Thursday, March 28

Tag: Camden Fringe

Nick Everritt: The Quiet Man – Aces & Eights
London

Nick Everritt: The Quiet Man – Aces & Eights

Time for some comedy down at Aces & Eights, and from Nick Everritt who calls himself, The Quiet Man.  Not an ideal trait in a comedian I hear you say, but Everitt has his quiet man routine down to a fine art. This is routine with a defined structure, and at the outset, we are introduced to this shy man persona, with a couple of impersonations, and jokes, which are ‘joke-splained’.  Getting the crowd involved is a big part of Everritt’s act, which is reliant upon being able to pull in a reasonable size audience, or the audience may feel that they are too large a part of the routine.  Luckily, our small audience is willing to participate, and offers up the repartee that a comedian depends upon. Everritt’s Quiet Man persona is purposefully creepy, a weird, social...
The Two Horsemen – Aces & Eights
London

The Two Horsemen – Aces & Eights

Whenever I am ‘fringing’ (yes, let’s make it a verb), I like to go along to see some improv.  The quick-witted repartee, the verbal jousting is exciting, and watching The Two Horsemen saddle up, mount, and strap on their jousts, I know that we are in for a helluva ride. Liam Brennan and Tom Jacob-Ewles are the two riders that make up The Two Horsemen, and these two fablers tour, playing the medieval tavern circuit, with the aim of making it big in showbiz weaving fantasy tales assisted by suggestions from the audience.  Below is a selection of the happenings that went on:- The intro came from Bubonic Bobby who oozes infection from every pore, and then duo begin with a suggestion of a fable about The Ugly Duckling who is secretly Macbeth, Brennan relished the role of the ug...
Body 115 – The Hope Theatre
London

Body 115 – The Hope Theatre

In an extremely warm theatre, I watched poet and writer Jan Noble, create imagery with verse, a necromancer of inventive poetic speech, searingly powerful, and infinitely watchable. Body 115 is a homage to Dante’s Divine Comedy, delving into the underworld with its decay and death.  Jan Noble’s one-man show sees Body 115, who is one of the long unidentified victims of the King’s Cross fire in 1987, the 31st victim, who lies in the earth, has memories of fire, and an horrific death.  Following the dramatic nature of The Divine Comedy, body 115 becomes Virgil, who guided Dante, and represents human reason.  For those unaware of Dante’s Divine Comedy, it is a poem written by Dante Alighieri, during the 14th century, which is divided into three parts, the Inferno, Purgatorio...
Remember The Before – Hen & Chickens Theatre
London

Remember The Before – Hen & Chickens Theatre

An unnamed couple try to pick over their relationship memories, but why do their memories differ?  An intriguing peek into this couple’s relationship history, who have been given numbers and not names (one is played by Sarah Pearcey and two by Jed McLoughlin).  Written by Jed McLoughlin and directed by Pippa Dykes, the story arc gives plenty in terms of intrigue.  Jed’s character (One) buzzes, as his extrovert nature wins over his partner when they first meet, he is funny, lovable, and larger than life, whereas Sarah (Two) is more reserved, but loves his outgoing nature.  The couple clearly care about each other, but it is unclear whether they have a future together, as their shared experiences don’t appear to have evolved into shared memories.  It asks the...
Algo-Rhythm – The Bill Murray
Scotland

Algo-Rhythm – The Bill Murray

Algo- Rhythm by the ‘Useless group’ is a dynamic trio with memorable and relatable Musical comedy. They serve it with a twist as fresh and delicious as mint chocolate chip gelato. They burst with enthusiasm on stage. Leoni Amandin, Sinead Hegarty and Rebeka Dio have wicked sorcery under their wings. They dig deep into their experiences of being queer, creative and navigating the world around us. With some adorable use of sock puppets and cardboard cutouts, their audience interaction game is strong, confident and sassy! It is delightful to hear the clarinet, piano and ukulele being played through the show by the talented performers, seamlessly changing roles and pitches. They combine the whimsical of ‘where do eels come from?’ with matter-of-fact sharing of trade secrets that the...
Wife Material – Camden People’s Theatre
London

Wife Material – Camden People’s Theatre

Sophia and Heleana Blackwell are a married stand-up comedy and poetry duo. Two lesbians tell us about the trials, tribulations and satisfactions of marriage. There is poetry, improvised songs and duets. Sophia and Heleana share a vibrant chemistry of opposites attracting. They intersperse one another’s stories recollecting how they met, got married and tug of disagreements solely about duvet covers. The show, first performed at the RVT, returns to the Camden Fringe and is the love story we yearn for and deserve. In the onslaught of heteronormativity slapped at us across all media, the piece holds the quiet comfort of a warm cup of coffee with a friend. Sophia is a performance poet with three published poetry collections and one novel. For two years, she hosted the LGBT+ radio sh...
The Vagina Monologues – Canal Cafe
London

The Vagina Monologues – Canal Cafe

Aurore Padenou's first production pulled together Director Lorna Dempsey, joined by Juliet Prew, Cara Kiri. Each of the actors gives an astounding performance. They carve out the diverse characters they alternatively play with conviction and tenderness. The Vagina Monologues was written twenty-seven years ago by Artist and activist V, formerly Eve Ensler. Based on interviews with more than 200 women, the play summarises different aspects of the participant's relationship with the vagina- the hair, the smell, the shame, the pleasure and the hate.  An Obie Award-winning play has enjoyed a sold-out run on Broadway. V also initiated V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women. The vagina monologues have been rewritten, translated and adapted by various grassroots organ...
Chronically Hilarious – Museum of Comedy
London

Chronically Hilarious – Museum of Comedy

Chronically Hilarious platforms disabled Comedians who pack a punch. It is often declared that any comedian worth their salt must be in Edinburgh, but no one ever talks about how inaccessible the city and the festival's structure are. So, buckle your seat belts for Six unsalty comedy comedians making a delightful evening about bits about being disabled with other disabled folks on stage and in the audience. Special mention for the BSL interpretation by Peter Abraham with the expert signing. 1 in 5 of the UK population is disabled, and 80% of these people have a hidden disability. That's over 10 million UK people with an invisible disability. Historically conversations are riddled with shame, disbelief and unasked advice. The collection of comedians who are so funny and also have aut...
Singh’ing in the Rain – Camden Fringe
London

Singh’ing in the Rain – Camden Fringe

Mandeep Singh’s Singh’ing in the Rain is an effortless and fresh take on comedy. He breezes through bits of observation from tiny instances we have all faced but not dwelled on, perhaps. Mandeep's comedy timing is brilliant. He plays such a diverse set of funny and relatable characters. His judicious use of props and music, expertly supported by his tech Fiona adds to the comedic charm. From enjoying chips on stage that pack a punch to dojo eagle dragons who will listen to anyone troubling you and help you punch away your misery, Mandeep has the audience in splits. Remember thumb wars as a kid to pass the time waiting on the train? You can relive this memory on stage with a bit of competitive character, which will make you laugh till your stomach hurts. Remember that squishy banana you...
Dad, Playboy, & Me…. Not Your Average Slideshow – The Water Rats
London

Dad, Playboy, & Me…. Not Your Average Slideshow – The Water Rats

'Cathartic, creative and healing'. AG Nortan's Dad, Playboy, & Me... Not Your Average Slideshow has travelled all the way from the USA to share her story, first at the Brighton Fringe, then the Camden Fringe in London and then at Edinburgh Fringe. AG Nortan calls herself a Londoner at heart and deeply enjoys weaving this story of her father, her grandfather, and their mentors as she uncovers many boxes of unprocessed film in her parent's basement during the pandemic. The performance shares the painstaking process she went through to digitalise the photographs. Amanda is aware that what she uncovers is from another space/time continuum. She is trying to put her lived experience as a queer, feminist woman trying to humanise and understand an absent dad who passed away when she was...