Love 2.0, Storytelling Centre

It was never easy getting to meet people - well, let's be honest, women - if you were a sociopathic, geeky misanthrope.  So, at least to an old fart like me, it looks that there interweb thingummy must have made dating life a lot easier for sad loser types.  Hasn't it?  It's not as if there could be any hidden dangers, could there?

That's the basic premise of Love 2.0, a short two hander about the impact of social media on twenty first century courtship, and the problems it can lead to.  Gary sees Suzie's photo on Facebook and asks her to be his friend.  Then sets about a campaign to meet her face to face by making himself appear to be the ideal candidate for a long term relationship.  But when they finally get together he finds it hard to live up to the persona he has created for himself, and events will later spiral out of his control.

With most of the communication taking place electronically the simplest solution might have been to present the audience with a couple of large screens to read.  Sleeping Warrior Theatre Company have gone for a far more low tech approach, which is also much funnier.  Large boards with pictures and messages represent Facebook pages, text messages are sent by sticking a post-it note on the person, and, my favourite, two tin cans and a length of string stand in for Skype.  This provides several good visual gags and adds further laughs to what's already an extremely funny script.  There is a great deal of miscommunication and misunderstanding, and the audience gets to see both sides of the story.  One of the funniest plays I've seen, with a creepy element underlying the humour, you are able to see how easy it is for digital conversations to lead to disaster.  Definitely worth an hour of your time.

Love 2.0 is touring Scotland for most of March.

Shaun The Sheep Movie

Yes, we were the only people there without children in tow to provide us with a cover story, and yes, the girl at the till did struggle not to laugh openly.  But so what?  We were there to have a laugh, and that's what we got.

I've loved previous Aardman feature films like The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Chicken Run.  Not just for the humour and imagination in story itself, but for the underlying depth of wit that has little throwaway visual and verbal gags scattered throughout.  There are so many references to classic film scenes and other icons from the past that the experience is totally wasted on children, and turn these into movies that repay a second watch to catch all the gratuitous jokes you missed first time around.

Shaun first came to us in the Wallace and Gromit classic short, A Close Shave, and I believe, although I've never seen it, that he's been the star of his own kids' programme.  So perhaps it should be no surprise to find that this feature film lacks the rich underlying layer of whimsy I mentioned earlier.  And there is nothing in the way of verbal comedy as there's no real dialogue.  Which isn't to say it wasn't fun, and there were more than enough laugh out loud moments, the cleverness of the gags remains, the animation is to the usual high standard, and I have no regrets about going.  There are a few moments which poke fun at some of the dafter aspects of our society, such as 'celebrity culture', but for the most part this is just straightforward slapstick.

If you do plan on seeing Shaun you'll have a good old laugh, but it's best not to expect another Chicken Run

Kris Drever and The Theory of Everything

THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO DISPLAY GENIUS

To avoid any possible confusion, Mr Drever hasn't resolved the great conundrum of the universe.  Not quite yet.  No, this post contains two reviews for the price of one. The Orcadian musician on his first solo tour in many years. And the story of Stephen Hawking, as portrayed by Eddie Redmayne.

KRIS DREVER

If you're not a folkie you may not have come cross Kris Drever.  If you are then you'll already know what a star the man is.  I might as well be honest here, Kris has been one of my favourite musicians since first discovering him almost ten years ago, and I write this as an unashamed and totally enthusiastic fan.  The venue was the flat in Edinburgh we go to regularly for House Concerts (and which will be sure to feature prominently in future posts) and there was nothing going to keep me away from seeing one of my heroes perform in such an intimate setting.  (Not even a crucial hockey match at Murrayfield!)

Over the years I've seen Kris play a role in many line ups.  Most frequently as one third of the incredible Lau, but also in duos, trios and as a leading light in the folk supergroup Drever, McCusker, Woomble.  He has produced many fine recordings including two great solo albums, but this was the only chance we've had, since our first sighting of the man, to see him perform by himself.  He did not disappoint.

A mix of the familiar and the new.  There were traditional ballads, a selection of songs from his own CDs, one from his Lau persona, and several that he is trying out on this tour before they appear on his next solo album.  All delivered with humour, imaginatively phrased vocals and inventive guitar accompaniment.  The new album should be a cracker and I'm looking forward to hearing his recording of Capernum, a cheery number dealing with Edinburgh's dark side.  I also loved the lyrics of a piece he'd only just written, marking a particularly unproductive day at home - sounded like the soundtrack to my life....

I could, just about, understand that Kris' voice might not be to everyone's taste.  There is a nasal quality some might dislike.  For me it's utterly distinctive and totally disarming, and I'm sure he could sing the telephone directory and make it entertaining.  Ok, I'm biased.  What a great evening.

Here's Mr D doing what he does best.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

A biopic of Stephen Hawking, starting shortly before his being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and telling how he, and his wife, dealt with that adversity and produced one of the most brilliant minds the world has seen.  I can't vouch for the authenticity of the portrayal, but the physicist himself has said that it was like watching himself at times and he was moved by the experience.

While the film has it's share of 'Hollywood' moments, to improve the dramatic flow, it is largely understated and this allows the performances to shine through.  Eddie Redmayne is superb as Hawking (and well worth his Oscar for the role), giving genius a human exposition and showing personal flaws as well as the man's incredible will to succeed in his chosen field.   There's plenty humour too, with the physicist shown to have his cheeky side, something that he has allowed his voice synthesiser to aid rather than hinder.

Definitely one to see.