REVIEWS Archives - Page 406 of 551

9Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Something About Simon – Assembly Rooms

The songs of Paul Simon are embedded in all of us - The Sound of Silence, Homeward Bound, The Boxer, and of course Bridge Over Troubled Water. Gary Edward Jones turn musical shaman as he draws Paul Simon classics from our very souls, in the almost mystical surroundings of the Assembly Rooms George Street Spiegeltent. Perhaps the only things missing are giant beanbags and joss sticks to make this a truly heavenly experience. There is no doubt that Jones has an innate talent for relaxing his audience – his measured, almost whispered, hypnotic delivery and his great stillness anchor him in front of a rapt audience. You could see this retelling working equally well – perhaps even better - in a church. There is a reverence here, and it is not lost. Having spent twenty years as a singer...

Becoming Chavela – theSpace on North Bridge

9Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Becoming Chavela – theSpace on North Bridge

Stephanie Trudeau is a one woman tour de force as she serves up an informative and transformative docu-cabaret following the life and songs of legendary Latin American ranchera singer, Chavela Vargas, accompanied by a simple solo acoustic guitar. Having overheard two Americans beforehand complain that they had missed Trudeau’s performance in LA and New York, I expected much from this globe-trotting show - I was not disappointed. But who you may well ask, or rather was, Chavela. Well, from the sound that comes from Trudeau it is clear from the start that she was firstly an extraordinary singer. Trudeau has the ability to modulate her voice from a teenage girl, to an ancient husky (male) ranchero, sometimes in the same song! Perhaps it is the liberal quantities of Tequila that help to loo...

8Aug

By Kat CliffordNo Comments

Scotland

Buffy: Revamped – Pleasance at EICC

As a long-time fan of Buffy, I had high hopes for this show, and I was not disappointed. This show is a rip-roaring ride through 90’s nostalgia. Brendan Murphy is like a one-man time machine pulling in jokes and references from all branches of the fruitful 90’s tree. He is an amazing storyteller, and you can feel his passion for Buffy speak for itself through his energetic performance. This is a well-crafted piece of theatre that uses all manner of media to set the scene, songs, video clips, theatre, props, poems, audience participation, lighting, sound effects and stand up, this show has it all! This show leans hard into the cult, campy fun of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and gives it a silly, original update for the 2020’s , Buffy: Revamped is a very self-aware show that manages to poke f...

8Aug

By Ella CatherallNo Comments

Scotland

Lizard Boy – Gilded Balloon

The premise of ‘Lizard Boy’ is certainly unconventional. Trevor is a 20 something who, as a result of a childhood run-in with a dragon, is covered in green lizard scales and has shut himself off from the World. However, on ‘Monster Fest’, he decides to venture out of his isolation and meet up with a guy he met on Grindr. Things escalate very, very quickly from there. There are many factors contributing to how, somehow, this show works, one of which is the extraordinary talent on stage. All three performers I saw had insane vocal and instrumental talent (This is an actor-musician show), being able to cover the reasonably wide range of styles and tones that the score covers. They were all also able to imbue their characters, who could have so easily been played as one-note cartoons, with ...

Joe Wells: I am Autistic – Banshee Labyrinth

8Aug

By Ella CatherallNo Comments

Scotland

Joe Wells: I am Autistic – Banshee Labyrinth

Joe Wells is Autistic. About two years ago, he had a video about Autism go viral online and was unwittingly thrust into the role of Autism Spokesperson. This show is part of his effort to fulfil this job by talking about his experiences as an Autistic person. Whether covering directly Autism-related material, such as the Spectrum 10K debacle, or more standard fare, such as conspiracy theories and Vladimir Putin, Wells is clearly a masterful comic. As well as being just very funny, he has a great stage presence and is incredibly engaging, despite never relying on direct audience engagement, going as far as to have a notice at the beginning saying this won’t be happening. A further indicator of Wells’ mastery of comedy is the balance he’s able to strike between getting the laughs a...

Black is the Color of my Voice – Pleasance at EICC

8Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Black is the Color of my Voice – Pleasance at EICC

Amazing. Brilliant. Such an expanse of energy. These are some of the comments I heard on leaving the theatre. For myself the rapture began less than one minute in. The hairs, not just on my arms, but on my scalp, stood on end as our protagonist call “Daddy!” Why? I’m not sure. It must have been the emotional intensity. I knew this was going to press buttons and make me bleed. In a good way. Apphia Campbell has a powerful voice: a fitting tribute to Nina Simone, but, more than that, this woman can act. She knows about pace and tension and pathos and immersion. It is a beautiful piece of theatre. Scripted to perfection by Campbell, this is a don't miss piece for lovers of Nina Simone and all theatre goers who admire true commitment and emotional frankness. For me, I knew little of t...

War of the Worlds (On a Budget) – theSpace@Surgeons Hall (Venue No. 53)

7Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

War of the Worlds (On a Budget) – theSpace@Surgeons Hall (Venue No. 53)

Guffaw. Chortle. Grin. Giggle. Take your pick. You are guaranteed to leave this show with a Cheshire Cat smile. Lamphouse Theatre’s Tom Fox and Becky Owen-Fisher bring contagious joy and silliness to HG Wells’ War of the Worlds (on a Budget) with songs, dance and incredibly silly physical theatre… oh, and there are delightful homemade props. The child inside will love this infectious, playful condensed classic. There’s a nod to Monty Python’s screechy voiced, Eric Idle, a plethora of characters and a bucket-load of improvisation jokes. The sense of immediacy on stage leads to an anticipation of anything could happen at any time. The urgency is brilliantly uplifting. I loved the match an action to every phrase sequence. It’s a bread-and-butter improvisation game. Here it’s jam on t...

7Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Comedy Sassafras – Pleasance Courtyard

Hosted by Richard and Greta, alter egos of Nina Conti and Shenoah Allen, Comedy Sassafras is basically a variety show with only a couple of other acts, which change from night to night. As such one imagines the overall feel of the show might be slightly different every time, though the big role played by Richard and Greta and the largely consistent style of the performers suggests that may possibly not be the case. There was a very improvisational and loose feeling to the night, with the audience seemingly relishing the throw-stuff-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach (the closing number was performed by Richard playing guitar with Greta singing on his shoulders because why not?), even on the occasions when it didn't quite work. The small number of overall acts also contributed t...

Twelfth Night Lite – Paradise in Augustines

7Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Twelfth Night Lite – Paradise in Augustines

Twelfth Night is my favourite Shakespeare play, so, I was intrigued when I came across Twelfth Night Lite, a three-person, hour long version of the show brought to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Evoke Productions. How would they tell the at times complicated and weaving plot with so few performers? Overall, I think they did an admirable job at cutting the play so drastically, while still making it easy to follow. The plot was streamlined, focusing on the love triangle between Olivia (Francesca Firman), Viola (Susie Garvey-Williams) and Orsino (Matthew Leigh). Characters including Sir Toby Belch, Feste and Sir Andrew Aguecheek were cut entirely. This, I think, was the weakness of the play. It felt like something was missing. For instance, character arcs were left unresolved, primarily ...

7Aug

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Dumb Man – Cockpit Theatre

Based on Sherwood Anderson’s short story, this play for Camden’s Fringe Festival tells the tale of a man who lives in a world he created in his head. It begins with an elusive man addressing the audience and giving us a poetic introduction to the story. As Richard, the older character comes on stage he becomes consumed by whispering voices and eerie sounds. He gradually calms down and opens a letter which brings the characters of David and Jack to life as they converse across the stage and thus begins the illusory world. Jagoda Kamov’s writing has moments of eloquence and a particularly engaging scene between Jack and the nurse. The motifs of the windows and of the trees gave it a poetic feel and communicated Richard’s desperation to hold onto his illusions, as mirrored by Hardy Gru’s i...