Scotland Archives - Page 82 of 93

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 ...

Age is a Feeling – Anatomy Lecture Theatre Summerhall Festival

6Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Age is a Feeling – Anatomy Lecture Theatre Summerhall Festival

A gem of storytelling and insight. Haley McGee, writer and performer, delivers tenderness, wit and sensitivity to a captivated audience in the Anatomy Lecture Room at Summerhall. It is an apt setting, since she is dissecting our stages of life. The semi-circular auditorium cradles the simple set which is carefully lit (Don Carter-Brennan) to cast soft shadows as you exit pondering the imprint our lives do or do not leave behind us. Age is a Feeling questions the veracity of Time and how our internal clock fights with chronology. Directed by Adam Brace this very personal piece invites the audience to choose which episodes of life to recount, leaving out others, as happens in life. Nobody really knows us is the premise which the set (Zoë Hurwitz) creatively and cleverly represents. The no...

Love Them To Death – Underbelly Cowgate — Big Belly

6Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Love Them To Death – Underbelly Cowgate — Big Belly

What a joy to witness a two-hander of such quality. What an absolute joy to see a serious psychological disorder handled with such pace, such honesty. Exploring parent/child problems could lead to preaching. We could be judgemental. The text could be burdensomely heavy, but Max Dickins’ writing is sharp, well-informed and sprinkled with humour. Its authenticity speaks loud and clear. Claire-Louise Cordwell (School Attendance Officer, Kelly) and Helena Antoniou (Gemma) perform with unwavering conviction from the start. Director, Hannah Eidinow has a clear handle on human foibles and these two actors do her proud. The initial soundscape (Michael Woods) in the black cave of the Big Belly suggests joy, vitality and safe childish play in contrast to the forthcoming tense exchange between ...

6Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Psychodrama – Traverse Theatre

Emily Bruni knocks your socks off in Psychodrama. Playing a talented actor with middling past success who now works in a boutique while taking acting jobs here and there, she finds herself enmeshed in a murder case. Bruni walks us through the events leading up to the incident and what a walk it is! The audience is taken into her confidence. You are genuinely convinced she is telling you personally. This woman can turn on a sixpence: one minute meek and fragile, the next filled with power, dancing carefree and wild. It is awesome to observe and the standing ovation she received is well deserved. Matt Wilkinson’s script requires a fully-rounded performer. It scopes the entire range of personality traits - a palette of such breadth and depth that we hungrily anticipate what comes next. ...

I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical – Gilded Balloon

6Aug

By Natalie GoringNo Comments

Scotland

I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical – Gilded Balloon

Enjoyable jaunt through Musical Theatre Tropes. 'I wish my life were like a musical' from Composer and lyricist Alexander S. Bermange is a slick, jazz hand heavy musical revue returns to the stage in Edinburgh after a storming run in 2019. The cast of West End Wendy's take us on a journey from a traditional Opening Number through to an obvious encore, weaving through the journey of a musical theatre actors life. The very blonde heavy cast are exactly what you imagine a West End star would look like - cleverly playing into stereotypes from the start. All of the team are highly skilled vocalists which are showed off no end through the compositions and the choreography is sleek and recognisable. The out of breath tap number was a choreographic highlight - the Performers deliberately ...

6Aug

By Natalie GoringNo Comments

Scotland

Happy Meal – Traverse Theatre

Happy Meal from writer Tabby Lamb is a gloriously nostalgic feel-good fringe must-see. From the moment we enter the audience are transported back to 90s penguin digital world, meeting the cast during incoming. The soundscape from Eliyana Evans is redolent perfection throughout the show and ensures transition to this millennial world is easy. The space is dominated by two giant Happy Meal boxes with projections, the use of projection throughout us incredible and enhances audience experience throughout. Lamb skilfully uses identifiable pop culture throughout to create connection with the audience and ultimately the story. From MSN, Twitter, MySpace, Leeds Fest, Limewire, Busted and loads more were bombarded by references but they never feel forced, just used as a toll to unite. ...

Will Tell and the Big Bad Baron – Gilded Ballon Patter Hoose

6Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Will Tell and the Big Bad Baron – Gilded Ballon Patter Hoose

Theatre Fideri Fidera is an Anglo-Swiss theatre company, and their production of Will Tell and the Big Bad Baron aims to shed a UK limelight onto the famous European character, Wilhelm Tell, the “Swiss Robin Hood”, probably most famous to laypeople for shooting an apple off a child's head with a crossbow. This children's play refocuses the story around his daughter, Wilhelmina Tell (Natasha Granger) who disguises herself as a night and embarks on a quest against the evil Baron Boris von Bummelkrachenhofer (Jack Faires) to rescue her father and the Baron's daughter Edeltraut (Jack Faires) from the evil man and his crow (Jack Faires). Image: Chloe Nelkin Consulting The workmanlike script is elevated by Colin Granger's direction, and the enthusiastically over-the-top performances by ...

The Importance of Being… Earnest? – Pleasance Courtyard

6Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

The Importance of Being… Earnest? – Pleasance Courtyard

“A show goes wrong” is a theatre staple (see Noises Off, The Real Inspector Hound) and, coupled with the equally popular genre of improv-comedy, nowhere is the resulting sub-genre more popular than at the Edinburgh Fringe. Here, it seems, one cannot throw a stick without hitting a shit-faced Shakespeare, musical, or a show that was supposed to run normally until somebody threw a stick at them. To this “[Insert IP] but it goes wrong” genre comes The Importance of Being... Earnest?, as the “Oscar Wilde But It Goes Wrong Show”. And it's a lot of fun, both in how it uses its audience members and how it gives its own actors characters, arcs and jokes to play with through-out the show. It's not every improv related show designed to be different every night that has through-lines and gags ...