Underbelly Archives - North West End UK

The 7 Fingers: Duel Reality – Underbelly Circus Hub

23Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The 7 Fingers: Duel Reality – Underbelly Circus Hub

Now, here is an oddity, a show I have seen twice, once on preview night at the start of the Fringe, and again tonight, and I can immediately see improvements! The first thing to say, is that this show is best viewed from the central seating area (where I was tonight), if you can. Duel reality starts with a beautifully choreographed fight scene between the two ‘sides’ of the ten-strong troupe, pitting the blues against the reds. To add to the audience experience you are given a wrist band of blue or red as you enter the circus tent and ‘requested’ to support your team. There is whooping, clapping, screaming from the audience – this idea sounds like it is working well! Raising the stakes of the team struggle, we soon come to realise that Blue is Capulet and Red is Montague and the...

Drag Queens Vs Vampires – Underbelly, Cowgate

18Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Drag Queens Vs Vampires – Underbelly, Cowgate

Back from their award winning show Drag Queens Vs Zombies at last year’s fringe, the Haus Of Dench return with their new must see show: Drag Queens Vs Vampires. Join drag stars Kate Butch and Crudi Dench as they prepare to take to the stage in Romania for Eurovision, but it’s not only nerves they are having to fight off. Booking an Airbnb in the spookiest of places: Transylvania, a new obstacle faces the two when their host happens to be non-other than Dracula himself, and he’s got his sights set on Kate. Between the competition and the ancient evil vampire, can these friends stay together or will they be torn apart in this blood drinking, vampire staking, weird but catchy song singing extravaganza? Drag Queens Vs Vampires is a hilarious show that fills it’s dark and dingy ve...

Tim Murray is Witches – Underbelly, Bristo Square

6Aug

By Rita BryceNo Comments

Scotland

Tim Murray is Witches – Underbelly, Bristo Square

I am a sucker for something silly. And when 6 ft 2 Tim Murray, dressed in a 5 ft long black wig, knee-high heeled boots, clawed and waggling latex gloves, glittering cape and full green Elphaba makeup hits the stage with a devastatingly brilliant opening number, I know I am in for one of those Edinburgh Fringe hours that make the trip worthwhile. Tim is a comedian, writer and actor from LA who has hopped on his broomstick across the seas to bring to his brand-new show to the Fringe- and thank Hecate he did. Tim oozes an unteachable stage presence; with KNOCK OUT vocals, an easy charm and an infectious delight, which seeps out of his witchy fingertips (along with heaps of green confetti) and fills the room. Whisking on us on a journey through his formative years the show is...

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – Underbelly, George Square

21Aug

By Kat CliffordNo Comments

Scotland

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – Underbelly, George Square

Can I give this show 6 stars?! Unfortunate is a phenomenal, intelligent, filthy, satirical extravaganza! Every part of this camp, queer, raunchy retelling of the little mermaid from the perspective of Ursula, the sea witch, was on point. The cast were an extremely gifted group of individuals. Ursula, played in this performance by Robyn Grant, was absolutely magnetic and had a voice that was pure electricity. Nearly the entire cast played multiple characters and their portrayals were so unique and different it really felt like watching an entirely different person each change. This is an extremely talented group of performers who have honed their craft to near flawless. The duets between Triton (George Whitty) and Ursula were exhilarating and every song in the show was performed w...

The Failure Cabaret – Underbelly, Cowgate

20Aug

By Natalie LewisNo Comments

Scotland

The Failure Cabaret – Underbelly, Cowgate

Stephanie Dodd and Justin Badger’s ‘Failure Cabaret’ was a misguided attempt at comedy which indulged in the standard of American humour with a non-American audience. The pair discuss their life together from meeting in New York to accidentally moving to a middle-class white haven to somewhat turbulent and abusive fights they’ve been having (unclear whether this is said in jest or in sincerity). The music was lively and well written. Their voices: very pleasant to listen to, making it certainly a feel-good show and very easily listening. However, this was subverted by the inelegant humor surrounding abusive within the relationship of the characters, ultimately put down to bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, ultimately leading to deep depressive episodes a...

Bareback: Horseplay – Underbelly, Cowgate

20Aug

By Natalie LewisNo Comments

Scotland

Bareback: Horseplay – Underbelly, Cowgate

PBJ’s ‘Bareback: Horseplay” was a torrent and a torment of absurdity lacking any semblance of grounding or substance which would facilitate such an outlandish production, resulting in an unmelodic raucous of a sketch show and wasting the extraordinary talent of the actors involved. The premise itself is turbulent: sketch comedy show bouncing from social satire to philosophical inanity, resulting in an audience exhaustingly attempting to keep up with a fast moving, unexplained (unexplainable?) parade of celebrity caricatures, genitalia, aged talk show hosts, homosexual Irish children and slam poetry. The duo were dressed in nude bodysuits which did facilitate fast movements from one character to the next, impressively taking on the roles. The actors’ ranges of accents and charact...

The Sian Clarke Experience – Underbelly, Cowgate

13Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

The Sian Clarke Experience – Underbelly, Cowgate

There is a lot of dirt, a lot of grime, a lot of mess and a lot of rage on stage of the Sian Clarke experience, a physical performance that is as deliberately irreverent and uncomfortable as it is necessary for our society. It seems like an out-of-control rage that of the young comedian, Sian Clarke, but it is instead a calculated fun guaranteed by the strong stage presence of the performer who fills the stage with mastery and awareness. Sian does not want to be sexy, she does not want to be funny, she does not want to be "a good girl", she wants to be uncomfortable, desecrating, attacking a sexist and patronising society that threatens women on a daily basis and frames them in demeaning and humiliating categories. Hers is a necessary testimony, unfortunately shared by all the women pr...

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...

Cabaret announces transformation of West End theatre

15Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Cabaret announces transformation of West End theatre

The KIT KAT CLUB in London’s West End will open its doors on 15th November 2021 with the musical CABARET starring Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Tony and Olivier award winner Eddie Redmayne as ‘The Emcee’ and Bafta Nominee and British Independent Film award winner Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’. • The Kit Kat Club takes over the Playhouse Theatre, transforming one of London’s most famous theatres with in-the-round auditorium and reimagined spaces. • Tickets go on priority sale at 8.00am on 19th July 2021 for both ATG TheatreCard Members and Underbelly Full Fat Members and at 12.00 noon for those who have signed up for priority booking. • There is still time to register for priority access from 12.00 noon online via www.kitkat.club • General on sale for the fir...

Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley to star in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club

22May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley to star in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club

The Kit Kat Club in London’s West End will open its doors this November with the musical CABARET starring Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Tony and Olivier award winner Eddie Redmayne as ‘The Emcee’ and Bafta Nominee and British Independent Film award winner Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’. Inside the Kit Kat Club, life is beautiful. The famous setting of Kander & Ebb and Masteroff’s musical is brought to life with a capacity of just 550, to host a unique production of Cabaret, the likes of which audiences will have never experienced before. Director Rebecca Frecknall said today “It’s such a privilege to have the opportunity to direct Cabaret, a show that has always been dear to my heart. It’s thrilling to be able to approach this classic and important musical at a time when its the...