like a breakdown, the laughs (there were some, honestly) gradually becoming more nervous as the show progressed.

‘Cupcakes’. Half an hour from Amir Koshsokhan and another half hour from George Colebrook. We hadn’t planned to see them but by the time we got to Edinburgh the only way you could get to see Liam Williams was to see the act before and stay put. AK was brilliant. Really cleverly written and performed, with a slow and quiet delivery and culminating in a final 5 minutes which was one big reveal combining several callbacks from the first 25 minutes (which, in themselves, were funny).  GC was the opposite, and a little too zany for my tastes. The threat of participation was all too close for too long.

Alex Horne solo.  He made a life-size model of the mousetrap game during the show, while doing his usual amiable stuff, with gentle audience participation which didn’t quite zing as well as it usually does (not least because I was one of the participants).  Slightly disappointing after really enjoying his show last year.

Lucy Beaumont.  Mostly funny, but will quickly be restricted by her Hull ingenou role. Highlight for my wife was her conversation* with John Richardson as we were filing out.  *M: “After you”.  JR: “Thanks”.

Tim Renkow.  In the Hive, which I gather is the cheap student club, and it looked/smelled like it. We only saw this because we somehow managed to be very early for the next act, and it was free, so we just wandered in. So when he started it was a bit of a shock, because he has cerebral palsy, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to understand it all.  My fears were unfounded and he was very good, very funny, his condition somehow allowing him free rein to be quite disgusting without your noticing it.

Darren Walsh. UK pun champion (he does warn people at the start, to allow them to leave if they want).  Only half an hour, which was enough.  My kind of thing, but my wife enjoyed it as well, so maybe I’ve softened her up to it, though I noticed she wasn’t rolling her eyes as much as she does at me.  Finished with a virtuoso, quick-fire ‘Give me a subject and I’ll give you a pun’ 5 minute section.

Rhys James. Debut at fringe but I think he’ll be around for a long time. I was going to say he was very competent/polished but there were 3 disruptive members of the audience (two drunkish girls who were doing a little bit of their own chatting at one point, and a bloke who went out half way through (and returned) to get another drink)  and RJ really laid into them.  He did it so sharply that although it was funny, it was also slightly uncomfortable – this was a small venue and an intimate setting.  I think he wanted them to walk out, but they didn’t. As a result, it threw the routine and I think he missed a couple bits.

Andy Zaltzman – Political Animal. Not only the only show where the Referendum was mentioned, but it was all about it.  4 guests of varying quality and AZ doing his usual silliness, which I greatly enjoy.

Alun Cochrane, with Jaded (we were with Jaded, not Alun Cochrane) – Obviously very much in control and on top of his material and the audience (I’m back on Alun Cochrane now). Likeable and professional.  At one point he corrected something he’d said, then said he’d promised not to point out his own shortcomings – he’d tried being a self-deprecating comedian but stopped when he realized that others were a lot better at it than he was.

Stuart Goldsmith.  This was the most traditional of the lot.  A high-energy 55-minute set on a theme, with a feeling that the script had been honed over the year to this point.  The subject matter was hardly original (mainly the looming possibility of fatherhood and how he would react to it, but with bits on supermarket self-serve checkouts and long-distance relationships on the way), but there were so many laugh-out-loud bits, and he is such a likeable bloke (one of the self-deprecating comedians that Alun Cochrane was referring to) that it didn’t matter. Our show was made by the slightly late arrival of 3 semi-drunks who explained that one of their number had become a father 6 hours earlier. Given the subject matter, this was perfect for the odd comments directed at the new father from SG, falling out perfectly from the script.
 

Quote from: lastant on 26 August, 2014, 02:54:35 pm

Went up for the Fringe this year for the first time - only a quick trip using the train up from London, up on the Friday night and back home on the Sunday. Managed to fit in a few things though, and am definitely going to go up again in a future year.

Quick thoughts on things seen (other than a 'value' show on the Sunday morning featuring four stand-ups, that was good though)...

The Circus - Supposedly a group of comics thrown together to produce a wonderfully madcap circus night after night. Didn't really work as an overall 'thing' for us though, although I did end up on stage as Tim FitzHigham's 'lion' during his lion tamer act which was an interesting start to proceedings!

Tony Law - Canadian comic that's been far better when I've seen him on telly than he was at 12.10 on a Saturday afternoon. Disappointed.

John Kearns - a 'lucky dip' pick from the programme for me and I'm *so glad* we went. Thought he was superb, both of us left saying we'd have paid far more than we did for what was a free show. Found out a couple of days ago that he won the prize as comedian of the Fringe. If he comes near you in future, go!

Kraken - Mime act, a few bits dragged but overall a great show and one that I wouldn't have picked myself but am pleased someone else in the group did so that we went along.

Tim FitzHigham's 'Hellfire' - Very Dave Gorman, very good. Definitely going to follow up by finding his Radio 4 shows and would definitely go and see his next piece.

Sh*tfaced Shakespeare - One play from one cast with one member ensured drunk before the show. Hilarious.

Overall I enjoyed the experience and have to admit it's far more bonkers than I anticipated...I knew it was going to be busy and with lots of acts but did not expect it to be quite so crazy!

Where were you staying lastant?

I wanted to see Tony Law - I thought he was brilliant last year - but missed out because of the Liam Williams thing.  I suspect there is an optimum amount of alcohol required both on the part of the performer and the audience for a Tony Law show to be just right.

Also missed out on John Kearns - I must admit to being put off by the 'character' (buck-tooth, tonsured wig? if I've got the right person) but apparently it's irrelevant to the show.  Maybe next year.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: lastant on 27 August, 2014, 09:17:00 pm

Quote from: Nuncio on 27 August, 2014, 12:36:15 pm

Where were you staying lastant?

One of our group found a staggering deal via AirBnB and we ended up on Cowgate in empty-for-the-summer student digs. Ideal location and ridiculously cheap price; granted it was no frills but that's exactly what we were after as we were in at 19.30ish on the Friday and leaving on the 16.30 on the Sunday!

Yes, John Kearns is that one. The character that you mention actually isn't a character as such but a means to an end he explains in a recent interview (http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/aug/25/john-kearns-edinburgh-comedy-award-winner-interview). He even references it during his show with a terrific line or two that I won't spoil by repeating. If he tours this year (and he might do) I honestly would go and see him again, even if it was the same show, Schtick.

Saw Adam Bloom back in Peterborough and Alun Cochrane down here in London a few years back. They're both ones that I've always said I'd see again but have never got round to it!

One thing I will do as and when I make it back for a second bite at the Fringe is do some research and book in some of the shows that I really want to see - we went in with a very relaxed attitude and I'm not sure a short break such as ours suited that approach. Still feel that we saw 'enough' though.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Nuncio on 28 August, 2014, 08:13:42 am

That was lucky.  I thought accommodation in Edinburgh during the fringe was a) very scarce unless booked well in advance, b) rip-off prices and/or c) a long way out from the centre.

After just 2 years experience, I think the best approach for us would be a mix - have a skeleton timetable, maybe booking some tickets in advance - and fill in the gaps with ad-hoc, chancy, spur-of-the-moment things, like PB's friend's show and more free fringe shows.  And not be quite so manic - this year we didn't do much wandering along the Royal Mile and Mound, taking in the street theatre, which we enjoyed last year. Oh, and maybe visit a gallery or two.

Title: Re: Fringe show review thread - reviews may contain spoilers
Post by: Jaded on 28 August, 2014, 08:19:37 am

The Bank of Scotland Museum of Money was interesting (to me). Some interesting old notes (that were new when I used notes like them... and I wish I could find my British Linen Bank £1 note)

I hadn't popped into my bank to find out if they are ready with English Pound accounts when independence happens. (Although I understand they are)