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Review – A Partnership – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Gary A

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August 11, 2019

Review – A Partnership – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Overall Rating

Making their Edinburgh Fringe debut, Paper Mug Theatre have brought writer/ performer Rory Thomas-Howes’ ‘A Partnership‘ to the Gilded Balloon this August. This two-hander play poses the central question of ‘Can two men in modern-day London have a long-lasting, monogamous relationship?’. In real-time over an hour, on the eve of a 30th birthday, the two partners question what is ‘normal’ in a relationship, and the cracks start to appear in their coupling. They resolve to determine whether they should stay together by the time their takeaway meal arrives.

Overall a score of 3.4, giving ‘A Partnership’ a star rating of 3.

Review Date : Sunday August 4th 2019. For Tickets – click here.

Content

Zach and Ally are a lawyer and a nurse who have been together for nine years and just bought a new flat in London. This two-hander duologue is set on the eve of Ally turning 30. A series of awkward revelations results in them resolving to figure out if their relationship can be saved before their Indian takeaway is delivered. The writing was great and included many unexpected moments of hilarity. It tried to address a somewhat unexplored theme of the struggles of being in a long term monogamous gay relationship. That it did to some extent, but the narrative was far too busy ping-ponging from themes of bisexuality, domestic abuse, monogamy, fears of ageing, gay marriage, affairs, internalised homophobia, externalised homophobia,impotence, grief, and defining sexual roles to explore the central theme in any depth. The main complaint at the start of the play from Ally was that their lives had got boring, but with so much going on in their lives, this seemed difficult to believe. And on some of the issues raised, such as domestic abuse, it seemed odd that more time was not given to discuss what had just occurred.

The ending would have been perfect if not for the above; the two characters came across unintentionally dysfunctional, maybe even unlikeable by the end of the play, so that the audience’s empathy was somewhat reduced as to whether or not they survived as a couple. Nethertheless, Rory Thomas-Howes’ writing for the majority part was strong and he crafted a great framework for the play’s narrative, but perhaps a case of ‘less is more’ for this particular production.

Audience Engagement

The audience on the day I reviewed was reasonably full and they really enjoyed the lighter moments of the play, with a lot of genuine laughter to be heard. Speaking to a couple of audience members afterwards, they too had issues with the content but had all said they were glad they had seen the play.

Staging

The staging of this play was very simple – a few cardboard boxes unpacked from the move, perhaps symbolising the transition in the stability of their relationship. If the staging matched the actual plot, there would have been clutter everywhere, but if the original aim of the narrative was to show a couple bored with monogamy, then the minimalist staging worked.

Originality

“What makes two gay men stay together? We have a lot of gay theatre…what they tend to focus on is the coming out story, or the burgeoning sexuality story or the AIDS crisis…but what I think is being lost along the way is the ordinary life.” (Writer Rory Thomas-Howes) .

The creative thinking here was great, and it is admirable for Thomas-Howes to challenge the ‘norms’ in LGBT theatre with his innovative play. ‘IKEA gays’, those that shop as couples in IKEA on a Sunday rather than go clubbing on a Saturday are a growing silent majority, and it was a highly original approach to focus on this type of relationship. As noted above, the execution of the content perhaps did not live up to the ambition, and it would have been more in line with the original concept to discuss the prejudices gay couples receive from other gay friends for example, rather than branching into other themes. All in all, though a high score for the writer’s creativity and originality exhibited in this play.

Artistic Performance

Rory Thomas-Howes as lawyer Zach, and Ben Hadfield as nurse Ally give strong emotive performances, especially given the narrative is so fast-paced and moves incredulously from scenes of high tension to loving normality at the flick of a switch. Both actors artistic skills carried this and their empathy to the characters they were playing was clearly evident.

Note the EFC pay full ticket price for every show they review. The criteria by which we review and rate shows can be found here.

Sights of Fringe Saturday 10th August 2019

Christian McRae

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August 10, 2019

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Sights of Fringe Saturday 10th August 2019

Contrary to the weather reports yesterday, an amazing day of sunshine for most of day with some thunder storms just starting to roll in now. And what does the sunshine mean? Crowds! Was amazing to see packed venues again today and crowds filling the Royal Mile and surrounding hubs. Here are a few of the sights we saw around town today!

Breaking a leg – Perhaps whilst dancing? – **It Takes Three to Tango**

The Achilles Heel of this photo – Achilles himself (who didn’t make the group photo but just managed to photobomb it!) – **Wrath of Achilles**

Don’t freak out – it’s the **South Afreakins**!

Lying down on the Royal Mile – a winning marketing strategy for **Up and Away**

We see them more than once in a Blue Moon – they are everywhere! **Out of the Blue**

Quackers! – **The Dead Ducks: York Du Soleil**

Ydych chi’n siarad Cymraeg? Getting the word out about ‘This is Wales’ – **Edinburgh Showcase**

Review – It’s Aboot Adam – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Gary A

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August 10, 2019

0

Review – It’s Aboot Adam – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Overall Rating

Black Wednesday was pretty catastrophic this year for Fringe both in terms of weather, and, from what I saw, resultant ticket sales. I was already holed up at Just the Tonic watching one show, but when I finished and the torrential rain wasn’t showing any signs of stopping, I did something I had always wanted to do. I went to the Box Office and asked for a ticket for the next show. ‘Do you want to know a bit about it?’ asked the cashier. ‘No, I’m happy for it to be a surprise!’, I replied. So barely knowing the name of the show, let alone what it was about, I entered the La Belle Angele.

To my horror for the production team of the show, my eyes were met by row after row of empty seats. I had always had a Fringe fantasy of being the only person in the audience, but the reality was somewhat different. Can one pop to the loo or bar, and maybe ask them to pause the show? Do you have to take of multiple personas to be an audience of 1? Thankfully a couple of stragglers came in late and boosted the numbers to end my existential crisis!.

It transpired that my random show pick was a comedy show giving a modern twist to Bible story of Adam and Eve. A further twist that the show was performed entirely in the Dundonian dialect.

This was ‘Throw Down the Gauntlett Productions‘ first Fringe, and it was perhaps too steep a learning curve for the team this year. It was fantastic that they brought Scots Language to the Fringe and I do hope they take this year as a learning experience, create the right partnerships and marketing for next year and re-stage a show in Scots next year. Overall a score of exactly 3, giving ‘It’s Aboot Adam’ a rating of 3 stars

Review Date : Wednesday August 7th 2019. For Tickets – click here.

Content

Hands up that I had no idea to the shows content before going into the theatre, but on leaving I unfortunately still felt a wee confused as to what the show was hoping to achieve. At times, it felt like a panto, at others a play. For the latter sections and especially the ending it had the feeling of a Sunday school production. At the start, especially when the hunky Adam and drag queen God were on stage, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it classified itself as a gay comedy. Looking now at the Fringe listing, it has a picture of a naked Adam holding some strategically placed apples with a big yellow warning triangle ‘Warning – Nae kit allowed’. Yet he appeared on stage in boxers and the classification for the production was 12+. Despite all of this, there were some good lines, and overall the show presented an interesting compelling narrative.

Audience Engagement

This show needed a big audience for it to work, or at least a dozen. However, for the few of others who were there, it was an enjoyable way to pass an hour.

Staging

Staging I felt was the show’s biggest issue. Firstly, the show had perhaps been too ambitious in the size of venue and would have worked much better at a more intimate venue. Secondly, whilst appreciative the production inevitably had a very limited budget, some of the props and costumes (with the exception of God) felt like they were bought on the way to the show from the nearest Primark. The lighting effects detracted at times from the show, not enhanced it. And to labour a previous point, the show’s mixed messages came through too in staging. Being brutally honest, the brief two-line Fringe description, the promotion photo and lack of serious social media presence/ marketing all gave the impression that this was not a serious professional production. Which is a huge shame because I could see that from previous local press that a huge effort had gone into finding actors and rehearsing the show. If Throw Down the Gauntlett Productions returns to Fringe next year I would suggest they decide at the outset whether they want to be a more adult/ high camp style show, or appeal to a younger audience as a children’s/ family show, and then get the right advice about branding/ messaging. I hope too they continue producing works in Scots, and I am sure there are many partners out there such as the Scottish Storytelling Centre and the Scots Language Centre who would be more than willing to help them.

Originality

A play written entirely in Dundonian Scots is rare; rarer still to see one at Fringe. The idea of doing this as a modern take on a well-known story was genial; but sadly the execution was confused as to style.

Artistic Performance

There were some good performances here. Stand out to me was Christopher McDougall who gave a very confident, assured, panto style drag queen performance. As the play flipped into a more serious section, with the killing of Abel, Adam Morgan demonstrated some very promising acting skills as Cain. And hats off to the actors playing Adam and Eve – it was very brave to stand on stage in your underwear to such a limited audience, and still give a credible performance, so well done to you both on that!

Note the EFC pay full ticket price for every show they review. The criteria by which we review and rate shows can be found here.

Review – Ross Smith: Crying/Shame – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Gary A

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August 9, 2019

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Review – Ross Smith: Crying/Shame – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Overall Rating

Ross Smith is perhaps best known for an escapade last year which went viral and made the national press, when he accepted a random Facebook invite to join a lads holiday in Hamburg. It transpired that one of the group couldn’t make it, and as Ross shared the exact same name, they decided to invite him along so as not to waste the place on the trip. After much encouragement from his mates, and much discouragement from his Mum, he decided to take them up on their offer, and his comedy show ‘I am Ross Smith’ was born and came to Fringe last year.

Following up from such a widely publicised adventure and show was not going to be easy, and to Ross’s credit he has totally re-invented his show this year and has explored an entirely different theme – that of men showing their emotions.

At times his show showed fragility, especially at the start, but that perhaps made the ending more impactful and in tune with the theme of the show. Issues with audience engagement aside, a very solid performance and great material. Overall a score of 3.8, giving Ross a rating of 4 stars for ‘Crying/ Shame’

Review Date : Sunday August 4th 2019. For Tickets – click here.

Content

Ross is a fantastic storyteller and weaves his one one hour from threads of family life and growing older to build up to an emotive end. He includes some great one-lines, and I could well imagine some such as the line about thesauruses winning the Dave Fringe Joke of the Year. The set piece about his comedy being like humus at a buffet was a memorable stand-out. His content had natural pace and flow, and his at times quirky style kept the audience guessing as to the direction he was going to take. A highly enjoyable hour!

Audience Engagement

This was where Ross perhaps struggled the most. A couple of awkward interactions aside, his engagement with the audience can be best described as ‘gentle ribbing’. It would be interesting to see how his little boy lost persona coped with a bigger, later crowd. There were laughs aplenty, more so after the first section. There were a couple of walk outs but I am sure these were because of language difficulties, and they were very early on. Ross came across a little insecure when this happened and I think he would have better off not mentioning it. Equally at the start there were pieces on how he didn’t really want to be in Edinburgh and how his comedy isn’t appreciated by many people. Judging by the audience feedback, I think he is actually very wrong on that front! Much like some of his material at the start of the show on turning 30, he probably faces a decision on his comedy career moving into next year; keep going with the little boy lost persona lacking confidence, or accept he is now 30, actually has some good stage presence, material and comedic talents, and come back next year the confident comedian from the very start of the show, and by doing so take his career to the next level.

Staging

Aside for the start of the show, Ross had great stage presence, and as he grew in confidence as the hour went on, it really felt like he was engaging with the whole room, despite not physically leaving the stage. In terms of branding the show, it did take me a wee while to work out it was an onion in his Fringe listing picture!

Originality

As noted earlier in the review, Ross really deserves credit for re-inventing his show this year for Fringe and delving into an entirely new subject. It would have been far easier for him to re-hash his Hamburg viral adventure, or book the next Ryanair flight out of Stanstead with a new set of Facebook mates. But, like a comedic Madonna, Ross has reworked his show and even perhaps his image to bring something fresh this year. The topic was not groundbreaking but Ross brought unique insight.

Artistic Performance

Once Ross moved up from third gear at the start of the show, he gave a fast-paced performance, filled with fantastic one- liners and demonstrating great comic timing. The pathos he exhibited helped audiences buy into his message, and the confidence in himself and performance, especially towards the end of the show, amplified the audience’s empathy. Overall, a rising star of comedy who deserves every success from his Fringe run this year.

Note the EFC pay full ticket price for every show they review. The criteria by which we review and rate shows can be found here.

Review – Fisherman’s Tail – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Gary A

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August 8, 2019

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Review – Fisherman’s Tail – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Overall Rating

Another review I nearly didn’t make! Crowds on the Royal Mile in August – who would have thought it?

The guys from Fisherman’s Tail were our winners picked at random in our Twitter competition to ‘win’ a first week review!

And all credit to them that they were pounding the ‘virtual’ Royal Mile of social media prior to Edinburgh. Since they arrived here too, these guys have become something of a midday favourite, performing sea shanties in their #windowband daily above Carrubbers. Daily except Sundays of course, as this is a solidly Christian group. Which is somewhat unusual at Fringe – the ‘uniqueness’ of Edinburgh means reviewing a show of four men dressed in rubber and a lady holding a ring would not normally transpire to be four Christian fishermen and their female narrator, but I am very glad in this case it did!

They were an exceptionally friendly group to meet, and we wish them well from the remainder of their Fringe run! And with an overall score of 3.8, they earn themselves a 4-star review from The EFC!

Review Date : Wednesday August 7th 2019. For Tickets – click here.

Content

Fisherman’s Tail describes itself as “a hearty, all age, actor-musician musical about four humble fishermen whose everyday lives are blown out of the water when they are caught up in the whirlwind of Jesus’s life and miracles.” Which translated to a retelling of the Jesus story through sea shanties and songs with Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John looking and sounding like Cornish fishermen. It has been a while since I read my Bioball na Cloinne (Children’s Bible stories) but the basic elements all seemed there! There was a good pace to the narrative and the show concluded well. Not as many fish puns as I was expecting but the show had some good original songs and the nautical theme enhanced the story they had to tell, and didn’t distract from the central message of the Jesus story.

At points the content felt like it was holding back from being a solid piece of Christian theatre and needed slightly more ‘hallelujah’, at others it felt like the narrator was preaching to a school assembly. If the show decides to return to Fringe next year, it probably needs to consider more who its core audience is and script the show fully to that audience; the general Fringe going public (which in fairness I felt it was aimed at in general at this performance) or the church going/ family crowd.

Overall though, a very engaging retelling of the story and some very solid musical scoring and performances.

Audience Engagement

The audience on the day I reviewed was smaller than I had been told was the case for previous shows (well it was raining and Black Wednesday!), therefore the show struggled at times to get much enthusiasm from the audience. There was lots of laughter from younger audience members, however, for the more comedic elements. The seating arrangement meant that the audience was sat in small groups quite far from the stage in some cases, so even more difficult to create a ‘buzz’. The audience left content but to the last point, I would probably have expected more clapping along and audience participation from this type of show.

Staging

The stage was bedecked with a mock boat and fishing gear and was as well staged as could be in the confines of a church hall. The ensemble made good use of the space on stage, but could have perhaps engaged more with the audience.

Originality

The show successfully achieved what it set out to do, and was well-executed. The fisherman theme was well inter-woven into the tale, and the hearty songs added to the sense of joy in the Jesus story that they wished to convey. The theming of the show seemed quite innovative to myself as a non-worshipper, as I am sure it would to the majority of Fringe goers.

Artistic Performance

Solid performances from all the cast members; the shanty set-pieces were all sung well and in surprising harmony. Everyone on stage had buckets of enthusiasm which helped keep the show moving through some of the slower sections. For the family show they set-out to be, it was very well executed.

Note the EFC pay full ticket price for every show they review. The criteria by which we review and rate shows can be found here.

Don’t feel Blue on Black Wednesday!

Christian McRae

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August 8, 2019

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Black Wednesday has been a day at previous Fringes when most shows record their lowest audience figures. This coupled with an intense thunder storm of biblical proportions meant that this year we might see new record lows being broken. Certainly, the few shows we went to yesterday had audiences of 1 (an EFC reviewer!) up to 20, even at some quite large venues. If this was your predicament on Black Wednesday don’t feel blue! The first Wednesday is the first trough in the crazy three week rollercoaster known as Edinburgh Fringe – you’ve still got some peaks to go yet before you reach the exit! And like a rollercoaster, even though you might feel slightly dizzy and sore afterwards, you will likely be shouting ‘again, again’ on August 26th, and wanting to ride the Fringe once more next year!

Moments before the thunder, lightening and month’s worth of rain hit

Partying like Stormzy – Sheltering from the storm with the **Party** People from Bristol Revunions

Meeting the crew of the good ship **Fisherman’s Tail**, who won our review comp

Perfectly fine with us – we love a romantic! **Piano_play**

We didn’t catch who this team were promoting

There’s no mystery about this history (show!) **The Ruff Guide to Shakespeare** & **Viking**

A big Orange Inflatable and **Trump the Musical**. We were told unrelated and serendipitous!

Pressing the Flesh – Monkey Barrel Comedy

**Shut Up, Helen!** – Shouting about their new show – Aireborne Theatre

Finally sen a poster for **Gabe Mollica** **(The Whole Thing**) who we interviewed in May. Watch it **here**

Run for cover! – **Chasing Aces** by Byteback Theatre

Such intense rain! **Dedicated Flyerer of the Year Award!** If you know who this is and for which show, get in touch!

2019 Poster Competition – The Final 10 – Voting open!

Christian McRae

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August 6, 2019

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2019 Poster Competition – The Final 10 – Voting open!

We can now reveal our final 10 posters! The following were selected from five public nominations, and five that we had seen from visiting the poster sites around Edinburgh.

You have until midnight Sunday August 11th to pick your winner. You can vote once using the voting form at the bottom of the page. Thank you for taking part!

In alphabetical order

#1 Abandoman AKA Rob Broderick – Road to Coachella

We loved this movie-esque poster as being visibly striking and conveying the glamour of Coachella to Edinburgh audiences.

“Fancy a full music festival in 60 minutes? Abandoman’s got your back! Rob Broderick brings his innate ability to craft songs on the spot to the world of Coachella. Combining hip hop, pop, EDM and more, Rob will transport you to the world’s greatest music festival and leave you high on life – without leaving George Square. ‘Raucous, expansive and relentlessly hilarious’ **** (Times). ‘A totally unique and mind-blowing musical comedy experience’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘An unstoppable force of nature… improv skills bordering on the magical’ **** (List).” For tickets – click here.

#2 Atomic Saloon Show

The intense staring eyes of this poster and atomic 80s neon styling won the panel over to selecting Atomic Saloon for our final 10.

“The wildest watering hole in town. Madam Boozy Skunkton has been collecting the prettiest, sexiest, dumbest, drunkest troupe of entertainers and acrobats on earth, and is determined to create the greatest saloon show the world has ever known. Moulin Rouge meets Blazing Saddles, and America’s Got Talent meets Westworld. From the creators of the hit Las Vegas show Absinthe. Featuring some of the best names in variety and physical comedy, this world premiere is a must-see before it heads to its permanent home on the Las Vegas Strip. Directed by Cal McCrystal (One Man, Two Guvnors).” For tickets – click here

#3 Birth

A poignant poster that conveys a simple message.

“Following a sell-out run at London International Mime Festival 2019, Theatre Re presents a powerful, poignant and uplifting visual theatre piece with live music exploring the bond between three generations of women, their shared loss and the strength they discover in each other. Emily is eight months pregnant when she reads her grandmother’s journal. As she delves into her family history, her sense of reality shifts, unveiling a legacy of unspoken tragedies and unconditional love. ‘Sensitive, adept, absorbing’ (Donald Hutera). Previous productions by Theatre Re include The Nature of Forgetting and Blind Man’s Song.” For tickets – click here.

#4 Cicada 3301

Not only is this innovative poster striking, it also conveys a hidden message (we haven’t worked it out either!)

“Cicada 3301 is a play devised around one of the most mysterious, still unsolved Internet puzzles. When Cicada 3301 first appeared in January 2012 with a picture posted on Reddit, it immediately caught the fancy of many. This image started what was to become one of the Internet’s most enduring puzzles; a scavenger hunt that has led competitors across the web, down old manuscripts to several physical locations around the globe and into uncharted areas of the darknet. Cicada 3301 is a play about the human desire for purpose, community and the search for order in chaos.” For tickets – click here.

#5 A Complicated Man

This poster struck our panel for its Dante-like circles and multi-layered design.

“How many years does it take to unspool a man? An odd king sails the waves of the wine dark sea in a bathtub. Featuring water and wigs, big mammal reimagines The Odyssey as a queer epic of becoming. This new work by Emma Henry and Evan Silver refigures the Homeric text to explore the fluidity of gender and the multiplicity of identity. Developed at Bussey Building’s CLF Art Cafe in Peckham, London.” For tickets – click here.

#6 Dave Bibby: Crazy Cat Lad-y

How many of you thought – ‘is that David Walliams?’ It’s actually Dave Bibby and his poster used a winning combo of bright colours and striking design to make our final 10. Credit to Karla Gowlett and Katie Allen who acted as photographer and designer of the poster.

“Award-winning idiot, Dave Bibby, presents a carousel of comedy: characters, stand-up, sketches, storytelling and, against everyone’s advice, rap. Plus cat stories. My cats made me write that. ‘Stormed onto stage, captivating the audience with his upbeat musical offerings… A true performer’ (Comedy.com). ‘Like a Bullingdon Club member crossed with Beetlejuice’ (TheReviewsHub.com). Winner: Musical Comedy Awards 2018, Audience Award. Best Male Act at Solo Festival. Finalist: Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off 2019. As seen on Channel 4, Netflix, BBC Comedy, Comedy Central and yer mum. ‘Self-deprecating brilliance’ **** (MumbleComedy.net). ‘Simply hilarious’ **** (Entertainment-Focus.com). ” For tickets – click here.

#7 Four Woke Baes

This classically designed poster wouldn’t look a-miss on a book cover. The visuals and the colouring won our panel over.

“Multi award-winning US playwright Jonathan Caren’s razor-sharp dark comedy follows four friends on a river-rafting stag party that’s turned upside down when a mysterious woman kayaks ashore. Groom-to-be, Dez, comes to question the very nature of love and monogamy over the course of a long night’s drinking, fire-building and s’more-making. Rifles are drawn, stripteases danced and secrets unearthed as the quartet of friends comes together and falls apart. Cynical and raw, hilarious and squirm-inducing, the play asks just how liberal “woke” boys really are when they’re alone together, out in nature, beers in hand.”For tickets – click here.

#8 Fulfilment

A very simple poster compared to others we saw around town, yet one which helps it stand out and convey its message.

“Robox is your personal fulfilment device. The one-click wonder, the ultimate convenience. You dream it, he delivers it. Instant fulfilment. But fulfilment isn’t for everyone. Award-winning theatre company SharkLegs uncover the price people really pay for next-day delivery. Disarmingly funny and playful, the show is created live every night from your desires. Join us and let Robox discover what you need, what you want and what you dream of. Then let Robox provide the solution. A solution… Definitely a bit of a solution… Or a solution that other people who bought this solution also bought.” For tickets – click here.

#9 Scream Phone

This poster captures all the fun of Fringe yet also taps into the teen movie genre of film posters to help convey the show’s theme.

“After the success of 2 Become 1, Swipe Right present their deliciously dark musical Scream Phone – directed by Pappy’s Tom Parry! The girls are having a sleepover and you’re like, totally invited! Pillow fights in their underwear, singing into hairbrushes, and gossiping about their crushes, what could possibly go wrong? As long as they don’t answer the oversized pink phone… dun dun duuun! Based on the retro game Dream Phone, they’ll take you on a killer journey back to the 80s with an infectious original soundtrack. Scream meets Clueless in this hilarious spoof horror musical!” For tickets – click here.

#10 The Wrong Ffion Jones

A very detailed poster with great visuals, it immediately caught our attention.

“Once famed for coal, copper and steel production, Wales’s industry has now ground to a halt. All that’s left to sell is Welsh pride, and even that is quickly drying up at the hands of business tycoons Bevan, Bevan, Bevan and co. Will Ffion sell her soul to be the ‘face of Walesland’, or will she summon the courage to revolt for the strange trouser-less child that appears in her dreams? A comedy about identity, capitalism and an accidental rebel.” For tickets – click here.

TO VOTE – PLEASE USE THE FORM BELOW

All votes received before midnight Sunday 11th August 2019 will be counted. Complete the fields below and select one entry, then press submit. Please note that the email confirming submission can take up to 24 hours to be received, and in some cases will be blocked by your mail server or sent to your spam folder.

Review – The Legacy of William Ireland – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Gary A

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August 5, 2019

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Review – The Legacy of William Ireland – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Overall Rating

I nearly didn’t make this review. In typical Fringe fashion I thought half an hour was sufficient to get from the Tron to Riddle’s Court – a five minute walk in Winter. But after one conversation too many with the marketeers handing out the flyers, I found myself dashing with a minute to spare up the final stretch of the Royal Mile and into the darkened courtyards of Riddle’s Court and up the spiral staircase to the venue. The historic surrounds were immediate and it really did feel like stepping back in time. No sooner had I taken my place, than Charlie Jack exploded into the room – in full costume as William Ireland, bursting to tell us his tale. And what a fantastic story it was, the monologue written by acclaimed playwright Tom Connery, and inspired by the real events of 1796 when the poetic ‘genius’ William Ireland tried to pass off his own writing as Shakespeare’s and created a near riot at Drury Lane Theatre. The one-man play recreates the moment William Ireland flees the scene, justifying his actions to the audience, sometimes seeking for pity, other times for affirmation. A powerful, intense and very believable performance from Charlie Jack, who brought a little known misunderstood blaggard from history back to life on stage.

Review Date : Sunday August 5th 2019. For Tickets – click here.

Content

A solid retelling of the William Ireland tale to audiences who are inevitably largely unaware of the misdeeds of Mr Ireland. The story telling gave insight into Ireland’s background as an unwanted abused son, who forged the Shakespeare letters and play largely to win over the respect and attention of his austere Father. The threads of the monologue tied up well at the end, and as a whole produced a compelling, engaging narrative.

Audience Engagement

The audience were visibly engaged throughout, laughing along with the jokes, and listening acutely to the more intense sections of the monologue. Visibly happy faces at the end and a warm round of applause.

Staging

A simple set that transported you instantly into the world of a panicked William Ireland. Whether planned or not, the Q2 stage of Riddle’s Court with its beautiful ceiling and lighting really transported you back to the Georgian era, and the simple writer’s desk, dark lighting and closed space added to the feeling that an 18th century lynching mob were on their way!

Originality

The show was excellent at achieving what it set out to do, and was well-executed. To reach four and five stars of originality rating, however, the show would have needed to include an element of surprise and innovation, which unfortunately it did not accomplish.

Artistic Performance

An incredible solid performance from Charlie Jack. It is no easy feat to hold the attention of an audience for an hour when you are the only performer on stage, but Charlie’s acting skills more than passed muster . His ability to command the stage, deliver a fast-paced monologue and engage the audience to elicit both laughter and empathy all deserve credit.

Note the EFC pay full ticket price for every show they review. The criteria by which we review and rate shows can be found here.

Review – Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Gary A

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August 5, 2019

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Review – Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein – Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Overall Rating

We are pleased to share that for our first Five Star review of Fringe 2019 goes to ‘Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein’, who achieved an overall total of 4.8 thereby giving them a 5 star review! This represents the highest standard of artistic performance and innovation in theatrical arts, and their production at McEwan Hall which we saw performed on Saturday was certainly worthy of the magnificent venue in which it was staged.

Like the glorious city of Edinburgh herself, this production was dark and broody on the outside, with a warm melancholic heart within, fusing different techniques and cultures to create a wonderous, complex, multi-layered entity that challenges our senses and will be remembered fondly by audiences long after Fringe 2019 has concluded.

A truly five star production.

Review Date – Saturday 3rd August 2019 Tickets – click here

Content

Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein reworks the classic gothic tale, and cleverly weaves the horror story of Frankenstein with that of its writer Mary Shelley, and the tragedies she had to endure.

This production is intense as it is unique. The story was beautifully played out to hint at why the tragic events in Shelley’s life transpired into the creation of the monster of Frankenstein. Whilst the content of the narrative was exceptional in many ways, the ending felt somehow incomplete as to the tale of the monster. Overall though, even without the incredible staging, an incredible tale, unspoken, but well-told.

Audience Engagement

The Fringe has not seen anything like this show before so there is an inherent risk audiences will not be open the staging and be of divided opinion as to the production’s merits. And there may be some audience members of critics who take a personal approach on this and review more negatively. The EFC has more formalised guidance on how we star rate so that such personal preferences and viewpoints are disregarded, but our star ratings aside, it was very evident that the audience were very engaged and appreciative of the performance, and the audience members we overheard leaving the show were extremely positive. The standing ovation was genuine and the social media buzz created by past audiences recommending the show evidences the growing fan base for this production and the esteem in which this show is held by audiences.

Staging

Puffs of smoke and a complex set greeted the audience as they entered the hall. A cinema screen slowly flickers to life as the audience struggles to make out a gothic workshop in the background. The stage slowly comes to life as different elements of music, shadow puppetry, and shadow acting, contrive and twist and turn on stage to create a single image on the large screen above the main set.

The artistry and skill of the actors to create such a seamless live production of a ‘silent’ film was award-worthy and all involved should be congratulated for making the highly complex seem so effortless on the screen.

One slight quibble on the staging was the orchestra members were not in costume and their lack of period clothes could have potentially distracted from the performance. A small issue however, compared to the enormity of the staging’s achievement. A wonder to behold!

Originality

Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein is the definition of originality. The way the ‘film’ was composed through different artistic mediums effortlessly fusing to create a single beautiful moving image on screen, with the music and sound effects creating the ‘voice’ and atmosphere, was theatrical innovation at its finest.

Artistic Performance

The artistry of all involved was of the highest standard and I can only imagine how many hours, days and months must have gone into bringing together a work of such perfection. The on-stage ballet of movement to weave the different scenes of the film together was incredible to see, and every member of the production from the orchestra to the puppeteers performed to the highest level.

Note the EFC pay full ticket price for every show they review. The criteria by which we review and rate shows can be found here.

Sights and Sounds of the Fringe – Sunday 4th August

Featured

Christian McRae

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August 4, 2019

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Sights and Sounds of the Fringe – Sunday 4th August

A mixed day weather wise, but for the majority part of the day, the sun shone down on the Fringe crowds. Our team were out and about in between reviews, meeting the performers and taking in the sights and sounds of Fringe to share with you!

And as our feature photo reminds us, there are lots of posters around Edinburgh today! If you have seen a good one, you have less than 24 hours to nominate it for our 2019 Poster Competition. Details here.

WEATHER - Aimsir