Saturday, December 21

Author: Beth Eltringham

Here There Be Dragons: A Musical Quest – Greenside Venues @ Riddles Court
Scotland

Here There Be Dragons: A Musical Quest – Greenside Venues @ Riddles Court

Playing Dungeons And Dragons may make you uncool to some, but to others it’s the coolest thing you can ever do: exploring new worlds, fighting dragons, having a project with your friends that can span for years! The only issue is, the D&D life style doesn’t always suit those around you and eventually real  life is going to threaten to get in the way. For this group of soon to be graduates that’s exactly what’s about to happen. Here There Be Dragons: A Musical Quest is a brand new musical centred around a group of young adults who are all about to graduate college and play their final game of D&D together. We get to see the true thrill of the game and the undeniable cringe that can come with it from an outsiders point of view. We get to see the confidence playing another...
Charles Dickens: The Hanged Man’s Bride – Space @ Symposium Hall
Scotland

Charles Dickens: The Hanged Man’s Bride – Space @ Symposium Hall

Blue Orange Arts brings the well-known Charles Dickens play: The Hanged Man’s Bride to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe in the form of one-man story telling play. After a man travels to stop in a hotel in Leicester, he hears the tale of cruel man who has been hung for murdering his wife some years back with arsenic, an intriguing tale but it is not one that provokes any real reaction from our main man. It’s not until he enters his room, the clock strikes 8 and a strange staff member appears that story is truly delved into in its horrid entirety.  The play starts off rather slowly, our main character is a rather unlikable soul who’s only worry in life is when he should officially leave his wife for his teenage lover. This is the classic flawed main character with a lesson or two to ...
Come Dine With Me: The Musical – Underbelly Bistro Square
Scotland

Come Dine With Me: The Musical – Underbelly Bistro Square

What if Come Dine With Me was a musical? Well, that question finally has an answer, however this musical focuses more on the behind the camera team than it does the wacky contestants themselves. Our producer Mary (Danielle Coombe) is looking to film a new episode of Come Dine With Me, but with views dropping she’s going to need this episode to be a little more spicey. It seems she gets what she’s asked for when acts of sabotage come into question and our contestants seem to be as cookie and weird as can be. Despite the onscreen action being a little suspicious, it seem the real drama is behind the camera as sound man Teddy (Harry Chandler) is having his own existential crisis. There will be love, there will be “I want” ballads and there will be food. Come Dine With Me: The Mus...
The Daughters of Róisí­n – Pleasance Courtyard: Bunker 1
Scotland

The Daughters of Róisí­n – Pleasance Courtyard: Bunker 1

Taking a difficult subject and balancing the harsh reality whilst still including comedy is a hard task, but The Daughters Of Roisin have done this masterfully. Taking a look into the hidden and darker history of Ireland, this one woman show tells us the truth about how the young pregnant women were often treated. It tells of women being locked up for 9 months in their homes without being seen as to hide the disgrace and “sickness”, and the powers the church held over its people. This is a difficult watch as one may expect, you should as an audience feel uncomfortable. But what this play does masterfully is weave the horror and hard to swallow truth amongst song this is in no way a cheesy musical) and lighter humour. Our Lead actress (Aoibh Johnson) and writer divides the story i...
Casting The Runes – Pleasance Courtyard Above
Scotland

Casting The Runes – Pleasance Courtyard Above

It seems one should be careful when disregarding another person’s theories and methods, especially when those methods surround the paranormal. Box Tale Soup have brought their own two-man production of Casting the Ruins to this year’s fringe, and it is certainly an intriguing treat. We follow the story of scholar Edward Dunning, a man who does not believe in the supernatural. When rejecting a thesis from writer Mr Karswell, he finds himself following in the footsteps a dead man before him, Karswell’s last victim. Through seemingly magic runes, it’s up to Dunning and the mysterious woman he has just met to stop whatever nasty magical creature that has begun it’s decent on the professor, all the while forcing Dunning to truly question if the paranormal could truly exist. Visuall...
1 Hour Of Insane Magic: After Dark – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose: Big Yin
Scotland

1 Hour Of Insane Magic: After Dark – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose: Big Yin

Insane Productions brings a brand new show to the Edinburgh Fringe this year and this time it’s a little naughty, after all it’s taking place “after dark”. The adult nature of this show has definitely been embraced, with suggestive emojis lighting the back walls in neon lights, drinking games and even the flashing of a phallus and balls. It’s the magic element that the show seems to be lacking in. Headlining the show we have 3 energetic and charming magicians who work together incredibly well. Their chemistry is electric and if this was purely a comedy show it would be on its way to a five star review however other than an impressive entrance trick (I shall not spoil it for you), the real magic of the show is done by their guest acts. What is promised to be a magic show bec...
1 Cent Comedy presents: Black Widows – Laughing Horse
Scotland

1 Cent Comedy presents: Black Widows – Laughing Horse

Black Widows is a comedy show that is not afraid to explore the darker areas of comedy, the stuff that not all comedians would dare to joke about. With a line-up of female only comedians without a filter in a very small room, straight men must enter at their own peril. Leading the show is our host Moni Zhang who is joined by an ever-changing line up of female comedians. Moni herself is the perfect comedic host: to the point, charming and with a good no nonsense attitude. Her jokes are fast, direct and she’s very good at singling out her prey without making them too uncomfortable. Her support for her fellow artists shines through which really helps the space to feel less like a group of strangers stuffed into a karaoke room and more like a group of friends sharing a laugh together. ...
FLIGHT – Pleasance Dome, Potterrow Plaza, Container 1
Scotland

FLIGHT – Pleasance Dome, Potterrow Plaza, Container 1

Ever wanted to sit in a shipping container and play plane passenger in the dark? Well now you can, but you may find this experience to be all the more terrifying than what you’d expect. Not only are you in the dark left with your own imagination, but you are also facing a whole new sensory experience through sound and sensory effects. This is one plane ride that you may need to remind yourself is not real or else face your worst fears and pray that you land safely. I was surprised to find that despite the experience taking place almost entirely in the dark the setting is completely believable as a plane. You step into a big white container, but on the inside, you find a full plane interior completely with windows, rows of actual plane seats and safety brochures. A small screen displays ...
Buckets of Blood: Fairy Tales Not For Kids – Pleasance Courtyard, The Green
Scotland

Buckets of Blood: Fairy Tales Not For Kids – Pleasance Courtyard, The Green

We have all heard the Disney versions of the fairy tales, the ones where the princess marries the prince, they live happily ever after and absolutely no one has to cut their alkalies off or dance in hot iron shoes. The original stories are not as well known and much more gruesome, after all not everyone can have a happy ending. Eden Storyteller takes us on a mythical journey through the original Grimm’s fairy tales that inspired the much more publicized ones, or more accurately the original fairy tales that inspired the Gimm’s stories. . Expect blood, cannibalism (in abundance), child abuse and well deserved stories of revenge. Eden is a natural performer and storyteller; he exudes charisma and charm. The venue is intimate which suites the show well, with Eden commanding the space wh...
Burning Down The Horse – Pleasance Dome, Queen Dome
Scotland

Burning Down The Horse – Pleasance Dome, Queen Dome

If you haven’t heard of the Trojan Horse before then this will be an eye opening and hilarious introduction. As Greek leader Odysseus leads his men (and in this case women too) to war in a giant wooden horse the soldiers are starting to have second thoughts about how safe their plan is. They are also beginning to have doubts about their leader. Will the attack go to plan or is there a fair few limitations to storming a city in a giant flammable wooden horse? Fishing4Chips have put together a brilliantly well-rounded historical comedy centering around the famous Greek mythology. This highly immersive show is sure to make you laugh as well as to incite the “power of the people” into you. We as an audience are the soldiers, we are being marched to battle and we are being yelled at to stay ...