Gilded Balloon Archives - Page 3 of 3

Baxter vs The Bookies – Gilded Balloon Teviot (Wee Room)

15Aug

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Baxter vs The Bookies – Gilded Balloon Teviot (Wee Room)

Our hero William Baxter justifies the chequered life of an inveterate gambler by bemoaning the fact he left school at fifteen with no qualifications, but proudly pointing out he’d made an ashtray in woodwork. This is just the first of many bon mots and one-liners in a one-man play adapted from Roy Granville’s book. One could be forgiven for thinking the role had been written especially for Andy Linden, an actor instantly recognizable (Harry Potter, Count Arthur Strong, to name just two from a long, long line of film and TV credits) his lugubrious face and earthy London tone enabling masterful storytelling. The play was split into five ‘episodes’ each with a twist at the end, Andy playing other parts beyond Baxter; Jeff Armstrong (a bookie so morose that ‘if he ran a funeral parlour peop...

Men With Coconuts – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

13Aug

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Men With Coconuts – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

The award-winning local improv troupe returned to the Fringe to illustrate what a double-edged sword the make-it up-as-you-go-along world of improv is. At times inducing belly-laughs, at others a cringe or two and all points in between. OK then, a multi-edged sword. The former was true at the start as our three players bounded onto stage following a frantic jazz soundtrack, repeating the manoeuvre no less than three times to accommodate late-comers. In all the excitement ringmaster Charlie appeared to lose track of his microphone while piano-player Colin dutifully added appropriate incidentals to the chaos and the tone was set, snapping to attention the audience, a key element in this milieu. The guys riffed around various suggested film genres on an imaginary ‘Prime Minister versus Cou...

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...

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...

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...

Almost Adult – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

9Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Almost Adult – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

Actor and creator Anne-Tilley combines comedy and drama as her character Hope tackles both coming-of-age issues as well as the more serious ones that unfortunately confront women in particular. Hope thinks she's escaped the north of England for the bright lights of London, only to find the capital, and adulthood come with their own challenges. Though well-meant, timely and heartfelt, the uncomfortable nature of these issues and Anne-Tilley's natural strengths as a performer make the more dramatic parts of the show much more successful than the comedy ones. Though the two stars given here might suggest there is more that doesn't work than there is, that very much isn't the case, as it's more a question of imbalance. Had comedy been more the icing than the raison d'etre, Anne-Tille...

8Aug

By Ella CatherallNo Comments

Scotland

Lizard Boy – Gilded Balloon

The premise of ‘Lizard Boy’ is certainly unconventional. Trevor is a 20 something who, as a result of a childhood run-in with a dragon, is covered in green lizard scales and has shut himself off from the World. However, on ‘Monster Fest’, he decides to venture out of his isolation and meet up with a guy he met on Grindr. Things escalate very, very quickly from there. There are many factors contributing to how, somehow, this show works, one of which is the extraordinary talent on stage. All three performers I saw had insane vocal and instrumental talent (This is an actor-musician show), being able to cover the reasonably wide range of styles and tones that the score covers. They were all also able to imbue their characters, who could have so easily been played as one-note cartoons, with ...

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 ...

PASH – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, Edinburgh

4Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

PASH – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, Edinburgh

Seemingly Wholesome Productions PASH is about the bisexual, Max (Olivia McLeod). She is turning twenty-five in a week and, thanks partly to her own idealised and Hollywood-inspired notion of what A First Kiss would feel like, she hasn't had one yet. So, she embarks on a quest to change that before her big quarter-century anniversary, punctuating her chronicles with anecdotes of her friends’ (much earlier) first kisses. The show is parked somewhere between a stand-up set and a monopolylogue, the former because of the “relatable” blurring between character, performer and audience and the latter through its structure, props and use of space, sound and lighting. Because of this, it rests almost entirely on the shoulders of creator / performer Olivia McLeod, who rises to the challenge...

Lizard Boy announces its UK premiere casting

2Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Lizard Boy announces its UK premiere casting

The UK cast for the new indie rock musical has been announced ahead of its UK premiere at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester from 14th - 27th July 2022. Equal parts comic book lore and coming-of-age love story, Lizard Boy is the thrilling original rock musical that’s been called "Ingenious" (San Francisco Chronicle), "Phenomenal" (San Jose Mercury News), "Ferocious & Funny"(Seattle Times). During a bizarre childhood accident, Trevor was drenched head to toe in dragon’s blood. Growing green and scaly skin, he withdrew from the world. Tonight—twenty years later—Trevor's first date with a cute guy transforms into adventure of mythic proportions. The UK cast is Anthony Rickman as Trevor, Alan Cammish as Caly and Sophie Reid as Siren, who playing alternate nights alongside the original U...