Scotland Archives - Page 80 of 93

11Aug

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Boy – Summerhall, Main Hall

“Boy” tells the true story of David Reimer, a Canadian boy born in the 1960s and raised as a girl. Named Bruce at birth, David was an identical twin to Brian, his name later being changed to Brenda. When they were six months old, both boys were referred for circumcision at hospital. A comparatively new method was used on Bruce, the first twin to have the surgery, and resulted in catastrophic and irreversible mutilation to his penis. The procedure was not carried out on Brian. His parents sought advice from Johns Hopkins psychologist, John Money, on how best to help their son in the coming years learning to live with his situation. The advice from Money was that, since in his opinion gender identity stems from social learning, it would be better to have t...

For Queen and Country – Army @ the Fringe

11Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

For Queen and Country – Army @ the Fringe

Major Denis Rake (Neil Summerville) was a gay actor parachuted into Occupied France during WW2 to serve as a radio operator. The average life expectancy of an SOE wireless operator there was just six weeks, and he was quickly betrayed and forced into hiding. So, he did the only logical thing a man on the run for his life does and became a drag queen entertaining Nazi officers in a Parisian nightclub. Writer/director Paul Stone discovered Rake's story while making the BBC TV programme Secret Agent Selection and decided to shine a light on the contribution of the LGBT+ community to WW2, assisted by venue Army @ The Fringe. The venue is noteworthy here. For one thing, it's not every fringe venue where the ushers, bar staff and techies are all in military uniform. For another there's...

11Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Heroin to Hero – Army @ the Fringe

In the fitting surroundings of the army barracks, we are introduced to Paul Boggie, who has a very disturbing tale to tell. Played by actor and playwright Tony McGeever this is the story of Paul Boggie, reformed heroin addict who fought his addiction, to turn his life around to later join the army and to guard the Queen. Interested? From the book of the same name penned by Boggie, the writer has now brought the story to the stage. This dark true tale opens our eyes to the reality of the impact that drugs have on Scottish communities, and acts as a warning to anyone thinking that drugs are a harmless bit of fun. Boggie begins with his childhood, born in 1979, he was one of four children, and his dad enjoyed nothing more than kicking a football around with his kids, but foo...

Hens and Heroines – theSpace on North Bridge

10Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

Hens and Heroines – theSpace on North Bridge

It should be inspired by Ovid's Heroides, Hens and Heroines, and mark the debut of the Bristol Badminton School at the Fringe 2022. It should interrogate the audience with atavistic dilemmas concerning life and death, fate and free will, desire and duty. Yet the only dilemmas it is able to raise seem to be those about the why of its own production, about the ultimate meaning of what it wants to convey, arousing a general perplexity about what the audience is watching. In spite of the limited half-hour on stage, the play strikes with force for its lack of coherence and credibility, for a poor script and for forced and awkward acting. As much as one can appreciate the effort of the seven girls involved in the production, some of them very young, the play appears as a badly cut plot, w...

Les Dawson: Flying High – Assembly George Square

10Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Les Dawson: Flying High – Assembly George Square

Before I begin the review, I must comment on the handling of the audience at the venue on my visit. This is one of the larger venues at the festival, and the show began almost 30 minutes late. Many people attending the Fringe Festival book shows quite close together, and this delay could have been the cause of people leaving the show part way through. Not good for the artist and disturbing for the remaining audience. Assembly, this must be improved! Les Dawson was a favourite of mine, and I have childhood memories of watching his numerous shows on TV. This play follows Dawson’s life, beginning with his childhood and moving through his career’s ups and downs. Dawson is played by Jon Culshaw who needs no introduction, as his mimicry is legendary.&nbs...

Making a Murderer: The Musical – Underbelly, Bristo Square

9Aug

By Kat CliffordNo Comments

Scotland

Making a Murderer: The Musical – Underbelly, Bristo Square

Making a Murderer: The Musical is a beautifully crafted, tongue in cheek, satirical show that at its beating heart has a message of hope and social justice. From the opening I was hooked, Emma Norman was fantastic as Betsy the tour guide, we begin with a song that sets the scene and tempo for the whole show. The lyrics are smart and satirical poking fun at the American small town mentality and the discrimination that goes along with that. The casting is so on point and the ensemble of characters, and their portrayals is phenomenal, this is a talented set of performers! The show really highlights the incompetence of the police force in regard to the case in beautifully tongue in cheek chorus number. The set is simple yet sleek and stylish and the use of multiple media ...

Are You Being Murdered? – Pleasance at EICC

9Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

Are You Being Murdered? – Pleasance at EICC

What would happen if Agatha Christie met Father Brown? This seems to be asked by David Semple, the acclaimed writer of the famous series branded BBC ONE, in bringing to the stage the one man shows entitled "Are You Being Murdered?" A show focused exclusively on the talents of "Allo Allo" actor Arthur Bostrom, capable of bringing together comedy and mystery, suspense and social satire. Set in the golden age of old BBC sitcoms, the show proves to be marked by a glossy nostalgia that winks at a specific generation and targets that generation specifically. Although with its lively monologue and ready wit, the show seems to take up, like a dress worn out by too much use, certain stereotypes of a genre unable to speak to a contemporary audience with sharper and more irreverent tastes. The...

Christian Brighty: Playboy – Pleasance Below

9Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Christian Brighty: Playboy – Pleasance Below

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I sat down to watch Christian Brighty: Playboy. I’d read the synopsis, a scandalous Lord in the 18th century falls for a duchess and must try and reform his rakish ways to win her hand. And I’d seen the poster, Lord Christian Brighty standing with an enormous padlock covering his crotch. But other than that, I was clueless. I thought I was in for something special when I was handed a ball of socks at the door and told it was a cannonball. If the audience weren’t aware of exactly what they’d got themselves into, it became apparent very quickly. Brighty entered covered in a hood as the sounds of an orgy played throughout the venue. He tells ‘naughty Susan’, a recurring character in the sketch, that he must sadly leave. I haven’t seen many a funnier start to a ...

Drag Queens Vs Zombies – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

9Aug

By Kat CliffordNo Comments

Scotland

Drag Queens Vs Zombies – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

A dragtastic, B - movie, comedy, schlock horror romp with a twist of cabaret! Kate Butch and Crudi Dench skilfully and hilariously take the audience on a ridiculous adventure through a queer pop culture, so- bad- it’s- good, zombie extravaganza. With quick fire jokes right out of the gate and some impressive vocal stylings this show has it all - stand up, audience participation, prop comedy, lip sinking, singing and more. Drag Queens vs Zombies embraces traditional “Carry On “style British comedy and plenty of nostalgia but adds a sharp modern update and a biting edge. Whether you're a seasoned drag fan or if this is your first foray into the drag scene, you will find yourself in safe hands as these queens expertly guide you through this hysterical journey. As a B- movie cult h...

9Aug

By Kat CliffordNo Comments

Scotland

Flesh – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

Flesh is a campy, fun jaunt through some of the darker side of Edinburgh’s history! This tale starts at the point of Burke and Hare are arrested for the Westport murders before we travel back in time and follow them on their whirlwind killing spree. Both Jeremy Fraser and Roddy Macleod did an excellent characterization of the infamous killers, and the supporting cast were fantastic! I personally highly enjoyed Anna Scott as Mag, she did a great job at portraying the kind of character you love to hate, and Alison Henry as Nell had a fantastic voice. Frank Burr was a delight in the role of Dr Knox. The costumes were well made and added to selling the look and feel of the piece. The big chorus songs were a highlight of the show, and the composition was upbeat, catchy and well perform...