REVIEWS Archives - Page 72 of 342

The Grand Old Opera House Hotel – Traverse Theatre

18Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The Grand Old Opera House Hotel – Traverse Theatre

A technical Tour De Force, and certainly the most lavish production by the Traverse at this year’s Fringe, with a knock-out set and costumes by Ana Ines Jabares-Pita . Set in an old haunted Opera house, turned 21st century hotel we follow, Aaron (Ali Watt) who has just started working at the hotel, but quickly discovers that hidden just beneath the magnolia painted walls lies the original spook-ridden opera house. It is not long before he meets and falls in love with a strange opera-singing girl, Amy (the wonderfully gifted Karen Fishwick) and he also finds his own opera voice. Once the ghosts and the guests all find their singing voices the real fun starts, let the panto-farce-opera commence. There is some hilarious re-wording of opera favourites, which at least some of the aud...

18Aug

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

Young Love – 53two

The unbridled joy and total angst of teen love has proved a rich vein for theatre makers to mine over the years. Jake Talbot’s Young Love takes that traditional theme, and a set of fairly familiar storylines, but refuses to condescend his characters. This is a production firmly grounded in a world in which younger generations are not naive and simple, but rather complex, thoughtful and, quite frequently, an example to their elders in terms of progressive ideas and how to treat others. Arguably, a world not unlike the one we are lucky to live in right now. Oldham theatre company Dare to Know are back at Manchester’s 53Two after the success of Talbot’s own one-man show, Drowning, in March. However, returning audience members are in for a very different experience. The under the arc...

Otto & Astrid’s Joint Solo Project – Assembly George Square Gardens

18Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Otto & Astrid’s Joint Solo Project – Assembly George Square Gardens

A stunning little music tent with beautiful raked, ancient timber and leather curved seating, in a prime time slot in a perfect location, what could possibly go wrong. Well, no audience for one! Maybe it is the wordy title or perhaps a total lack of self-publicity, I don’t think they care one way or the other, because they are going to have fun! If they can just sort out Astrid’s Public Liability Insurance! And that is the attitude that carries through the show: Anarchic, chaotic and absurd fun. Come ready to rock out to their latest anthems, ‘I Want To Be Your Kitten’, and ‘Tasty Snack’, with hilarious lyrics sung to a heavy metal soundtrack, and some very funny moments. I hope you are getting this picture, because it is not exactly easy to sum up! This is a hidden gem of a sho...

Magic Bones: Soulful Magic Volume Two – Underbelly Bristo Square

17Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Magic Bones: Soulful Magic Volume Two – Underbelly Bristo Square

This venue, squeezed in the gap between Teviot Hall and McEwan Hall at Bristo Square is slightly awkward to find, but well worth seeking out for this hit show by all-rounder Richard Essien, AKA Magic Bones. With a triple threat of magic, humour and break-dance, Essien brings this brand new show to Edinburgh fringe, and by the end has the audience eating out of his hand. Britain’s Got Talent finalist in 2020, described there as ‘the, best-presented magic act I’ve ever seen’, Essien gives a unique mixture of high octane, high energy, but in turns gentle and transfixing performance, which has you leaning in right from the start. One of the hottest acts on the British magic scene, we are treated to plenty of top quality extraordinary tricks, illusions and misdirection, flips and dan...

The Sensational David Bowie Tribute Band – The A Club at the Merchant’s Hall

17Aug

By Amy HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The Sensational David Bowie Tribute Band – The A Club at the Merchant’s Hall

This show was excellent from beginning to end. The band worked chronologically through a range of Bowie’s work from the 70s and 80s to deliver a seamless and sensational set-list. After years of performing this tribute act the lead singer (John) has mastered all the charismatic quirks of Bowie, from his ragged voice to his feminine body language. Even his crimson mullet was down to a tee! During the second half John performed as the character of Ziggy Stardust within the character of David Bowie sucking the audience into an entrancing Bowie matrix. His performance of “Ziggy Stardust” was particularly captivating. The rest of the band were also incredible. It was clear they all loved performing together on-stage because they acted like a close-knit family: sharing mics, dancing toge...

17Aug

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Express G&S – Wilton’s Music Hall

As if Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas weren't already bonkers enough, along comes the Charles Court Opera Company to pile on additional splendid craziness. This is a murder mystery tour in G&S song, with myriad references along the journey to many of their well-known, and some not so well-known works, from Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado, to Princess Ida and The Sorcerer. Some songs are kept intact, others rewritten to fit the narrative. There are puns both subtle and groan-worthy, clues and red-herrings galore, appropriately melodramatic and over-the-top acting by the three cast members and a slew of great sight gags. To make this show work though, it needs the attention to detail that G&S always brought to their writing, the superb diction to perform those wor...

High School Fangsical – the Space@ Surgeons Hall

17Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

High School Fangsical – the Space@ Surgeons Hall

A coming-of-age story about a queer vampire and his efforts to find himself in the modern world, orchestrated of course to the soundtrack of the High School Musical Movies. This show is a musical that’s so weird its brilliant. Vlad is a young teen bullied at school for being different, that is until he discovers through the power of the internet that he’s actually a vampire. We follow Vladiqueer on his journey of self-discovery in this blood sucking comedy which will make you wish Troy Bolton had been a vampire all along from the interesting and cleaver High School Musical lyric changes. Eleanor Barr-Sim has endless bounds of energy and fangtastic stage presence, taking what could be a very cringy show and turning it into something quite special and fun. Their energy keeps the a...

A Highly Suspect Murder On The Disorient Express – the Space @ Surgeons Hall

17Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

A Highly Suspect Murder On The Disorient Express – the Space @ Surgeons Hall

A fan of puzzles? How about murders? Do you fancy yourself quite the detective? Well let’s hope so as the real detective has been murdered and it’s up to you the crack the case and find out who did it in this fun and challenging murder mystery brought to you be Highly Suspect UK. A journey on the Orient Express, what could possibly go wrong? Well another murder has occurred and this time it’s the detective that’s met his horrible end, but who could be responsible? Could it be Agar Thachristie (Michael Spencer) the dutch writer and former assistant to the late detective ,Ray Alwaycarriage (Joe Desborough) the lovable conductor, Dr Phil Steamahead (Seb Coombe) the doctor with a secret, the highly mysterious man from room 13 or Traynton Ells (Alice Woodsworth) the woman who owes the detec...

The Stand-Up Horror Show – Just the Tonic at The Caves

17Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

The Stand-Up Horror Show – Just the Tonic at The Caves

A cabaret of Horror goes horribly wrong when the intended act performing dies in a freak nail gun accident, with an eagerly awaiting audience the understudy is thrown on in a truly “the show must go on” moment of panic. Whilst this is the plot to the show it’s also very much how the show felt overall, under prepared and unrehearsed. Starting us off with a cheesy yet spooky voice over and an over dramatic mime on stage, one would think this show to be a silly: so bad it’s good performance, which I do think was the intention. For the first few moments of Tom Short’s set this idea is presented well, showing a nervous understudy who clearly is a little flustered and unprepared, played up for comedic value but unfortunately this one note is continued throughout. Whilst there are some funny ...

17Aug

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

The Vagina Monologues – Canal Cafe

Aurore Padenou's first production pulled together Director Lorna Dempsey, joined by Juliet Prew, Cara Kiri. Each of the actors gives an astounding performance. They carve out the diverse characters they alternatively play with conviction and tenderness. The Vagina Monologues was written twenty-seven years ago by Artist and activist V, formerly Eve Ensler. Based on interviews with more than 200 women, the play summarises different aspects of the participant's relationship with the vagina- the hair, the smell, the shame, the pleasure and the hate. An Obie Award-winning play has enjoyed a sold-out run on Broadway. V also initiated V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women. The vagina monologues have been rewritten, translated and adapted by various grassroots organ...