REVIEWS Archives - Page 38 of 406

FLIGHT – Pleasance Dome, Potterrow Plaza, Container 1

1Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

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 ...

Crispr! The Musical – Roman Eagle Lodge, Edinburgh

1Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Crispr! The Musical – Roman Eagle Lodge, Edinburgh

And so it begins, the 78th Edinburgh Festival Fringe! The ethos of the Fringe, which dates back to 1947, dictates that anyone can take part, with a story to tell and a venue willing to host them, and (of course!) pockets deep enough to afford it! So here, first up, a musical about gene editing technology! Haha!, well this is perfect for Edinburgh! The EdFringe programme blurb provides a description of the show - Two struggling genetics researchers are determined to create the world’s first super-soybean, but a rival lab will stop at nothing to defeat them. Featuring original songs, dance, action-packed battles and shocking twists, Crispr! the Musical is a high-energy romp……..Duane Stanford and Lina Zikas, portray three pairs of characters whose stories converge into a climactic battl...

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

1Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

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...

‘Born in the USA (Leaving Vietnam’ – C Arts (studio), Edinburgh

1Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

‘Born in the USA (Leaving Vietnam’ – C Arts (studio), Edinburgh

This engrossing one man show tells the story of Jimmy Vandenburgh, a decorated marine who finds it difficult to come to terms with life after his military service in Vietnam War, and is swayed for a while by Trump. Like many veterans, Jimmy still bears the mental scars of the War. “I died once in Vietnam, and once every day since then,” he tells us. Although it’s nearly fifty years since the USA had to admit defeat and pull out of Vietnam, America itself - like Jimmy - is still scarred by that conflict in which nearly 60,000 Americans died - a huge total, though dwarfed by more than a million Vietnamese deaths (half of them civilians). During the 1960s and 1970s, while the Vietnam War raged, America was more divided than perhaps at any time since the Civil War. But the USA is just...

1Aug

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

The Grapes Of Wrath – National Theatre

For a novel written almost 100 years ago, the parallels with today are striking. A family of overcrowded refugees trying to make their way to safety, to employment and a home. Yet along the way people won’t even recognise them as human and are happy to cheat them, underpay them and generally take advantage of them. The systemic exploitation of the desperate hasn’t changed from the 1930s until today. Inevitably adaptations sacrifice depth for brevity. Frank Galati’s 1990 adaptation making its London debut under director Carrie Cracknell suffers from this, particularly in character development leading to less impact when some characters don’t make it to the end of the long drive. We are told about Tom’s great relationship with his grandpa but spend so little time in it that it does n...

Burning Down The Horse – Pleasance Dome, Queen Dome

1Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

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 ...

1Aug

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Mixed Omens – Etcetera Theatre

Mixed Omens is literally one of a kind. Performed by narrative improv group, The Improvised Play, their previous productions have focused on the works of Tennessee Williams and Caryl Churchill. Here, they take the works of Neil Gaiman, looking at the interface between real life and myth and the creatures that inhabit those spaces. Demons and gods (like Gaiman's interpretation of Aziraphale and Crowley) mix with humans with varying success and outcomes. An evil father who wants to spread his darkness across the world is searching for his wayward daughter who has escaped to the human world to seek out her half-sister rather than following in his dark footsteps. Essentially a struggle between good and evil, the show is Good Omens meets Long Lost Family, with secret sib...

1Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Wizard of Oz – Wolverhampton Grand

“There’s no place like Wolves!” Well, there certainly isn’t as Dorothy Gale and her little dog, too, land their wooden house on the stage of the Grand Theatre which they’re calling no place like home for the next few days. “The Wizard of Oz” is, undoubtedly, an iconic, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic trip into the mad and inventive mind of L. Frank Baum who, eager to create a new style fairy tale for a new, burgeoning nation, let his eyes drift to his library index cards one day where the letters O-Z jumped out and he was off down his yellow brick road to literary success. His unstoppable quill knocked out a dozen or so Oz titles within a few years with further volumes being penned by other authors. Baum, being no slack capitalist, exploited his work in all media - books, stage and film. Way...

1Aug

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

101 Dalmatians – Palace Theatre

Another Disney classic has been brought to the stage; and 101 Dalmatians - The Musical is a delightful reimagining of the beloved classic, bringing together a talented cast and a visually captivating production. The show blends the timeless story with fresh energy and charm and is currently at Manchester Palace Theatre as part of its UK Tour starring Kym Marsh as the iconic Cruella De Vil. Kym Marsh delivers a standout performance as Cruella, embodying the villain with a perfect mix of menace and camp. Her presence on stage is both commanding and entertaining, adding a unique flair to the role. Samuel Thomas as Tom and Jessie Elland as Danielle bring warmth and earnestness to their roles, making the audience root for the beloved dalmatians’ safe return. The show shines in its comedic...

1Aug

By Phoebe Olivia Sian HobsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Grease – Alhambra, Bradford

Grease is most definitely the word on everyone’s lips after attending last nights show at the Alhambra, as it’s fair to say the withdrawals from the thrill and excitement have well and truly kicked in. There are always high expectations for beloved productions such as Grease, and the performance by the cast and crew exceeded all of them, inviting in younger audiences by bringing fresh new ideas but also reminding those maturer fans of their favourite scenes and songs. The show was impressively enticing, horny and funny with the entertaining representations of the burger bar boys and the pink ladies, the cast hit the nail on the head while capturing these characters, whether it was on their best or worst behaviour the teen groups had the audience in stitches. The show invites you in l...