Edinburgh Fringe Archives - Page 11 of 15

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – The Grand, Pleasance Courtyard

12Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – The Grand, Pleasance Courtyard

Based upon the award-winning book by Kate Pankhurst descendant of the great suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst, this musical tells the story of inspirational women from the past, who act as a guiding light for any girl or young woman of today. Beginning with an upbeat number, which is sure to strike a chord with children and parents alike, this group of very cool teachers share their everyday frustrations in this slick, witty opening song. Set in a museum, schoolgirl Jade (Kudzai Mangombe) has been separated from her school party and is lost. Frustrated that she feels that she has not be missed by anyone, she opens up about her parents impending divorce, and that she always tries hard at school, but she that in spite of this, she still feels invisible. Hearing her plea, the ...

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Johnny Got His Gun – ZOO Southside

This timely monologue highlights the brutality of war through the story of one soldier. It exposes the dissonance between ideals like freedom and democracy, and the means we use to enforce them. The first world war is raging. Joe Bonham (Johannes Holopainen) lies on a hospital bed, his face covered with bandages, his body hidden by a bedsheet. He taps his head on a guitar. Gradually, we understand that he is communicating in Morse code. Joe has a story to tell. Joe pulls up his bandages to create a bandana, and suddenly is animated and moves freely and fiercely within the black box space, which represents his vibrant imagination. He uses his guitar as well as his voice and movement to express himself and interacts directly with members of the audience. In contrast, the set is star...

12Aug

By Natalie GoringNo Comments

Scotland

Runesical – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

Runesical is the new online gaming Musical from Alex Prescot and Sam Cochrane. Join the magical game of choices as the players fight enemies mythical and real in this glorious musical romp. As new musical concepts go I was a little sceptical upon entry, but very happy to say I was very quickly converted. A Hamiltonesque expositional starting song could've used some extra diction but from then on, the cast are fantastic and zip through multi-rolling and pastiche on a speedy hour. The real joy in the production is in the detail, avid gamers will appreciate the pauses where characters are frozen in statis. Interaction with npcs and game language all bringing identity and clever in jokes. Our Hero Lance (Tonny Shim) is a stroppy teen with a hatred for his stepsister and play...

Christof Epaminondas and Friend(s): Too Much Encouragement – Just The Tonic at the Caves

11Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Christof Epaminondas and Friend(s): Too Much Encouragement – Just The Tonic at the Caves

60 Minutes of pure comedy hosted by Christof Epaminondas and guest comedian Farah Sharp. In the small hot stuffy room of the Caves venue Christof and Farah had the room erupting with laughter from start to finish. I’m not sure if the guests change from day to day but Sharp was a fantastic warm up act. It’s hard to describe a comedy routine without too many spoilers but one can certainly say this one is not a “bust” (winking face). Epaminondas has the perfect level of charisma which makes him immediately likeable and knows exactly how to poke fun at himself for the audience without going too far. You don’t need to be Greek to relate to the friendly chaos that is his over encouraging family and I think we will be seeing a lot more of Christof in the coming years. He’s a natural at ...

The Return of Sherlock Holmes – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

11Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

The Return of Sherlock Holmes – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

Sherlock Holmes (Nigel Miles-Thomas) the world famous detective and his partner in crime Watson (Michael Roy Andrew) are at it again but this time it’s Watson who comes across the clues. It’s been three years since Sherlock’s believed demise at the hands of arch nemesis Moriarty and Watson finds himself lost. Returning to Baker Street to wander the old flat Watson find a letter addressed to himself from a strange source warning him of a murder that just so happens to be in the paper that day. Andrew plays of the role of Watson tremendously, a man in grief who still possesses the curiosity of a detective but displaying himself as a nervous mouse of a man. His comedic timing is on point, and he never misses a beat. Nigel-Thomas is impeccable as the famous detective carrying Sherloc...

S-ex-iety – The French Institute in Scotland

11Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

S-ex-iety – The French Institute in Scotland

Actress Missy has accidentally featured in a professional porn film, much to her disgust. Her flatmates do not understand her reaction, and so her horror sparks a discussion with the relaxed Babe and the recently single Honey, ranging from complete condemnation to wholesale approval and asking questions about the ethics, types and possibilities of porn and its effects on people and society. The show was created by Purple Soup Crew during lockdown when consumption and discussion of online porn was greatly increased. In many ways the characters of S-ex-ciety are really just mouthpieces for the different perspectives on the effects of porn, with some parts being even delivered straight to the audience. The characters are more defined by their perspectives than by any interior life, with re...

11Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Eglantyne – Gilded Balloon Teviot

Eglantyne is a one woman play written and performed by actress Anne Chamberlain which follows the life and story of Eglantyne Jebb. This 75-minute documentary play delves deep into Chamberlain’s love and respect for the woman who fronted and fought for the charity campaign ‘Save The Children’ exploring what made Jebb the woman she was. You can feel the love and admiration Chamberlain has for Jebb, it radiates from her, giving her a glow that shines through her eyes rather than just the stage lights. She uses a range of storytelling tactics jumping from first person into third and even taking time to explain her own emotional connection to the historical figure and a few costume changes. Eglantyne’s story is one of triumph and failure and unfortunately this production is too. Whil...

Starship Improvise – Pleasance Courtyard

11Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Starship Improvise – Pleasance Courtyard

You don’t have to love sci-fi to come along to this show, if you love comedy, you are in for a treat. Tony and Olivier Award winning companies, Mischief Theatre, Showstopper! and Austentatious are the cream of the crop when it comes to improvising, so to have their combined skills on one stage is a must-see opportunity. To set the scene, Celestia 7 was a long-running sci-fi TV series, and years later the stars have been invited to a fans convention where they reminisce about their series memories. In this episode the improvisers were Adam Meggido (Showstopper!), Ruth Bratt (Showstopper!), Henry Shields (Mischief), Nell Mooney (Showstopper!), Dave Hearn (Mischief), and Charlotte Gittins (Austentatious), with Ed Zanders providing the musical accompaniment (musical direct...

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...

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 ...