REVIEWS Archives - Page 163 of 552

Tales of Haunted Edinburgh: Echoes From Beyond the Grave – Arthur Conan Doyle Centre

19Aug

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Tales of Haunted Edinburgh: Echoes From Beyond the Grave – Arthur Conan Doyle Centre

Ewan Irvine is a psychic and paranormal medium, tutor and author. He has hosted ghost hunts of ancient buildings, has had his own radio shows and appeared on TV. He has done spiritual readings across the country and has written books and published articles. Also, I must say here and now that Ewan is known to this reviewer as a very dear friend - full disclosure. I have watched Ewan become a powerful speaker, in recent years. This is not his first foray into the Edinburgh Fringe and I'm certain that it won't be his last. Every year, though he seems to bring something very different to the speaking lectern. This year, he spoke about tales of hauntings, of ghosts, of inexplicable phenomena which are particular to the capital city. And he - almos...

19Aug

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Caroline Criado Perez – Lyceum Theatre

According to Wikipedia, Perez is a feminist (‘radical feminist, if you don’t mind’), author, journalist and activist. What Wiki doesn’t mention is that Perez is also an extraordinary speaker, a punchy communicator. Fuelled by fire, she leans over the lectern and looks the audience right in the eye as she delivers so much content that she couldn’t fail to have made points which were new and surprising, even to the most aware of audience members. Perez was firing on all cylinders in this talk – from the quotation of shocking statistics on female under-representation in popular culture to the unrecognized contribution of unpaid female labour to the national economy, from the gender data gap to the lack of respect and recognition of women who choose moth...

Circa Humans 2.0 – Underbelly Circus Hub

18Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

Scotland

Circa Humans 2.0 – Underbelly Circus Hub

Wow, wow, wow! My second circus of the festival (with two more to come) Circa Humans 2.0 offers a stunning piece of theatrical circus with a physicality and choreography, unlike anything I have seen before. It is a high energy, high octane, high silk infusion of circus and humanity with truthful seam running through the middle. Circus is hard enough with all the skills and abilities it entails, but then to lay on top an artistic aesthetic which makes us go away thinking not only of the turns and the tricks but of the humanity underneath is certainly an impressive feat. And talking of impressive feats the show was full of them. Against an ululating, pulsating, stamping, stomping soundtrack a gaggle of black clad acrobats, gymnastics and aerialists rotate, rock and revolve in a tho...

100 Things You Are Overthinking – Alchemist, St James Quarter

18Aug

By Saira KunjuvalappilNo Comments

Scotland

100 Things You Are Overthinking – Alchemist, St James Quarter

The show is a complete comedy experience that involves a lot of interaction with the audience. Francesco Kirchhoff and Ori Halevy did a great job making each performance unique. No two shows are the same because the topics depend on what the audience writes down about what they’re overthinking. The questions from the audience were really funny, like “Does my dog love me?” The answers were hilarious, and everyone was laughing out loud. Another question was “Will I ever be rich?” The response was light-hearted, saying life is already good and that overthinking isn’t necessary. One of the best moments was when someone asked how to find a boyfriend for their daughter. The funny advice was to install dating apps, create a fake profile for the daughter, and start swiping. Another great...

18Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

Squidge – Pleasance Courtyard

‘Squidge’ is an absorbing one woman show about Daisy, a teaching assistant. It’s a heart-warming play about a young woman who makes life better for the children with ‘special educational needs’ she teaches. But it’s not just about life in the classroom. Daisy tells us about her love life, her relationship with her mother, and the recent bereavement that is gnawing at her soul. ‘Squidge’ is written and performed by Tiggy Bayley. She wrote it last year when she was still teaching, and this is her theatrical debut. It’s a beautiful script which crackles with energy, emotion and wit. This is a rollercoaster of a show which has plenty of laughs, but some heartbreaking moments, too. It reveals its secrets slowly and leaves us with hope. ‘Squidge’ is simply staged but it’s amazing what ...

18Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

Scotland

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return – Summerhall

“16 years on this planet and it comes to this…” Sometimes at the Edinburgh Festival amidst all the half-conceived artistic debris, the broken dreams and the ill-informed attempts at theatre, sometimes you stumble across a gem, a highly polished and presented piece which shines out, head and shoulders above the rest - such as the case in “The Chaos That Has Been And Will No Doubt Return” at Summerhall which takes as its narratological background Luton - not the most inspiring of cities in the United Kingdom, but in the hands of Chalk Line theatre company it becomes a fascinating youthful and exuberant place in a production riddled with the joyous exuberance of youth and the concomitant chaos which follows. The play, by a gifted Sam Edmunds, has a vibrant energy that is both engagi...

Out of the Blue – Assembly George Square

18Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

Scotland

Out of the Blue – Assembly George Square

Out of the Blue, as always and forever, parade a cacophony of happy harmonies, joyous jingles and merry melodies. They stem from Oxford university, and they’ve been coming annually year in, year out to the Edinburgh festival to raise money for their chosen charity. It is an explosion of joy and a wonderous, marvellous experience. 20 young guys with perfect harmonies, a great sense of joy, a great sense of fun and a vibrancy that makes the building shake. The tone, the attitude, the approach is irresistible, endearing and beguiling. These guys know what they're doing. They've been residents of the festival for years. I first saw them in 2007 and was blown away. It's simple. It's clean. It's family fun with joyous songs from across the years and a smorgasbord of music! And the voca...

18Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Show Pony – Summerhall Main Hall

What happens to a show pony when it gets old? Yep, bang!! Three ‘middle-aged’ ladies pull back the curtain for a behind the scenes view on what it’s like to be a circus performer your whole life, with your body slowly giving up, facing the existential question, what next? An entertaining hour, of high quality tricks and stunts, but also much humour and insight, which suggests this talented trio are not done yet, and are more than one-trick-ponies. Along the way, we get to delve into the earliest memories of the strong woman, the aerialist and the contortionist. It’s a fascinating and beautifully choreographed introduction, with old photos, flickering videos and tricks aplenty, which has all the charm and otherness of a Wes Anderson flick. They explain that the rules of circus ...

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...

18Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

#NoFilter – Greenside @ George Street

Based on real stories gathered from conversations and social media, new musical #NoFilter follows three duos and the effects social media has on their lives and relationships. One pair are friends, Sina (Jamie Douglas-Turner), who runs an OnlyFans, and Ember (Vincenzo Dipasquale), who links us with the next two couples, Pandora (Eva-Marie Blaire) & Candor (Sirus Desnoes), and Savannah (Natalie Gray) & King (Aaron Andrews). The former's relationship is defined by social media, having started on Tinder and seemingly fallen apart through Instagram, while the latter's was formed in person. Dipasquale's Ember is the glue of the show, linking not only the characters but also stories and numbers through his narration, and Dipasquale's likable performance helps paper over some narra...