Patter Hoose Archives - North West End UK

The Beatles Were a Boy Band – The Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

29Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

The Beatles Were a Boy Band – The Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

In this 70-minute play, cleverly entitled The Beatles Were a Boy Band to appeal to a wide age range and both sexes, a network of social issues are explored: sexual predation mainly, but it is couched within the context of young people’s addiction to social media and trashy reality TV and the values it disseminates. It highlights those opportunistic young men who hide themselves within the cloak of anonymous tweets and memes and then torment and intimidate naïve young women, encouraged by this titillating diet of overtly sexualised media. There is an example of real-life intimidation: a woman comedian being heckled by the crowd. Unlike a male comedian’s experience, the drunken heckler was laser focused on the performer's physical attributes. As a woman, I know this to be true and someth...

Grown Up Orphan Annie – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

27Aug

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Grown Up Orphan Annie – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

Little Orphan Annie (Katherine Bourne-Taylor) has grown up into a lovable, but insecure, girl-woman with a serious Ovaltine habit. Her happy ending with Daddy Warbucks was a sham: he took all her money, he controls the rights to all her hit songs, and he even stole her dog. Life has been cruel to Annie, but she bustles on with her characteristic optimism infused with desperation. We like her, but she is hard work. This is a one-woman show, but Annie longs for connection and Bourne-Taylor interacts with the audience, and the tech guy, throughout. She asks us if she can go to our “hang” after the show, enlists an audience member to help her onstage, and calls us all her “Fannies”. (I am now the proud owner of a sticker that says “#1 Fannie”.) We catch up with Annie after the...

The Improv Musical – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

20Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

The Improv Musical – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

Music Theatre Warwick, from the University of Warwick, have made the impossible look easy in this entirely improvised musical. The audience chose the two lead characters, Sherlock Holmes and SpongeBob SquarePants, and the location: the Titanic. The musical was named ‘who lives in a monocle under the sea’, by a particularly witty band member, and the performers got straight into it. What followed was hilarious, ridiculous, and highly entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the short mid-way break, in which the audience decided the next plot point. In this case, that John Watson, who had been thrown overboard, would arrive back on the Titanic to declare his love to SpongeBob through an opera song. It was just as crazy and hysterical as it sounds. Throughout the show, I wa...

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 ...

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...

Dizney in Drag – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

12Aug

By Stephanie DunkNo Comments

Scotland

Dizney in Drag – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

From the moment I stepped into the venue for 'Dizney in Drag,' I knew I was in for an extraordinary experience. Before the show the cast came round to the audience in character, it felt like I was at Disneyland! The show started with a spectacular rendition of 'Be Our Guest,' letting the audience know what they would be in for - an hour filled with hilarious performances and fabulous surprises. 'Dizney in Drag' celebrates diversity with its message of acceptance within the LGBT, creating a safe space for everyone. The show weaves in provocative elements, tastefully whilst filling the hour with innuendos, and even cleverly placed "Hairy" Godmother segments. Some highlights for me were The Little Mermaid's unexpected bondage twist and the unforgettable 'Paint with All the Colours ...

Bowjangles: Dracula in Space – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

12Aug

By Stephanie DunkNo Comments

Scotland

Bowjangles: Dracula in Space – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

As I entered the venue for Bowjangles' "Dracula in Space," the atmosphere had been set with the unsettling sound of bells and crow noises, alongside the red gothic wallpaper against elaborate gold wall decorations, this further intensified the mysterious allure of the space. The stage came alive with the presence of the musicians that showcased a fusion of dancing, string instruments and singing. The choreography was well crafted, the musicians moved seamlessly with the music; the combination of the choreography and the different singing voices created a mesmerising visual and auditory experience. The comedy aspect consisted of musical humour, sprinkling in plenty of music-related jokes that I didn't understand myself but got some good laughs from the audience. Apparently,...

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 challeng...