Wednesday, October 9

Scotland

Lash – Bunker Three, Pleasance Courtyard
Scotland

Lash – Bunker Three, Pleasance Courtyard

Lash, written by Philip Stokes, and performed by Jack Stokes, was the most impressive thing I’ve seen at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Written in lyrical, rhyming verses, it tells the story of a young man, Sonny, on a night out after work. Philip Stokes has crafted a remarkable script, which seamlessly blends comedy, tragedy and political commentary whilst never losing our protagonist’s voice. Despite speaking in rhyme, Sonny feels real and relatable. He’s working a job he doesn’t like, with people he has little in common with, and just wants to escape the harsh realities of existence with a good night out. Throughout the night, Sonny has run ins with drug dealers, colleagues and the local homophobic and toxically masculine ‘hard men’. Each of these encounters reveal something new abo...
Thrown – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Scotland

Thrown – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Set against the backdrop of the obscure art of Backhold wrestling, Glasgow writer Nat McClearly teams up with director and performer Johnny McKnight to create this none-too-subtle play about racism in Scotland today. Backhold wrestling, a bit like Sumo in a kilt, still thrives at Highland games around Scotland, and as Scotland wrestles with it’s own national identity, this play questions if we really are ready to welcome in outsiders or are we still a colloquial, backward-looking and fundamentally racist nation. Each of the five characters in this play has their own motivations and stories to tell and demons to deal with: Coach Pamela is military in her instruction, ‘validation comes from within’ yet her own identity fears are just barely hidden and ready to burst out. Imogen, a ...
Film Club: An improvised Comedy – Just the Tonic, The Caves
Scotland

Film Club: An improvised Comedy – Just the Tonic, The Caves

There is such an abundance of improvised comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe, that a performance must be truly excellent in order to stand out. Sadly, Film Club didn’t reach that level on this occasion. It began promisingly, as the audience were asked to shout out a film they loved as a child, a film they saw too young, and a film that moved them. One brave audience member volunteered to use their film choices. I can’t remember exactly what these were, but we ended up with a general theme of thriller time-travel, which seemed promising. All in all, the selection process took maybe five to ten minutes, which was a bit longer than most of the other improv I’ve seen, but by no means killed the energy of the audience and performers. The improvised skits were ultimately hit and miss. Whilst i...
Sheila’s Sister & Her Musical Cousins – The Space @ Surgeons Hall
Scotland

Sheila’s Sister & Her Musical Cousins – The Space @ Surgeons Hall

Improvised comedy isn’t easy when there’s a small audience. The form relies on audience participation. This team of three musicians and two actors, hailing from Chicago, kept the tempo up with a small gaggle of theatre goers. The married duo, Dana Allande O’Brien and Edmund O’Brien, last performed at the Gilded Balloon in 1995 to great acclaim. In between, they’ve been busy raising children, writing comedy games and scripts for TV. Suddenly, it’s 2023 and they’ve only just got back to The Toun. I enjoyed the flip piece. It was clever. And their opening piece was very entertaining. Of course, being impro, you probably won’t see those little gems when you come another day, but, no doubt, there’ll be other jewels to behold.  Their publicity says it is suitable for 14+ but I ...
Hendrix and Us – The Jazz Bar (Venue No.57)
Scotland

Hendrix and Us – The Jazz Bar (Venue No.57)

Scottish jazz-funk guitarist Aki Remally presents this ear-shattering and mind-blowing tribute to Hendrix. Just like Hendrix, Remally and his crew expertly navigated the binary between rock and jazz creating a sound that was both delicate and powerful. His singing was so alike Hendrix that when Remally spoke between songs his Scottish accent was a (pleasant) surprise. The other musicians were also incredible, and they all worked together like organs in a body to bring the band to life. Although it is impossible to pick a favourite from this set-list the impromptu addition of Red House featuring meandering interludes on the electric guitar was incredible. Whilst All Along the Watchtower was a crowd-pleaser with its funky riffs. Throughout, the performers played with passion which made th...
Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work I Go – theSpace @ Niddry St
Scotland

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work I Go – theSpace @ Niddry St

In his autobiographical solo-show, Phillipe Andre Coquet takes the audience on a journey through his remarkable life. From growing up in New York, close to gangs, drugs, hookers and pimps, to being a teenager in 70s Hollywood discos, to spending 25 years in a New Age cult, and to a midlife career change as an erotic masseur – Coquet has seen it all. His story is musically infused with classic Broadway songs such as ‘Life is a Cabaret’ or ‘Glitter and be Gay’, as he simultaneously explores the history of sex-workers in Broadway musicals, the very thing that made him a theatre-kid and a performer later in life. His performances are all acapella, because ‘his accompanist didn’t accompany him to Scotland’, as Coquet explains. However, his beautiful singing voice makes up for it. Ther...
Twonkey’s Greatest Twitch – Edinburgh Voodoo Rooms (Ballroom)
Scotland

Twonkey’s Greatest Twitch – Edinburgh Voodoo Rooms (Ballroom)

There will be few Fringe sights this year more unsettling than The Wobbly Waiter, a dismembered, dead-eyed puppet & frying pan fixture, advancing down the aisle… to you. To the strains of the Custard Club song. Except, a short while later, The Ship’s Wheel appeared. The relief in the room was palpable once a woman near the front agreed to take the expensive sausage and two fellows on the left the Huge Red Knickers. Their most intimate adventures successfully described by the mind-reading ship’s appliance (despite one denial), Twonkey returned to the stage to continue something resembling a revue of his greatest moments from the last ten or so years. Nine more than he’d ever envisaged when putting his first show on in 2010. Might’ve been 2011 but everything’s fluid in the Twonkeyverse. ...
Sh!t-faced Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet – Pleasance at EICC
Scotland

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet – Pleasance at EICC

Two households, both alike in dignity In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unlean, And booze makes one of the lovers rather quite mean! Shit-faced Shakespeare are at it again, turning another Shakespeare classic into comedy gold as one of our leads is absolutely bladdered. We join a cast of incredible, traditionally trained actors as they put on a condensed version of the well known play Romeo and Juliet, or at least they attempt to do so. Each night a different cast member will increase the difficulty of both their job and their peers by getting drunk, and if the audience doesn’t think them drunk enough more alcohol will simply be provided leaving you with a version of Romeo and Juliet like y...
Little Ward of Horrors – The Space @ Surgeons Hall
Scotland

Little Ward of Horrors – The Space @ Surgeons Hall

The idea of Little Ward of Horrors sounds brilliant: a sketch show led by health care students regarding working in the medical field and NHS. Mix in some Little Shop of Horrors songs with the lyrics swapped out to fit the theme and you’ve got yourself the potential for a very funny show. It’s not to say that this humour was not delivered, after all the team had some very funny moments but unfortunately the show did not quite live up to its full potential. The musical side of things really could have worked, there’s some fantastically changed lyrics in there that fit the theme brilliantly, but the delivery of the numbers felt full of nerves and in need of some more showmanship. Other than the members of the team who were playing the live music (very impressively may I add) the mu...
MATES: The Improvised 90s Sitcom – The Space @ Surgeons Hall
Scotland

MATES: The Improvised 90s Sitcom – The Space @ Surgeons Hall

MATES is an improvised theatrical performance which takes it’s inspiration from the 90s sitcoms we all know and love. Complete with the over the top characters, stereotypes and of course a New York back drop. Unlike the classic sitcoms this team doesn’t need a laugh track to tell its audience when it’s funny. These three talented performers had the audience laughing from the get go with their charisma and overall likability. Just like the characters from everyone’s favourite sitcoms, this cast are charming, funny and a little goofy at times, you really do feel immediately that you’re amongst a few mates. In this improvised performance the audience choose the name of the episode by shouting out random words or locations for a double bill episode of this amusing sitcom. Once selected t...