Aidan Goatley, The 12 Films of Christmas, Dock Street Studios, Dundee

 Up to Dundee to see the ever reliable Mr Goatley.  With a similar format to his popular 10 Films With My Dad, this show takes us through his top twelve xmas (related) films.  But first, being the friendly chap he is, Goatley gave us an update on his life.  He's recently moved from Brighton to... Middlesbrough.  Suffice to say it's a change to a different world, but one which provides a seemingly unending fund of funny stories.

Goatley lays down the three rules of 'what makes a xmas film,, the most important one being that it invoked the 'spirit of xmas'.  So his selection extends beyond movies set at the end of the year, to embrace some that are traditionally associated with xmas screenings on UK TV.  And which trigger stories from his past.

It's all very entertaining, he gets a bit of audience interaction going, and who could argue with It's a Wonderful Life as his number one choice?  Good fun, occasionally confounding expectations, but always warm and inclusive.  And anti Tory as an added bonus.  Good stuff.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Atkinson, Southport

 An adaptation of Stevenson's classic from Blackeyed Theatre, sticking quite closely to the original storyline.  The tale is too well known to need much repeating here, with obsessive research doctor Jekyll choosing to experiment on himself with the drugs he hopes will unlock the secrets of the human personality, but only succeeded in unleashing his own inner amoral monster, Edward Hyde.

There was a clever, versatile set, apparently constructed from old furniture, providing an adaptable, but very Victorian, slightly seedy, setting.  The atmosphere of Victorian London came across well.

Links between scenes were frequently provided by narration from Zach Lee, a useful device to move on the narrative, but which became itrritating due to the insistence on giving every significant date in full.  A bit more variety in giving indiocation of timescales would have been better ("six weeks had passed...").  And the musical accompaniment could be overly intrusive, with some critical lines drowned out.  These felt like basic errors in script and staging.  

Despite these annoyances this was an enjoyable production, without threatening to break any new ground.  Blake Kubena was a strong Jekyll/Hyde, mixing ambition, desperation and arrogance, but giving his two sodes clear physical delineation.  He managed the transition scenes well.  Lee played his lawyer, and few minot roles, while Ashley Sean-Cook took on the role of best friend to Jekyll, and another slew of lesser characters.  Bit did a decent enough job, without shining.  The final member of the quarter, Paige Round, had the most work to do, with multiple characters and costume changes, and emerged as the strongest of the group, an excellent performance.

A decent night out, but not something I could recommend you rush to see.

Henry Normal - The Escape Room, Liverpool Philharmonic

 A small smiling man in cardigan and glasses walks on to the stage to huge applause and a sense of anticipation.  This is a poetry show, but not in the least highbrow.  Normal's verses are short, funny, poignant, thought provoking.  Plus he has a deep well of stories to draw on from his time as a TV writer and producer.  His tales of the antics of Caroline Aherne as Mrs Merton were a powerful reminder of what a talent she was.  He also talks touchingly of his wife and son, and the humour in their lives, and his own working class upbringing in Nottingham.

The poems are smart, witty, revealing an oblique look at aspects of everyday life.  Lots of clever rhymes, alongside groan inducing puns, and moving images.  All interspersed with much laughter.   Wonderfully original, although many of his his references are probably more meaningful to a more mature audience.  (But since Henry is the same age as myself this wasn't a problem for me at all.)

And I'll always remember that nobody talks about haemorrhoids in Hollywood.

Fortunately... With Fi and Jane

 The conversation was led by a young woman whose name remained a mystery.  Fi and Jane were interesting and funny - no doubt, for I was unable to hear most of it.  Oh well.

Andrew Maxwell - Reality, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Lateral flow tests on the door, meaning they felt comfortable abandoning social distancing inside.  Not sure everyone felt that way...

Yet there was also some joy in being part of a packed out audience once again.  It was clearly even more of a joy for Maxwell, who came on and spent the first minute rejoicing in a situation he'd felt he might never see again!

The past eighteen months of pandemic world provided the bulk of his material, and his sharp and slanted observations gave a fresh take on an already well worn subject.  Maxwell remains as funny and twisted as ever, and was a pleasure to watch.  

Sona Jobarteh, Edinburgh Academy Junior Scholl, Edinburgh International Festival

 An even larger 'polytunnel' for this performance, but just as well organised and socially distanced as the one at Old College, and a fine place to watch live music.  

A four piece band to back up virtuoso kora player Jobarteh, on drums, electric bass, guitar and percussion.  The latter played by one of the world's happiest and most engaging musicians!  West African rhythms, some excellent solos, notably from the guitarist, and Sona's soothing vocals, with a mix of tempos from ethereal to rousing. and with encouragement from the stage for the audience to clap along, and even join in the singing (phonetically of course!).  

The band were joined by Jobarteh's fourteen year old son, already well steeped in the traditions of Gambian music history, and a considerable talent in his own right.  His lead solo playing a kind of wooden xylophone was extremely impressive.

A refreshingly different and inspiring gig, which left the audience buzzing.

Leah MacRae : My Big Fat Fabulous Diary, Multistory, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 As if the castle backdrop and sparkling sunshine weren't enough, here's MacRae bursting on to the stage to a bit of raucous pop, resplendent in tight fitting pink tartan suit and big grin.  While the framework of the show is hung around entries from her childhood 'diary', that structure is simply a vehicle for her big personality.  Stories, jokes and songs, interacting with the audience, being herself.  It's very funny at times, and, not having heard her before, her singing voice is a big and very pleasant surprise.  A fun and resolutely silly way to spend an hour.

Drever, McCusker, Woomble, Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 The trio reunited, and accompanied by McCuskers Irish cousin on harmonium, fiddle and vocals.  They looked delighted to be back together, back in front of a live audience, and joked about their lack of practice time.  You wouldn't have known...

They mostly stuck to weel kent material from their magnificent album Before The Ruin, but each had a chance to perform some of their own solo work too.  Drever on his own sang a couple of songs from his own recent albums, McCusker played a few tunes with his cousin, and Drever joined them to add his accompaniment, while Woomble sang a song from his first solo album.

Great music, plenty of laughs, lots of self deprecating humour.  McCusker is a good storyteller, Woomble laid back, Drever sharp.  A wonderful gig.

Fara, Old College Quad, Edinburgh International Festival

 Back to the giant poly tunnel and slick organisation of the EIF.  Fara are three Orcadian fiddlers with a West of Scotland keyboard player, playing mostly their own compositions.  Their joy at being in front of a live audience again was clear the moment they came on stage and that exuberance continued into the music.  There were plenty of quieter moments, but it was the fast rousing stuff that brought everyone together, with clever arrangements and the virtuosity spread across the band.  Add in Jeanna Leslie's lilting vocals, and harmonies from the sweetness of Catriona Price and instinctive musicality of Kristen Harvey, and the songs were always a pleasure.  Pianist Rory matheson had his moment too, when the others walked off stage and left him to play a gorgeously soft Gaelic melody.

Rousing tunes to end the night brought the audience to their feet and wide grins all round.  Wonderful.

Viva Your Vulva, Walking Tour, Edinburgh Fringe

 An hour and more on the streets of the Old Town in the company of comedian, physio and fanny guru Elaine Miller, aka Gusset Grippers.  Combining her wealth of knowledge about the female anatomy, with her evangelism for pelvic health and natural comedy ability.  It qualifies as a module for some medical qualifications, so the content is evidence based and graphically factual, but never heavy handed.  How could it be when the final stops include Elaine donning an apron to which she gradually sticks on the parts forming the human vulva, including a generous helping of minge fringe.  It certainly gets looks from passers-by.  

Fortunately the weather was kind on the night we went, although sometimes traffic, and noisy tourists, made it hard to hear her words, so her choice of stopping points isn't always perfect.  But environment apart this is a show that's both educational and entertaining, indeed hilarious at times, and worth anyone's time.

The Afternoon Show, Infirmary Street & High School Yards, BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals

 Back to the BBC gazebo, for a live two hour show hosted by Nicola Meighan.  Jay Lafferty was again the warm up act.  And turned out to be the highlight of the afternoon...

Meighan is very professional and competent, but lacking the sparkle and wit that makes you feel you're in safe hands. The list of guests did little to add to the proceedings, despite the Fringe bringing so much talent to the city at the moment.  A couple of what were effectively tribute acts to Dolly Parton and Frank Sinatra; and electronic music composer who had decided to leave the only recording of his latest work buried in a hole in Orkney; actor turned stand-up Joe Thomas (the only one in the line up I was familiar with) being surprisingly inarticulate; and Gary Clark on music he's written for an upcoming TV series.  The star turn turned out to be Sacred Paws, a young Glasgow-based rock band who performed a couple of good rowdy numbers, and were also the most interesting interviewees.

Old people's radio...

Breaking the News, Infirmary Street & High School Yards, BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals

 This year the BBC have decamped from heriots and moved to a much smaller location in the grounds of a university building at the foot of Infirmary Street.  There is a covered area, under a big, clear plastic, gazebo, with socially distanced seating and waiting service from the bar/cafe.  Plus a few picnic benches to the side, uncovered, and viewing the big screen rather than the stage.  It felt very safe and generally well organised, and appropriate to where we are now.

Audience warm up was provided by local stand-up Jay Lafferty, who did an excellent job of interacting with her chosen targets and telling some entertaining stories.  And she didn't forget to deliver her bit of admin, explaining what was expected of the audience during the show.

Out came host Des Clarke to announce his guests, and what a great line up of Scottish comedy talent he had for this show.  Stuart Mitchell, Elaine Malcolmson, Farmer Jim Smith, and Janey Godley.  Des introduces topical stories from the previous week, in a variety of formats, and invites the panellists to identify the story and give their take on events.  Stories covered included the lifting of the majority of covid regulations in the country, the UN report of climate change and the impending COP26, and the reopening of highland bothies.  Plus views on how this year's much reduced fringe was working out.  

Almost two hours passed before the end was declared, and I was left wondering if enough of the  material recorded would be clean enough for a twenty eight minute radio show!  One recurring theme was shagging Daphne Broon in various bothies, and that certainly wouldn't be making it out for wider consumption!  

Whatever the end product sounds like, the live show is much, much funnier, and all the panellists were excellent.  Especially Smith whose dry countryside take on the world was always unusual and hilarious.  BtN doesn't always have such a stellar group of guests, but the format guarantees plenty of laughs and it's well worth getting along to a recording if the opportunity arises. 

The Jellyman's Daughter, Assembly George Square Gardens, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Outdoors, uncovered, open to the elements.  Not so much the musicians, who, with all their electrical gear, have rudimentary cover over the stage, but the unprotected audience.  The weather leading up to the gig was concerning, with frequent showers.  We walked in the screened off area to see staff frantically wielding big blue rolls of paper towel, wiping away at drip-laden seats and tables.  Fortunately the showers stayed away for the duration, allowing proper enjoyment of an excellent act.

Duo Emily and Graham were again accompanied by banjoist Jamie Francis, playing a mix of  fasmiliar material and some songs which will be on their next album.  The joy at having a live audience to perform to was immediately apparent - as was their rustiness in talking to one!  But they soon settled into the routine and the singing and musicianship were still as good as ever. It sounds as Emily's voice may have improved over the last year.  And Graham's imaginiative cello accompaniment and solos still surprise and delight.

Great to see them back in action, and not get wet in the process.

Don't Crap in Your Onesie Matilda, The Counting House, Free Fringe

 An indoor gig for a change.  Which felt odd at least to begin with.  Queued up outside, walked in socially distanced column, masked, up to the room, to find the capacity not much reduced from normal despite some efforts to introduce social distancing.  There were bubbles of two and four seats, but with rows not really spaced out much, and the gaps between bubbles little more than a chair width, the claim that this was a socially distanced event was more in name than reality.  And when the door was closed...

Fortunately once the show was underway the laughter helped dispel the discomfort.  Ben Harrington refelcted on the trials of becoming a middle aged family man.  Nothing disastrous, life threatening or tragic.  Just the minor irritations of getting older, having kids, trying to live lie a proper adult.  And he has a good fund of stories, and punchlines, to take us through the forty five minutes.  Amiable, unthreatening, unchalenging humour, but sometimes that's perfect.  I enjoyed his tales of camping with children, the embarrassments provided by a big inflatable crocodile, and how his body is now playing unexpected tricks on him.  And yes, the title does feature and makes sense within the context, so that was a bonus, eh?

Talisk, Old College Quad, Edinburgh International Festival

 As with the Fringe, the International Festival has found it's way into different venues this year, using fresh air and social distancing to keep everyone safe, and feeling safe.  The centre of the Old College Quad, usually clad in billiard table lawn, has been boarded over, a high stage erected at one end, the the whole covered by, as Mr Amini put it, a giant polytunnel.  It might perhaps have little more elegance than that description suggests, but with side opening open it was fresh and dry, and with seats arranged in bubbles, it was a comfortable experience for the audience.  With enough of us in there to make the noise that the band deserved.

Talisk.  Hayley Keenan on fiddle, Graeme Armstrong on guitar and stomp, and the hyperactive energy mine that is Mohsen Amini on concertina.  Their backgrounds are in the Scottish folk scene, but their music is totally contemporary, and largely self penned.  And they knew exactly what everyone wanted - live music, and a chance to clap, sing and whoop along for that sense of shared energy and involvement we've all missed so much.  Talisk deliver.

There are plenty of memorable melodies, but it's the orchestration that impresses most, such a strong sound from just three instruments (with Armstrong adding occasional vocals, and plenty of percussion from the wired up board under his left foot), played with virtuosity and joy.  Mohsen talks fast between numbers, or not at all, so it's almost all music.  A few times he says they're going to slow things down a bit.  And they do.  For a few minutes, but soon the tempo picks up, Armstrong's boot is pounding down, and the audience are clapping and whooping again.  It's glorious stuff, and Talisk remain one of the finest and most grin-inducing bands around.  Long may they continue.

Oh, and did I mention the energy?

Fred MacAulay and Friends, Multistory, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Multistory.  The name just oozes the glamour of showbiz, eh?  But what else do you call the space atop an NCP with a stage loosely protected form the weather by plastic sheeting, and an audience only protected by whatever they'd thought to bring along with them.  Welcome to Fringe 2021.  To be fair, the backdrop is pretty spectacular, with the castle rock towering in the background, topped by impenetrable walls.  And you can go downstairs on to the first level for a drink and a bit to eat.  It's not entirely bleak - they've put a bit of bunting out.

We were lucky.  The earlier rain held off for the duration and the temperature didn't fall toooo far while we were sat there.  And we got a decent show to watch, with plenty laughs, and that's definitely warming after so many many moths without live stand up.

Host Fred MacAulay is a fringe veteran and has an easy charm to his persona.  A few pandemic jokes, a bit of banter with the audience, and we were off.  First guest on was Esther Manito, who had some good lines about the joys of parenting in lockdown, how tired she was of Zoom, why she ended up with glitter on her pudenda when she went for a smear test.  (It should have been Fabreze...).  She was followed by Eshaan Akbhar had his own twists on racism, why he wasn't the fat Romesh Ranganathan, and the strangeness of Asian porn.  Very funny.

Home grown talent to close the show, Glasgow comedian and radio host Des Clarke.  Explaining why Scots are like nobody else in the world, and relating his embarrassing moment carrying the torch for the 2012 Olympics, Des brought a quickfire energy that the others lacked,and rounded off the show well.  

Macaulay has a rotating list of guests on for several nights, so your experience may vary.  As it certainly will if it's raining...  But this feels like a very 2021 show.  Everyone's glad to be back, even if the circumstances are a bit makeshift, and we all just want to enjoy ourselves again.  Don't go expecting anything groundbreaking, but this is a show that will always fit comfortably, like an old cardi.  

Limbo

 LIMBO  

Bleak.  The windswept, featureless remoteness of the unnamed Scottish island that provides a slow, unrelenting, and sometimes beautiful, backdrop.  The lives of the central protagonists, a group of refugees seeking asylum in the UK from war, hunger, discrimination, reduced to waiting and waiting for news which might move their cases forward, knowing that it can take years.  The attitudes of many of the locals, lacking empathy and viewing the arrivals with suspicion.  All bleak.

But not the film itself, which is frequently funny and compassionate, despite the darkness of the subject.  The opening scene sets the tone for the ridiculous, Kafkaesque, scenario these men are trapped in.  Helga (the wonderful Sidse Babett Knudsen) demonstrates her version of a sexy dance, and interacts with sidekick Boris (Kenneth Collard) who shows how not to behave towards women in a nightclub.  This is part of the cultural instruction lectures being provided.  It's funny in itself, but even more so when contrasted with the audience it's aimed at, a group of bewildered refugees who are as likely to find themselves in a nightclub as one of their number has of realising hid dream to play for Chelsea.  

The film follows the life of Omar (Amir El-Masry), and Oud player from Syria, and his housemates (from Afghanistan, Sudan and Ghana) in the isolated tatty house that has become their home, while they await the mill of bureaucracy to grind through their requests to stay in the UK.  There is little to do but watch pirate DVDs of Friends, trek to the lonely phone box to call home, and willing the postman to bring some news that would take out of the uncertainty that boxes them in.  And to hope that when the police suddenly swoop it isn't for them.

Omar worries about his parents, living in poverty in Istanbul, and his brother who has stayed in Syria to fight.  He worries if he can still play his Oud, which a plaster on his arm has prevented ever since he escaped his homeland.  He never smiles, for what is there to smile about?  There is only time, going by so slowly, and absurd, alienating encounters.  The filming reflects the desolate nature of this existence, long shots of roads to nowhere, distant horizons that can't be reached.  Little humorous touches, like the stolen chicken named after Freddie Mercury.  And the simple of humanity of these desperate individuals, stripped of dignity but supportive of one another, harbouring their own big and small and ambitions, and clinging on to hope.

With so many politicians and the media constantly dehumanising people who find themselves in this position, this movie is a powerful reminder that they are all human beings just like us, and reminds us of the importance of empathy.  Highly recommended.  

Sandy Tweeddale Band (with Lyndon Anderson), Roxy Assembly, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 My first live music gig in over sixteen months.  Will the excitement of that milestone compromise my ability to write an objective review?  Yup, it certainly will, and I make no apology for that.  This was a homecoming, and emotions matter more than mere facts.  I think the musicians would agree with that sentiment, for they were clearly overjoyed to be in front of real clapping, cheering, foot-tapping people once again.

Tweeddale is one of the country's best known, and most respected, blues guitarists, making him an ideal man to be the first on stage act of the resurrected EJBF 2021.  He was backed by the drums, bass (upright and electric) and keyboards of Willie Mollison, Chris Agnew and Ali Petrie [with apologies to all or any of them whose name I've got wrong, but I've haven't been able to check that I heard them correctly), and joined, after the first number, by Geordie harmonicist and singer Lyndon Anderson.  

The tone, once the welcoming noise abated, was set by an audience member shouting out "Do you remember what to do?".  The opener provided an emphatic Yes.  A solid professional band who love the blues and play it with passion and affection.  Sandy has a good strong voice, not the most immediately recognisable perhaps, but one you feel immediately comfortable with.  His guitar work is excellent, on his many solos which show plenty of flair, and the intuitive support he provides for others.  Anderson took lead vocals on a couple of numbers and it would have been good to hear a bit more.  A special mention to Petrie who had some wonderful solos and looked on the verge of bursting with joy at being there.

Mostly they stuck to blues classics, but with a few of Tweeddale's own songs mixed in.  Half way through the quintet became duo, and Sandy and Lyndon did a couple of unplugged numbers, including one the former wrote during lockdown called "Ain't Goin' Out No More" - a feeling most of us have had at one time or another in the past year.  But the quieter numbers were few and the set got louder and rockier as time went on.  The show blurb said there would be no more than sixty minutes.  Fortunately Sandy's not too good with those sort of numbers so the encore took us about twenty minutes past that!   

This was a socially distanced audience of course, with around fifty people in a space that could easily hold three or four hundred, so the atmosphere wasn't quite what it would once have been.  But what a difference to be in the same room as the musicians, to have the volume up high, the clarity of  the notes, and be able to focus on the individual musicians you want to watch, not what the director dictates.  

It's good to be back.

Supernova

 A supernova is a star that has died, exploding brightly as it expired, and spread it's molecules across the universe.  Astronomy, and the light beyond our own world, play a big metaphorical role in Harry McQueen's exploration of confronting mortality, as well as adding visual sparkle.

Pianist Sam (Colin Firth),  writer Tusker (Stanley Tucci) and dog Ruby are on a road trip, the end point to be Sam's first live gig in a long time.  Their venerable camper van heads north toward the Lake District, and the couple's bickering, joking and shared memories quickly take us into a decades old relationship of warmth and mutual support.  They revisit an old lakeside haunt from their earliest days together, spend a night parked up outside a rural Spar supermarket.  It feels casual, relaxed, even if Sam seems to fuss a bit.

But when Tusker isn't where he's supposed to be Sam's fussing turns to panic.  His swift pursuit finds the other man, and Ruby, up a country lane where they've almost been hit by a car.  Tusker is in the early stages of dementia, and wandering off like this is becoming a concern for Sam.  His fussing and panic have solid ground to stand on.

They stay with Sam's sister and family where, to his surprise, Tusker has organised a reunion for all their closest friends.  He has given this trip more thought, more long term planning, than Sam had realised.  The reasons become clearer when Sam discovers the secret Tusker has been keeping from him, exploding into their relationship.

Selflessness, selfishness, love and fear are jumbled together until it's hard to tell one from another.  When does caring become over-caring?   Can you control the memories you leave behind?  Is love keeping hold or letting go?  How do we deal with mortality when it starts to run towards us?  The film raises many questions, offers no answers.  But why should it, when they will differ for everyone?

With a subject that could easily fall into sentimentality, both script and performances largely avoid that trap to give us an honest portrayal of the joy and messiness and uncertainty of human relationships.   Firth and Tucci are a delight to watch at their craft, the Englishman taking the greater plaudits for his cautious stoicism diving in to a full blown cocktail of conflicting emotions.  The cinematography is wonderful too, the Lake District never looked better.   Wide angles capture the space they move through, tight in close ups bring intensity, anxiety and involvement to the sensitive exchanges.  This draws the audience into some sad, touching and compelling moments, without feeling emotionally manipulative.  This film seeks out your humanity, not your tears, a proper antidote to Hollywoodism.

A final word of praise for the opening sequence, a simple audiovisual treat of light and piano which sets the scene beautifully.

Recommended.

Footnote : They're a gay couple.  So what?  It's good to see a gay relationship feature in a story where their sexuality is totally irrelevant, and the story would work just as well if they were straight.