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Picasso: Le Monstre Sacre – Assembly Roxy

14Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Picasso: Le Monstre Sacre – Assembly Roxy

Guy Masterton’s name attached to any Fringe production usually guarantees quality and this piece is no exception. Brilliantly acted by Peter Tate, who is electrifyingly terrifying as the human Minotaur Pablo Picasso. One cannot love the Minotaur, and live, Tate portrays the Infamous womaniser as the ultimate home fatale, as he crawls from needy journalist to idolising art student, all looking for a part of him that he is more than willing to give, for a price. Tate starts the show astride a paint-splashed ladder, at the top of his game, later in his life, looking out intently at a single spotlight, the sun. Behind and around him a muslin cloth hangs limply to the floor from a high semi-circlular rail, his canvas, but also the thin veil that surrounds his boudoir, the spiders lair, to...

14Aug

By Stephanie DunkNo Comments

Scotland

Box Show – Pleasance Courtyard

I went into the venue for The box show not really knowing what to expect apart from the presence of a box, as I walked in, that was exactly what was there, a big black box raised off the ground with 4 doors on the front. An upbeat pop song was playing, and without sounding too much like Brad Pitt in Seven, I found myself wondering "what's in the box?" The show started as the lights went low and a booming voice over came on introducing Cheryl, she flung open all four doors and was sat inside the box in her own little disco. She started her crazy dance moves and antics - popping pills, downing drinks and buying a cat. You'd be wrong if you guessed which one was more dangerous for her. The lights went off and the box was closed, this happened many times to switch scenes, this was ki...

Making History by Stephen Fry – St Ninian’s Hall

14Aug

By Euan HuthNo Comments

Scotland

Making History by Stephen Fry – St Ninian’s Hall

I feel like everyone has had the hypothetical debate, if you could go back in time what would you change? Some people would give advice to their younger selves, or they’d stop the JFK assassination. And someone always says, “I’d go back and kill baby Hitler”. Making History, originally a novel by Stephen Fry and adapted to the stage by Colin Mcpherson, tries to tackle this moral debate. The set is a wall of famous historical faces, Mary Queen of Scots, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela, and centre stage, is Adolf Hitler. I enjoyed how the set was used, having the portraits serve as hidey-holes for props, or concealing larger set pieces within them. And simply having this huge wall of famous faces instantly has you thinking about all the major players in history, so before the show even starts yo...

Tartan Table Top in a Dungeons and Dragon’s Comedy: The Never-Ending Quest – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

12Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Tartan Table Top in a Dungeons and Dragon’s Comedy: The Never-Ending Quest – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

Are you a fan of Dungeons and Dragons? Ever shown an interest in the game just never had a team to play with? Or just fancy a silly early evening show at the fringe that doesn’t require having to think too much? If so, this may just be the show for you. Tartan Table Top in a Dungeons and Dragon’s Comedy: The never-Ending Quest brings the beloved role-playing game of Dungeons and Dragons to this year’s fringe, playing a fringe long game in which, you can either come for one sitting or join them for the whole journey every day of the fringe (excluding 16th.) Josh Aitken takes the role of Dungeon Master being incredibly likeable and witty, controlling the session and interacting the most with the audience. Our team of adventurers is made up of: Borogorn who is a character based off of 2...

Don Biswas – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

12Aug

By Stephanie DunkNo Comments

Scotland

Don Biswas – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

Don Biswas embraced the audience with a relaxed attitude and demeanour, backed by revolution themed music. His knack for engaging with the crowd, put everyone at ease and created a relaxed atmosphere. He is extremely quick-witted firing back at the audience with one-liners throughout. He showed himself as a person with a considerate nature as he made sure every person in the audience had water; he was concerned we were all going to be too hot, a small gesture that speaks volumes. His comedic material spanned diverse and sometimes controversial topics such as COVID and protests, all from a left-wing perspective. His exploration of themes like gender-neutral toilets and LGBT rights combined humour with insightful political commentary on these issues. Audience involvement ran ...

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

As Far As Impossible – Lyceum Theatre

The stage is set with a giant white cloth, held up in places by cables and pulleys. It looks like snow covered mountains, peaceful and serene. This is what ‘the impossible’ looks like from far away. Like a picture postcard. But look closer. Four actors of different nationalities and a drummer combine at various times under, in or in front of the vast cloth structure, which is raised, dropped, illuminated in various ways. This is a land that most of us do not know of, or ignore, or just wish were not there. But it is. A land visited by aid workers and humanitarians, at least for as long as their sanity can stand it. In the face of civil war, genocide, mass killings how long can anyone’s mind last before cracking apart? And yet, incredibly, some are drawn back again and again to the...

Dusk: A Bite-Size Love Story – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Dusk: A Bite-Size Love Story – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

Congrats should go the PR team of Dusk, I guess, for making this production a complete sell-out, (this early?!) via the viral wonders of Tik Tok, whatever that is! But is it any good? Well, yes and no. Firstly, I must profess to being a 50+ man, knowing absolutely nothing about the show Twilight upon which this is based, never watched a single episode, but with an open mind I take a seat amongst the 20-something sea of hormones. Feeling very much like an old cod. Missing every reference, every in-joke, every internet discussion group thread meant that the audience were in howls of laughter around me. And well, I wasn’t. However, I have to say, I was blown away by the sheer energy and commitment of this large cast but in particular by the performance of Eva-Marie Blaire as B...

Sunshine on Leith – Assembly Rooms, Bijou (tent) George Street

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Sunshine on Leith – Assembly Rooms, Bijou (tent) George Street

Set in the inspired venue choice of a giant tent on George Street, Captivate Theatre bring this breezy and lively musical which can easily cope with some background street chatter. In fact, it fits right in (as if it’s meant) to many of scenes; in the pub, on the football terraces or in the hospital. And as for the lighting techie! It took me a while to realise that we were at nature’s mercy, and miraculously it seemed that the light rose and fell at all the right points. Behind a cloud for the sad scenes and full sun for the bright ones. Miraculous! To the wonderful music and lyrics of Scotland’s finest, The Proclaimers, Scottish Country (without the Western), we follow two likely lads, Ally and Davy, discharged from the army and returning home to Edinburgh (no, Leith!) to try to carve...

A Caravan Named Desire – Camden People’s Theatre

12Aug

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

A Caravan Named Desire – Camden People’s Theatre

Split Infinitive presents the play 'A Caravan Named Desire'. The experimental piece is performed by married couple Alexander and Helen Millington. The play starts on the premise to curiously unpack the living experience of a sex worker but meanders into the personal journey of the writer/character's sexual exploration. 'A caravan named Desire' is the John Beecher Memorial Award winner for original, challenging work with high production value at the Buxton Fringe Festival. For time immemorial, men have lied and deceived women to share their stories and services. The play's premise's inherent deceit sits uncomfortably and is invisible in the room. Though the play's premise is attractive, the tension, curiosity and apprehension around sexual exploration falls flat in the latter h...

Quiz Night – Vaginus Hemmingway’s Cabaret Rathole

12Aug

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Quiz Night – Vaginus Hemmingway’s Cabaret Rathole

'Quiz Night at Vaginus Hemmingway's cabaret rathole' by Lara Cosmetatos is a personal essay with a creative imagination and talented acting and singing. The solo piece contains multiple realities and endearing characters crafted and delivered with aplomb. Fruit of her labour of the past six years, one can't help but admire the many diverse stories she weaves, with characters who have some resemblances to those around us but are totally unique and quirky in how they express and exist. The most enchanting part of the show was Lara's voice and original songs. She sings like a nightingale, switching tones, delivering with precision and commanding stage presence. The songs also have so much depth, rhyme and poetic imagery, tying significant knots in the plot. The show is about a sweet...