Ben Pearson, Author at North West End UK

A Jaffa Cake Musical – Pleasance Courtyard

21Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

A Jaffa Cake Musical – Pleasance Courtyard

While A Jaffa Cake Musical is by no means the most extravagant musical at the Fringe, you’d be hard-pressed to find a show that fills you with more child-like glee. Based loosely on the 1991 trial in which the nature of a Jaffa cake (not biscuit) was decided, Gigglemug’s new musical is hilarious, surprisingly informative, and filled to the brim with catchy songs. The story mostly follows Kevin, played with giddy optimism by Sam Cochrane, who is the defence lawyer hired by the Jaffa Cake company to prove that Jaffa Cakes are indeed cakes not biscuits. In typical musical fashion, Kevin’s parents are devastated he chose to become a lawyer rather than an actor: ‘Why would you want stability when you could be performing in a musical?’ His rival, Katherine, is the far more accomplished of...

The Academy Trust: Under New Management – theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall

20Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

The Academy Trust: Under New Management – theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall

Mode Theatre’s The Academy Trust: Under New Management is a comedy, written and performed by teachers, that exposes the horrifying realities of modern-day teaching. Taking place over the course of a few days, the show weaves through a series of hilarious yet endlessly relatable scenarios, culminating in the dreaded world book day. The centre of the piece is Rachel, who is internally battling over whether or not to hand in her resignation amidst all the changes at the school. Not only does this make for some great comedic beats, but it wonderfully encapsulates the debate that many teachers are facing. How can anyone continue to teach in an environment that demands so much and provides so little? The three performers, I was sadly unable to find their names, all demonstrated an impr...

Sisters Three – Summerhall Anatomy Lecture Theatre

18Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Sisters Three – Summerhall Anatomy Lecture Theatre

TheatreGoose’s Sisters Three is a highly accomplished piece of theatre that takes the audience on an enchanting, funny and often moving journey. The premise is relatively simple; the titular sisters from Chekov’s masterpiece, Irina, Masha and Olaga, are aware that they are in a play (don’t worry you don’t need to have read it). But when Irina wishes for the lives of any other sisters, in any other medium, the three are taken on a whirlwind journey ranging from Greek tragedy and Shakespeare to historical figures and the Sugababes. Writer and director Emma Howlett’s script manages to discuss a range of philosophical and academic questions, including the nature of happiness and freedom, and the place of women within literature, whilst remaining endlessly entertaining. Frequent movement...

17Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Covenant – Greenside @ George St

Set in an extreme but terrifyingly realistic world in which women’s bodies are controlled and monitored by the government, Turning Point Theatre Company’s Covenant highlights the impact that banning abortion has on women. Bonnie, played wonderfully by Nell Lang, wakes up after a night-out knowing something is wrong. Her friends Gen, Margot Pue, and Rachel, Catriana Tashjian, attempt to convince Bonnie that she is merely hungover but, when Bonnie discovers her own blood-soaked sheet, the true events of the previous night are revealed. I won’t discuss the plot here, much of the suspense derives from the twisting journey both Bonnie and the audience are taken on, but it is highly effective. Writer Laura Walker has crafted a script that simultaneously grips and haunts the audience. You ...

Jake Donaldson: Spectacle – Mash House, Just the Attic

10Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Jake Donaldson: Spectacle – Mash House, Just the Attic

Jake Donaldson delivers a hilarious hour of entertaining and at times informative comedy in his stand-up show Spectacle. Donaldson is partially sighted, meaning he sees things, in his words, ‘like a memory’. He has a picture, but it’s blurry round the edges. Donaldson uses his disability as a starting point for some truly brilliant humour. Most notably, there’s an ‘audio description’ recording that plays on and off throughout the show. Beginning as a simple description of Donaldson’s movements around the venue, the ‘voice’ soon goes off-piste, insulting both his appearance and his routine. I don’t want to give anything away, but the audio description even allows for a closing twist that made several members of the audience gasp (myself included). I had an enormous grin on my face...

Richard Cobb: Running Joke – Laughing Horse @ Raging Bull

9Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Richard Cobb: Running Joke – Laughing Horse @ Raging Bull

Richard Cobb’s Running Joke is an entertaining hour of stand-up comedy, perfect for passing the time in the early evening. Performing in an intimate venue, Cobb’s natural delivery creates a friendly atmosphere almost akin to a chat at the pub. The show centres around various challenges Cobb had to overcome before he faced the challenge from which the show derives its name: running the Edinburgh marathon. It’s a relatable premise, allowing the audience to empathise with his journey and feel present in the stories he told. This isn’t an absurdist, existentialist or political stand-up. Rather, Cobb derives humour from real situations that happen to real people (mostly himself). He was perhaps a little nervous at the beginning and spoke very fast as a result. Unfortunately, this meant ...

7Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Beach Babe – Paradise in the Vault

Beach Babe is an entertaining, thought-provoking dark comedy about love, grief, and the afterlife. A young couple find themselves stranded on a rubbish-filled beach in Wales with no recollection of how they got there and no way of leaving. The young ‘woman’, played wonderfully by Julia Tidmas Goodall, is heavily pregnant but, due to the nature of their situation, is never able to give birth. Her partner, ‘man’, tries to inject optimism into their predicament, even if he does not feel it himself. The Starving Creatives’ media pack described ‘man’ as ‘the human embodiment of a golden retriever.’ An apt description, and one Nicholas Holloway channels expertly in his performance. Throughout the play, more information about the reality of the situation and the nature of the beach is revealed. I...

Finding Splashman: Aunty Ginger – Assembly George Square Studios

6Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Finding Splashman: Aunty Ginger – Assembly George Square Studios

At last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, I was lucky enough to review Aunty Ginger’s highly entertaining show I Consent. So, I was excited, if a tad nervous (what if it didn’t live up to last time?) to go and see Finding Splashman. I’m thrilled to say that I was not disappointed. Aunty Ginger is as engaging, sassy and stupendously fun as ever. This time round, she’s hired a director, and it shows. Mikey Smith brings an element of fluidity to the performance that was slightly absent last time. Now her hilarious gags and segments, including ‘Aunty Ginger’s Problem Area’, in which she solves all kinds of explicit sexual problems, flow seamlessly from one another. It no longer feels like she’s jumping from sketch to sketch, but rather a complete performance. Another welcome addition was the int...

007 Voices of Bond – theSpace @ Symposium Hall

28Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

007 Voices of Bond – theSpace @ Symposium Hall

007 Voices of Bond is any James Bond fan’s dream. Brought to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Night Owl Shows, this hour-long concert takes the audience on a journey through the title tracks of Bond. Other than the opening number, Diamonds are Forever, the songs are performed in chronological order of release date, charting the evolving style of the music through the decades. Between each song either Maia Elsey, the truly phenomenal lead singer, or a pre-recorded video of ‘Mike’ (a hilarious yet informative M stand in), provide the audience with the context of each track. How they came to be made, what the meaning behind the song is, and its place within the wider world of music. These brief interludes were fascinating, and enhanced the experience from beyond just spectacle, to a genuine e...

22Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Bacon – Summerhall

Bacon, written by Sophie Swithinbank, and brought to the Edinburgh Fringe by HFH Productions, is a masterclass in storytelling. Focusing on the lives of fifteen-year-old’s Mark, Corey Montague-Sholay, and Darren, William Robinson, it explores masculinity, sexuality, and the dangers of toxicity in youthful relationships. Mark has just joined a new school and is struggling to make friends until he meets the hot-tempered Darren. The two could not be more different, and as such seem drawn to one another. Swithinbank’s script is electric. Despite repeatedly switching between narration and dialogue, it feels incredibly real. The characters may address the audience, but they never stop feeling like actual human beings. Perhaps this is because they are both so relatable, albeit in very differen...