REVIEWS Archives - Page 14 of 406

ARI: The Spirit of Korea – Assembly Hall

21Aug

By Saira KunjuvalappilNo Comments

Scotland

ARI: The Spirit of Korea – Assembly Hall

I just experienced *ARI: Spirit of Korea*, and it was absolutely incredible! This show had everything—dance, music, acrobatics, theatre, and more. From the moment it started, I was completely captivated, and that feeling stayed with me until the very end. The show, brilliantly directed by Yoon Jung Hwan, tells the story of Arirang Pass, a mountain everyone dreams of conquering. Even though it’s a Korean production, the captions make it easy for everyone to follow the story. The 18 performers on stage were nothing short of amazing. Their energy was contagious, and they never lost momentum. Right from the start, they connected with the audience, even coming down from the stage to greet everyone, which made the whole experience feel very personal and engaging. Under Yoon Jung Hwan’s...

Pretty Woman the Musical – The Alexandra, Birmingham

21Aug

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Pretty Woman the Musical – The Alexandra, Birmingham

Following a successful run last October, Pretty Woman the musical returns to the Alexandra until Saturday 24th August. Based on the classic 1990s film Pretty Woman, this show tells the same Cinderella love story, but with a sprinkling of original songs. Vivian is struggling to make ends meet on the streets of LA when she has a chance encounter with the business focused Edward. She is transported to a different world, but will she fit in? How long can the fairy tale last? Fans of the film will be very familiar with the story and the key scenes. This production does not disappoint, the majority of iconic moments are there. Alongside these however are musical numbers, written by Bryan Adams and Jim Valance. These allow the characters to express their thoughts and emotions in a ...

Sammy Blew Up a Toilet – theSpace @ Venue45

21Aug

By Marcelina KruczyńskaNo Comments

Scotland

Sammy Blew Up a Toilet – theSpace @ Venue45

Sammy Blew Up a Toilet playing at the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time this year was brought to the stage by the Crunch Collective. The play, being inspired by real-life, became a piece that I believe a lot of the audience could relate to, which was clear from the many ripples of laughter that circulated the room throughout the play. For the duration of the show adulthood problems were forgotten and one was transported to a simpler time. Written by Aric Hanscomb-Ryrie and directed by Aydan Macdonald, the comedic piece captured all the minuscular details one may remember from their primary school days (such as Golden time) and turned them into an entertaining play that griped your attention till the last line. The famous toilet was the main piece of staging that was strategically ...

21Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Playfight – Roundabout @ Summerhall

Their meeting place, an ancient Oak tree, all our echoed inner pain, three girls, Zainab the earth, Keira the animal and Lucy, like a cloud with legs. So writes Julia Grogan in the Playfight script notes, which I could hardly just walk past after watching this fire cracker. Summerhall’s crucible of dreams, the Roundhouse, is a perfect In the round venue for a play about the complexities of girlhood, which twists and turns following three fifteen-year-old school friends who spark off each other in multiple directions. Keira is the adventurous one and has just lost her virginity, on the tennis courts, doggy style, with an eighteen year old. Zainab is coming to terms with the idea that she might prefer girls, and Lucy floats along, struggling to balance her love of the church with her ...

The Accused – theSpace at Surgeons’ Hall

21Aug

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

The Accused – theSpace at Surgeons’ Hall

After taking our seats in the performance space we waited in spooky red light, listening to eerie music, knocking and screams. So the mood was set – for murder! Daniel Hindley is on trial for the murder of pretty young thing Samantha Sutcliffe (names sound familiar?), after she stole the starring role in a show in which he had been promised the lead. After the charges have been read in the court, we see in flashback, various key moments leading up to the awful crime, although stopping short of revealing the actual killer. That’s up to the jury to decide. Before the case was presented, members of the audience had to look under our seats to discover if we had been selected for jury duty in the form of the presence, or not, of a paddle with “G” on one side...

21Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Ripper – Hill Street Theatre

Reconnect Theatres brings back its grizzly rock-musical for a second time at the Fringe. Based on the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper, we watch police officer Frederick Abberline (played by Stephen Kerr) tackle the seemingly unsolvable trail of gruesome murders. Right off the bat, I was hit with chills – Kerr’s vocals are astounding - in fact the whole cast’s vocals are astounding - truly a spectacularly talented lot. The rock style was perfectly suited to the two leads. Our ripper is played by Alex Lyne who brings a suave, dogmatic feel to the character – so charming you almost forget he is the villain - or is he?... Being such a small cast, some of the bigger numbers of the musicals are difficult to tackle – with no ensemble to fill the stage certain numbers...

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...

21Aug

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Fabulist – Charing Cross Theatre

1920’s Tuscany, Mussolini and the Church hold overwhelming authority and in the mix lives two sisters, their movie studio and their big dreams for the future. Screenwriter Clarice (Réka Jónás) is a well sought after, independent woman. Her 43 previous suitors have never quite lived up to her and her father’s standard- or more appropriately haven’t lived as they all died in their heroic demonstrations to deem themselves worthy. An unsuspecting 44th suitor tumbles on stage, clownish and down to earth ‘Julian’ (Dan Smith). A ‘fabulist’ or as more often known be a ‘magician’ who is being hunted by the church for fears of the Occult. Julian’s presence alters the course of the play as the question of magic vs science stirs our characters who believe themselves to be logical and marry fo...

An American Love Letter to Edinburgh – Scottish Storytelling Centre

20Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

An American Love Letter to Edinburgh – Scottish Storytelling Centre

This is a delightful, often hilarious, show beautifully performed by Rick Conte. It will appeal not just to lovers of Edinburgh and history buffs but to anyone who loves a good yarn. Written by Conte and Matt Rudkin, and directed by Andy Cannon, this is the fascinating story of two visits made to Edinburgh in 1759 and 1771 by Benjamin Franklin. ‘Renaissance Man’ Franklin wrote a book on electricity, but is of course most famous as one of the Founding Fathers of the USA. He edited and was one of the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. Franklin had initially been sent over from Philadelphia to London to try to persuade the sons of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, to pay tax. While in London he met several fellow intellectuals including Sir John Pringl...

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...