Small Things Like These

Based on the book by Claire Keegan, the setting is the small Irish town of New Ross in 1985. The title sequence immediately gives us the theme of the story - a rotating skyline of the town, dominated by one point, the local church.

Bill Furlong (Cilliam Murphy) runs a coal merchants, drive the lorry round the town to make deliveries, before returning to his wife and five daughters.  He's a well known, well respected member of the community, treats his staff well, although his wife reckons he's a bit "too soft".  One morning he goes to make his delivery at the convent and finds, locked in the coal shed, a terrified young woman, begging him to take her with him.  He takes her in to the sisters, who fuss over and take her quickly away, then leaves.  But her fear remains in his mind.

Furlong has to decide.  Between the safety of acquiesence, as advocated by his wife (and given added persuasion by the Mother Superior).  Or the risk of becoming a social pariah, if he follows his conscience.  More information about the convent becomes obvious.  It is one of the infamous 'Magdalen Laundaries', where young women, pregnant and unmarried, are used as slave labout before thier babies are sold to childless families.  A practice that continued well into the nineties.  

These are the kind of nuns that give penguins a bad name.  This a society still in the grip of the church, which nefoces social convention and dictates who is unacceptable within the town.  The tension, the sense of oppression, is well conveyed, even as the town celebrates Christmas.  Murphy is excellent as the quiet man wrestling with the biggest decision he has ever faced, knowing that if he does the 'right thing' it will go badly for him and his family.  Knowing that standing up to this kind of evil has consequences well beyond himself.

It might be set in the past, but it feels so recent, with TV programmes and cars that many of us can still easily recall.  It is still very relevant, for that kind of oppression has many forms, and the fascist verion is looming over us so much nowadays.  A poerful reminder of the need to stand up to evil.

Rachel Walker and Aaron Jones, Traverse

Very professional.  Two good voices, two good musicians.  She the purer of tone, on keyboards, he with the more distinctive sound, on guitar and mandola.  A set of songs from their new album, and a couple from their last one.   Mostly slow paced ballads, in a mix of Gaelic and English (she’s from the Gaeltacht, he from the north of Ireland), almst all telling sad tales.  They can both relate a story too.

But.  While enjoyable enough, as a show it lacked variety of pace and tempo, lacked laughs, lacked any Wow moments.  Pleasant, gentle, mildly entertaining.  And ever so slightly soporific.

But full marks for ending with the beauty of The Broom o’the Cowdenknowes...

Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth, Traverse

 This had everything I could want from a gig.  Virtuoso performances, wonderful tunes and songs, and madcap humour.  

Pound is a harmonica genius, and not far behind that on the melodeon. Butterworth is the consummate accompanist, on guitar and stomp, as well as being a quality vocalist. It was a set of variety. Trad material in the main, but not as you'v eheard it before. New tunes, mixtures of fast, slow, and more fast.  Tunes from England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, Spain…  Improvisations that made you wonder how many different variations on a simple melody line could there possibly be? Plus songs from Jenn’s upcoming solo album, with sympathetic backing, and solos, from harmonica.

And very funny, very unpredictable, and solidly on the left of politics.  What’s not to like?

Detained (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 Yemi (Titana Muthui) has been detained in a detention centre for refugees and asylum seekers.  Bea (Laura Lovemore), , her best friend eventually visits.And what’s the big difference between them?  A UK passport.

The threat of deportation hangs over Yemi, and months will pass as her solicitor works to get her free.  And, more importantly, prevent her being sent back to South Africa where a far worse fate awaits her. But Bea is a narcissist, and insists on relating her trivial probllsms, what she perceives to be her 'suffering', than to listen to her friend. And it takes further trauma for Yemi before she realises just how serious the situation is.

It's a low key script, with not a lot happening, a reflection of the tedium of incarceration. There are few laughs, mostly low level embarrassment for Bea's lack of self awareness. Muthui is convincingly despairing, but Lovemore took time to warm up, and looked a bit lost in the opening 20 minutes.

That tedium has it's uses though, bringing home the pojt of the asylum system. Dehumanising, threatening, boring, and designed to keep inmates (who may have done nothing wrong) in a constant state of anxiety. And, with Yemi’s case, a reminder that everyone who migrates has their own individual reasons, sometimes from circumstances that may be hard to explain.  They can put their own loved ones at risk if they divulge too much.

Not a sparkling addition to the PPP canon, and it’s a subject that really needs much more than 50 minutes, but it provides a decent stab at raising awareness of how terribly the UK behaves towards people seeking a new start in life, and how little understanding of their plight there really is.

The Manfreds, Queens Hall

We saw The Manfreds in Musselburgh about two years ago, and not much has changed since I wrote that review, which you can read here.  

The same line up of msicians, including Jones and McGuiness from the original 60s Manfred Mann line up.  Much the same set list as well, which meant mostly numbers dating back to those sixties days, plus a few blues outriders.  A Ben E King number included a memorable flute solo from Simon Curry, and channeling Howlin' Wolf brought out the best of Paul Jones's harmonica abilities.  There was the odd solo from each member of the sextet as well, notably from Marcus Cliff.

The set also included some material from McGuiness' late band, McGuiness Flint, and it was one of those, When I'm Dead and Gone, that really brought the audience to life and from then on they joined in with everything.  Those old Mann hits were certainly catchy!

Paul Jones' voice is in it's declining years, and can sound strained and a bit off key at times.  But he remains a charismatic front man, with great phrasing and that wonderful blues harmonica in his repertoire.  McGuiness remains as good a guitarist as ever - understated, sparse, but capable of sudden surprise and runs.

Yes, this is an act trading on nostalgia, and playing to a audience of (moslty) pensioners.  But they still have the musical chops and sheer enjoyment needed to create a good night of music.

The Outrun

I always dread seeing a film version of book I loved, but having heard Liptrot speak about it beforehand reassured me. That the character is Rona, not Amy, and is based on , but is not quite, her.  That cinematic necessity meant rewriting parts of her life, but to a positive end.

Rona (Saoirse Ronan) grew up on Orkney, with a wildly bipolar father and a mother who could barely cope.  When the chance arises, Rona escapes to London, where a promising career lies ahead.  As does a social life, and the discovery that she has an addictive personality.  The descent into alcoholism destroys career, relationships and health.  She begins her recovery, but needs to get away, and finds herself back on Orkney.

Where she battles through her recovery, with help, and conflict, and a brief relapse, and the power of nature.  She must still contend with her ever-variable father, and her mother who has not just found a god, but has become the happy-clappiest of christians.  But mostly she has to contend with the wild landscape and weather, and, strongest of all, her inner conflicts.

Like Rona’s mind, the film skips about, between present, childhood, and the London days, of addiction and realisation.  This highlightsthe contrasts between the bleak existence she led as an addict, and bleak existence the land forces upon her.  And it’s the latter which wins out, and heals.

A memorable performance from Ronan, vulnerable, scared, wild and unpredictable.  

Fairground Attraction, Usher Hall

The concert opened with support act Scott Matthews, a solo singer/songwriter.  He has an exciting voice with a wide range, and some interesting arrangements and instrumentation.  Several songs had intriguing lyrics, but lacked any real melodic identity.  Enjoyable enough at the time, but unmemorable.

Fairground Attraction featured the original 4 members of the band, plus Roger Beaujolais on glockenspiel and Graham Henderson on (mostly) piano accordion. The opening line, from guitarist Mark Nevin, was  “We are not a tribute band”!

Their set featured a mix of newer material and spme familiar classics from their 80s heyday. But the old stuff still sounded fresh too.  Partly through new arrangements, but mostly because Eddi Reader’s vocal technique has advanced greatly over the decades, with jazz and folk sensibilities developing her pop instincts.  Her scat singing, and Edith Piaf impression, were highlights.  

A wonderful mix, decent enough musicianship, catchy tunes, and that soaring voice. It was well worth them getting together again.

Note to self - avoid gigs at the Usher Hall when possible, at least for this kind of event.  The audience were not the musically literate kind we are used to, and too many behaved as if they hadn’t been allowed out for years, and nobody else mattered but them.  Talking during songs, leaving and returning during songs, blocking others view, clapping off the beat, singing off key.  So irritating…

Lost Girls/At Bus Stops (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

Jess and Iona, out for a good time in a bustling Fringe-laden Edinburgh.  Friends for a long time, almost but not quite lovers for just as long.  A love letter to the city, through closes the arteries, up and down hills.  Fringe venues, bars, clubs.  And bus stops.

It’s a  lively script, jumping around through the night, through the places,through histories, between two povs.  A few extra characters thrown in.  A will they, won’t they love story.

Except… we know they will.  Despite the jumping around, and the implications of uncertainty, the ending is always well telegraphed.  And that makes it feel like a long and at times unnecessary journey.  There are a few laughs, even a hint of sadness, anger, but it’s all too predictable despite those elements.

A shouty Catriona Faint plays Jess - more aggressive, wilder, likely to cause trouble (as wit a bouncer)

Leyla Aycan’s Iona is  quieter, more introspective, but loves the contrast between them.

But upsetting to an Edinburgh audience to have someone who is supposed to be so familiar with the city pronouncing Cowgate like an English tourist!

Anna / Anastasia (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 Anna (Kirsty McDuff) has been rescued after jumping off a bridge in 1920s Berlin.  Franz (Chris Forbes), a police detective, has the job of finding out who she really is.  But what is he to make of her claim to be the last surviving member of the Romanovs, the despotic rulers of Russia before the revolution?

Anna - or the Princess Anastasia? - will come back into his life over the years,always with a story to tell.  Are her stories true>  And does it really matter (except to a policeman…)

McDuff plays the younger Anna as a manic child, who softens her edges, but never loses her edge, over the decades.  Forbes plays the straight man for the most part, but has some wonderful comic moments when playing the entire Romanov family, and their firing squad, as the executions took place.  And Franz learns something of life from the intriguing Anna.

While there are plenty of laughs, and moments of real pathos, the story does build towards a more serious point of reflection.  We are who we present ourselves to the world as.  Sometimes that can be to hide from the hurt of our past, or maybe it’s just to be who we prefer to be, or to not succumb to society’s image of the ageing process.  We all need to tell stories.  Anna (or Anastasia) is an extreme example (and based on the real story of Anna Anderson), but Franz also learns that he can be more than he seems, if that’s who he wants to become.  We all can. 

An excellent demonstration of just how much power a fifty minute comedy drama can exert.

Lulo Reinhardt and Yuliya Lonskaya - Gypsy Meets Classic , Traverse

 Billed as Gypsy Jazz (Reinhardt) meets Classical (Lonskaya), the evening gave us 2 guitars and 2 vocalists (with a little bit of unusual percussion!), and a mix of instrumentals and ballads from all around the globe. Songs from Mongolia  India, Argentina Brazil, Eastern Europe, North Africa.  Songs in at least 7 languages. There might not be much gypsy jazz involved, but the melting pot of material throws up some fascinating contrasts, and a hugely varied set list.

Her classical training is obvious.  In the way she sits, holds her instrument, in the precision and discipline of her playing.  While he improvises, adding and taking notes in as he goes.  The rhythm and melodic responsibilities swap back and forth, sometimes several times a tune.  There is drama, and emotion.  His voice is passable, hers a beautiful instrument, that bring love and drama out, even though the words are alien to the listener.

At times they may overindulge their mutual passions, make things overly intricate.  But then the natural musicality and understanding always returns and brings surprises and delights. They do talk between numbers, and provide interesting background to the music.  Neither feels like a natural raconteur - but English is not their first language!!

A delightful mix of styles and genres, with often astonishing musicality and a glorious singing voice.

The Wolves at the Door (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 It’s early 2023 and the cost of living crisis is biting hard.  Daniel (Ciaran Stewart) lives in a grubby flat, kips in a sleeping bag on the couch, and tries to keep his head above the turbulent waters. Mostly for the sake of Belle, his 7 year old, who lives with her mum most of the time. 

While he’s out the flat is broken into by Malc (Ben Ewing) and Susanne (Beth Marshall), who quickly reveal themselves to be, not burglars (because what is there to steal?), but a debt collector and electrical engineer respectively.  They’ve come because Daniel owes a four figure debt to the power company.  Malc just wants to get on with it, but Susanne, new to the job, thinks that maybe they’re being unnecessarily harsh.  And when Daniel comes home to find them in his flat, trouble breaks out.

Set against the metaphor of the 3 Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, the script looks to portray just how hard life, and the System, is for people having to live on the margins.  The script is more hammer than scalpel, but it gets the point over clearly.  And, unfortunately, what’s not exactly the greatest dialogue ever written is not helped by some weakness in the performances.  Marshall stands out as the one who really delivers, and Susanne is the most believable of the trio, filled with a confusing mix of compassion, guilt, and her own needs.  Stewart is rarely credible, despite having the most emotional meat to work with.  While Ewing spans the middle ground, certainly coming over as unlikeable, but not quite credible as the hard man.

It’s a bleak subject, and there are a few decent laughs to relieve the gloom, but overall this was one of the weaker additions to the PPP canon.

The Last Cabaret on Earth (A Play, a Pie and a PInt), Traverse

Sam is a cabaret performer, now stuck, for his final hours, in an airport hotel, a long way from the love of his life.  There are others there too, so he puts on a show, for what else is there to do?  As frequent announcements make clear, the sun is about to explode, the world as they know it is about to come to an end.  Time for…. entertainment?  Reflection?  Love?  What to do with your final breaths?  As he says, the bucket list crowd must be exhausted.

A strong solo performance from Marc Mackinnon.  Perfectly camp, a charismatic performer, slightly larger than life.  A decent enough singer, and charming pianist. His accompaniment to Let It Be was truly beautiful - sparse, minimalist, with simple additions of what was required to enhance the melody and lyric.

But.  Regular readers will know I am no fan of musicals.  Too much song and dance, not enough story.  And so it is here.  An intriguing premise wasted on classic songs.  Every time it felt like there was something of real interest building, off he'd go to the piano.  Opportunities spurned.

Yes, it did mention how trivial how much of our lives seem in the light (!) of such an event.  That material belongings mean little, nor cleaning or acquiring, when the reality of life bites.  But it never felt like it would be going deep enough.  Here was a chance to ponder what really matters to people, lost to song after song.  

However well done (and there was some clever use of props on an well planned set) this was a frustrating experience, as I sat there willing it to be better than it was - the better it could and should have been.

Prima Facie, NT Live

 What a performance! A feat of memory, of emotion, of power, and of physical coordination and sequence, and Comer never lets up.

She plays Tessa, an up and coming defence barrister. She sees herself as an integral and essential element of the legal system, believes in that system and that the defence barrister has their role in testing out the work of the police and CPS.

But when she finds herself the victim of a sexual assault the system suddenly looks very, very different. Gone are the checks and balances she put her faith in, now it's weighted against her, against women, against victims. And very much against those who find themselves challenging the legal establishment (her rapist is a colleague). From this perspective the concept of 'reasonable doubt' takes on new meaning.

While the performance is always strong, the script gets a little lost. It works well in the initial part, where she is the confident lawyer, but loses the sense of drama, and turns into clunky polemic to get it's message across at the end. It's a shame, for the set and effects are superb, the story being told an important one. Not just for sexual assault, but with wider implications for our society. So it's a shame that some of that impact, that communication, is dissipated by the ending. An important work to see nonetheless.

In Conversation With... Caroline Lucas, Stand 3, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

One interviewer, one guest, one audience.  Good questions, even better answers.  Lucas was by far the best MP in the last Westminster parliament, and this hour reminded us why.  Very strong and clear on the subjects of democracy, the need for 'the left' to become much better communicators (perhaps the only thing they can take from the vile Niggle Fuhrage...) and learn to tell a more compelling 'story'.  She's demonstrated a clear grasp of the bigger picture, both ecxologically, as you'd expect, and politically (as you'd also expect).  Joined up thinking and, more importantly, a deep sense of humanity.  Very critical of a media that is allowed to spread disinformation (the Daily Fail came in for particular criticism) and how to cobat that.

Always interesting, always thought provoking.  Almost always right.  A remider of what an asset Lucas is and has been to UK public life.

Harun Musho'd : Why I Don't Talk to People About Terrorism, Pilgrim, PBH Free Fringe, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Good to visit a new (to us) Fringe venue, a very interesting looking bar just off the Cowgate, with the venue in a curtained off back room.  Great use of old suitcases in the bar.

Musho’d has an Arabic name, but triple nationality (and none of them are Iranian or Libyan…).  But he explains why not talking about terrorsim remains the best policy for him, and a lot about his highly dysfunctional and diversely multinational family.  

He has a civil service HR background, so maybe that’s why he enjoys ticking off lists for his audiences so much.  And very entertaining they can be.  It’s a cosy show that draws you in, despite lacking fluency at times.  There’s a lot of strong and imaginative material, making good use of his relationships with others.  And a Monty Python type rant thrown in which is excellent.

Very enjoyable.

Hannah Gadsby : Woof!, McEwan Hall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 She’s become so admired for clever and cleverly structured shows that pack a moral punch.  So this one came as a bit of a disappointment.  Not that there weren’t plenty laughs, and a few serious points made, but it felt like a slightly flippant addition to the Hannah G canon, when judged against what’s gone before.

No harm in that of course, but don’t expected the heavy hits of days past.  No doubt they will return one day, she’s too good not to.

So this addressed big questions like where did all the cabbage patch dolls go to?  And something about Taylor Swift that went over my head (wee tip to Gadsby - reactions to Swift aren’t just binary, because as well as like or hate there’s the ‘totally ignore’ alternative…).

There was some interesting musing on the nature of fame and success, and if her move up the socioeconomic scale, after so many years of just getting by, had changed her for the worse.  Leading into her highlighting some of the worst aspects of capitalism, and big capitalists.  Even the odd dig at supposed equality of rights.

But overall it was just a few decent laughs, a few interesting stories, and a demonstration that, even in this mode, Gadsby has totally mastered her craft.

Ben Target : Lorenzo, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 This one was fascinating from the moment you entered the room. Target is there, doling out cups of coffee from the hip, and asking you to write down your perfect death. So you sit, and you think, and you notice the fascinating workbench in the middle, with some other intriguing props scattered around the stage. And that's all before the show begins.

This is the story about an old man dying, and Target becoming his live in carer. Yes, it gets to be very sad at times, but so well told that it is always riveting, and full of the laughter they would often share. Plus a great deal of silliness, in line with the character of Ben himself, and the dying Lorenzo.

It's Target's story, Lorenzo's sory, family history, relationships, stresses and joys, genuine love and emotion. With live carpentry, acrobatic skills and a surprise toilet. Even a little audience involvement (although nothing that could make anyone feel uncomfortable).

This is one of the great shows of the Fringe, the kind you wish everyone could see, but leaves you feeling privileged that you had the chance, and which lives with you thereafter. A story of deep humanity, the power of love and silliness, and hanging out with old people. 

See it!

Why Am I (Still) Like This, Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Nicole Nadler, an Edinburgh resident, but originally for the US, created a surprise success of a show at the '23 Fringe, based around her experience of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. This follow up goes back to that source material, and expands upon it because knowing is one thing, but being the different person she hoped it would make her is something else entirely.

She combines elements of storytelling, theatre, stand up and generally having a rant. Speaks too fast at first, which can make her difficult to understand at first, but is a part of the persona. And this multi-syllable per second style does make for a very in-your-face experience for the audience.

It's a well structured show, with a history of her symptoms as both child and adult, and the impact it had upon her, notably self-hatred. Having a diagnosis helps, explains, but doesn't solve. And, having had some experience of working with a few people like her, I recognised much of her story and associated difficulties.

It's very commendable, but it's a hard show to really like. Such an intense and personal subject does need some light relief for the audience. But the few laughs were neither frequent enough or big enough to do the job. It ends up feeling like we're watching something akin to a therapy session for the performer. But I suspect it must be helpful to anyone with a similar diagnosis.

One further criticism. In her thank yous at the end she missed out the sound person, who had done a great job of following some quite complex cues.  

Iona Fyfe, Acoustic Music Centre @ UCC, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 A solo hour from Fyfe, just her and keyboard in an intimate setting. Featuring her pure, sweet voice, and more than competent piano accompaniment. A wide mix of songs on offer, both traditional and contemporary, and often eclectic. A Nick Cave song she'd translated into Scots. A similar treatment of Richard Thompson's Poor Ditching Boy, appropriate as it derived from a Scottish story. Some a cappella, some with choruses for the audience to join in with. And lots of murder!

Iona is very knowledgeable about the origins of her material, and communicates it in an amusing manner. Never a rip roaring gig, but nevertheless enjoyable and a pleasant way to pass the time. Even if 4pm is not her best time of the day!

Dara O'Briain : My Life is a Work in Progress (Work in Progress), Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Very much still a Work in progress, and one of two different versions he has on the go at the moment (intending to merge the best of both into the final product), but more than slick enough to provide great entertainment.  He did give his script to a guy in the front row, telling him to write down the odd word as indicated, when something new worked well.

And so much did work well.  Stories from his life, and career.  A large middle aged man learning to ski badly makes for a great self-deprecating tale.

But the highlight came in the second half of the set.  Having previously done a show about finding his birth mother (he was adopted as a baby), this was the story of trying to find out who his father was, and making contact if possible.  It’s a long tale, with unexpected twists, and some sad moments, some tense moments, but O’Briain never lets it get uncomfortable and always finds a punchline.  Punchline after punchline.

A hilarious and well structured hour that shows a comedian at the height of his powers.  But does he always have to talk so fast? Some it was lost simply from there being too many syllables in not enough seconds!

During the show Dara mentioned that the prequel to his father-search story was on iPlayer in his stand up show, So Where Were We?  It covers how he made contact with his birth mother, and is just as funny/sad as this live show was.

Sue Perkins : A Piece of Work in Progress (WIP), Pleasance

Perkins said this was her first return to stand up in 16 years. So she'd had plenty of life to build a show around.

She began by identifying various personas she's know for - Bake Off, Just a Minute, Taskmaster etc. Some good Bake Off puns and plenty of them.

But who is she really? Yet another (her phrase) comedian with a diagnosis of ADHD. To which she could add on tales a brain tumour (benign), the side effects of medications, and a mental breakdown. Lots of material, often very funny, even on the most tragic and stressful of situations.

The show is well structured, with some nice call backs.  But curiously flat.  Not unfunny, not unenjoyable, but unsatisfying.  Were my expectations too high? Or have I seen too many stand ups using their audience like a therapy session? But I'm still glad I went to see her.

Big Bite-Size Breakfast Menu Two, Pleasance Beyond, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 The worst thing about seeing all 3 menus of Bite Size is knowing that you’ve seen them all.  Always entertaining, year after year, and 2024 was as good as ever. There were 6 playlets on this Menu.

Criminal Behaviour - A robbery that seems routine for the victims.  They're happy to talk to the robber, make suggestions even, but he's the one who gets something very different to what he was hoping for.  Funny and twisted.

Halloween - Not much by way of laughs in this one, but a very moving vignette of grief, and life in a small town.

Jitters - A new national service to cut down on the divorce rate, unlike any that have gone before.  Compulsory for brides, and maybe not such a bad idea…?  Funny and optimistic.

The Rota - When one of your group of friends finds herself out on a limb, she has expectations that the others will help her out - and she has the spreadsheet ready for them.  Just how committed will they be?  How far does friendship extend?

Chute! - He’s about to take his first ever parachute jump, but the instructor isn't doing much to settle his nerves.  Funny but dark.

In The Attic - Take every cliched trope about literary attics, and watch them being crammed into ten minutes of hilarity.  The mad wife, the ghost, the spurned lover - they are all here in a fast moving finale featuring all 5 cast members.  Gloriously silly.

Lots of variety on offer here, and as entertaining as the other 2 menus.

Big Bite-Size Breakfast Menu Three, Pleasance Beyond, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 I reviewed Menu 1 a few days ago and this was, of course, more of the same, with another 5 mini dramas squeezed into an hour. If the vague theme last time was First Dates, then this time there was more of a US connection.

Celebrities in Space - A NASA team desperate for funding and looking for ideas to get public attention and bring the money in.  Firing well known celebrities into space might be the answer?  It takes them a while to clarify the idea, but it could end up making the Earth a better place…

Jilted - A bride running from the altar.  But what made her change her mind?  And what made her go along with the idea of marriage in the first place?  Lots of good reasons not to go ahead, but is there some the other way?  A moving reminder of the world as it used to be.

Once Flown - Katie is returning from Uni today and her parents are thrilled.  Or maybe less than thrilled.  And when the reality turns out to be surprisingly confusing they don’t really know what to think.  The explanation may be darker than they has anticipated.

Baggage - An American visitor to an East European country, trying to find their missing luggage in the airport.  But finding frustration instead.  Very funny, and a reminder that there are always real human beings behind the complaints desk.

Misfortune - Another US-set story, this time in a cosy restaurant.  A lovely romantic meal, but then the fortune cookies tell another story.  Another dark twist in store, and Liv Koplick is hilarious as the bored waitress.  

Not a single weak offering on this menu, with all 5 providing plenty of laughs, some occasional food for thought and a couple of unexpected twists.

Harun Musho'd Reads Bad Political memoirs (So You Don't Have To), Strathmore Bar, PBH Free Fringe, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Very much still a Work in progress, this Free Fringe show takes a look a four recent volumes of memoirs from distinctly non-literary figures. Books by (?) Prince Harry, Nadine Dorries, Liz Truss and Matt Hancock are not something most sensible people would consider worth a look. So Musho'd has done it for us, and provides the highlights. Well, lowlights.

Harun has some professional insight into most of these works, having worked in the Houses of Parliament until a couple of years ago, so this isn't just someone having a dig. He has some insider knowledge of a lot of the events being written about. But he's also there to be funny, and extremely personable, and with such dire source material he has plenty to work from.

He reads out selected quotes which suggest all four 'authors' write dreadful prose (Hancock the only real exception), misunderstand the world around them, indulge in exculpatory self deception, and don't shirk from lies where they can advance their own aggrandisement. They also suggest a great lack of editing!

It's entertaining stuff, and at the end he explains how he intends to develop the show, making it more about the 14 year disaster of tory rule (so Harry will go, Cameron comes in).

Worth seeing it for itself, but also to see this current incarnation to be able to compare it with the finished article this time next year.

Roger McGough : Alive and Gigging, Stand 3, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Alive and Gigging says the title of the show. And at 86 years old that is indeed something to boast about. McGough became something of a cult figure in the 60s, but is very much still relevant today. While some of the show looked backwards, and included poems from his early days of fame, there was plenty of contemporary material.

Not just poems, but stories. Stories from his life, both real and fictional (he probably wasn't the man who changed Jimi Hendrix's career!), all delivered with humour and sharp observation. And plenty there about the general imbecility of humans, and the love of hatred that so many exhibit - Ukraine, Gaza and the recent far right #FarageRiots all get into Roger's verse.

It felt like a very quick hour. Nostalgia, political comment and a lot of laughs. Excellent.

Mark Thomas : Gaffa Tapes, The Stand, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Non stop rant, non stop laughs. Angry but funny. Thomas hasn't changed, which can only be a good thing. After a brief foray into having a go at Starmer he launches into his most fruitful subject matter - the disasters of the past 14 years, and the decay of democracy in the UK. Plus being bang up to date on the origins of the #FarageRiots that have been so horrific recently. Of course Thomas has a long history of activism against the far right, so this is meat and drink to him.

There are lessons on how to fight the nonsense of christian anti-choice campaigners by using their own book against them, and special mentions for the likes of Leadsom, Truss, hancock, Bravermad, Johnson et al. A cast of horrors! Behind the strong language are plenty of astute observations and his own slant on events. Anger and laughter make for a great combination.

On a happier note he admits to the surprise of falling in love again at 61 years old, and gets in a few 'proper' jokes too. BUt at heart Thomas is still the class warrior we love, and a class act.

The Adventures of the White Unicorn

 Heli Parna is Estonian.  Not many people know much about Estonia.  And you won’t get to learn a lot more about it from her show.  That’s OK, because she does cover subject  that are more within most people’s everyday experience.  Feminism, relationships, breakups, dating apps.  And what the White Unicorn means, so that’s OK.

There was Heli, and then there were five of us in the audience.  Not much for a comedian to feed off, so I initially worried that this could feel like a long show, with forced laughter required.  Yet it was a surprise when the fifty minutes was up, and it felt like she’d got to know us almost as well as we got to know her.  It’s maybe not the funniest show you’ll see, but it has some good laughs, and it is warm and friendly, fun and absorbing.  Plus where else are you going to see an Estonian stand-up?  Well worth a look.

Adam Hills : Shoes Half Full, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 A few minutes of audience interaction to get underway, with unpredictable consequences. A starting gambit favoured by many stand-ups, and Hills is as good as any, looking relaxed and never making anyone uncomfortable. On this occasion it produced a memorable moment, which proved worthy of a call-back at the end.

Then into the show. Adam is famous for championing the rights of people with disabilities, so he began with some of his own experiences. Notably playing disability rugby league, and realising that he had to overcome his own sense of fair play to use his opponents' disabilities against them. As they did against him. Which makes his point for him. Treat people as people, not as something alien. That theme continued into other subject, like muslims and trans people, and how, like all of us, they just want to live their own lives without the shit our society is dealing out to them. Sober subjects, but never awkward in Hillspeak, with so many great lines to soften the seriousness of the content.

He ends up talking about his own kids, and how his parenting skills struggle when they can be as funny as him, but also inappropriate. And this too fits into the overall theme of the show, which is about being tolerant, thinking about others, and learning that sometimes it's best to say nothing.

Very funny, warm, often wise. Hills makes you feel a bit better about the world, more hopeful at a time when hatred and violence seem to be overwhelming us. And how simple that really is to do.

He even sum sit up in just four words - Don't be a dick. And let some mariachi into your life. One of the most important shows on the Fringe.

Big Bite-Size Breakfast Menu One, Pleasance Beyond, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

This year's first helping of tea/coffee, strawberries, croissants, and mini dramas. Five actors performing five playlets in an hour.

Gnome Anne's Land sounds like a title that was then turned into a script. But it's pleasantly enjoyable anyway. A group of garden gnomes fear for their future, and realise the truth they've been hiding from. Featuring a union rep, groanworthy puns and surprise buttocks. Pure comedy.

True to You brings us a surprising first date off Tinder. It looks like being a failure, but maybe all is not what it seems? The capes reveal all. At it's best when breaking the fourth wall. A clever take on an established trope.

An Actor Prepares takes place in a theatre dressing room, a few minutes before curtain up. Simmering resentments between the old established star and the up and coming new boy boil over into a surprise twist. A nice nod to the old theatre.

Your Move was my favourite of the quintet. Another first date tale, this time set over a chess board. But the game is being played to some very unconventional rules. A smart metaphor for how relationships can play out.

Our Next Contestant features a TV dating show in which the host gets more than he bargained for. Revenge and a penguin make for an interesting mix. Unusual in having all five members of the cast make an appearance, and charmingly cynical.

There's no real theme to these 'menus', so it was a surprise to find first dates featuring so heavily! But none the worse for that. Wonderful early entertainment to start your day off with.

Jo Caulfield : Pearls Before Swine, Stand 3, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

No theme, no storyline, no happy ending.  Just funny  Jo tells stories drwan from life and where her imagination takes the things around her.  Men in the pub, ads aimed a women of a certain age and German porn films all get the Caulfield treatment.  And her most reliable source of material, the neverending disappointment that is her comedy husband.  Acerbic, sharp, smart, with unexpected punchlines.  Or even exected one.  The result is still laughter, because her delivery is spot on.  

Having seen her a few times before, there was some familiar material, which was a little disappointing.  But that didn’t stop me laughing, all over again.  If you are looking for a show that changes your life or tugs your emotions then this isn’t it.  But if you simply want to laugh, and laugh, for an hour then Jo Caulfield always delivers.

Keiran Hogson : Work In Progress, Pleasance Courtyard (Forth), Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Yes, it's another WIP show, but Hodgson doesn't use his notes as much as expected, and is always funny. He says he's trying out a new style of comedy, away from his usual storytelling or character styles. But what we get still pays strong allegiance to both. It's about his relationship with the USA, from early childhood until the Obama years, and how the culture and politics affected him. So it's definitely a story, and he uses his impressionist abilities to fill out the characters discussed. - maybe not so different then!

It's a coming of age story. America, for him, was the epitome of cool when he was a kid, and he could never understand his parents favouring Europe. Then came Dubya... The politics changed, along with the music and movies he'd once loved. And 9/11 told him that the promise of world peace wasn't as real as he'd thought.

So it's a move from naivete to understanding, from confidence to uncertainty, and it ends... hanging, because he knows he has more to write. Hodgson is easy to like, and has an accessible style that contains plenty of unusual slants on past events. For this oldie there a few too many references to aspects of culture that only someone under forty is going to get, so maybe being younger would give you more than I got. As with any WIP it's a bit hit and miss at times. That will change as August progresses, he adapts the material to his audiences and learns the lines better.

Hodgson is certainly worth seeing, and provides an entertaining hour, but it's a shame he's not doing a longer run with this show. It might have been really good by the end of the month!

A Montage of Monet, Greenside@George Street, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 A one man show starring Stephen Smith as the artist. It begins with him as an old man, raging against the failings of his body, and turns into reminiscence of a long life. Beginnings, failings, relationships, poverty, fame, riches, they're all there. And maybe that's the problem. Shoehorning so rich a life into 55 minutes is a near impossible challenge if you want to get so much detail in.

Consequently much of the opening feels more like lecture or polemic than drama, and that issue reoccurs throughout. The use of a screen to provide illustrations of people and paintings adds to that sense of education over entertainment. Not that it's boring though. Smith does a decent job with the clunky script, gets a few laughs, and does show his acting chops when the occasion allows. Perhaps he needs to remember he's not in a full size theatre, but a small room. His angry Monet was a bit too loud for the space!

And this is no hagiography. the man portrayed is arrogant, selfish and treats people badly, especially women. However there isn't really much about the painter. Yes, he loves painting from nature, and we hear about his influences, his own self of his place in the art world, but little of how he developed his techniques which made his work so loved.

If you want to learn a bit about Monet from a (mostly accurate) historical perspective it's interesting, but it offers little as a drama. Hard to recommend.

Luke Wright - Joy!, Pleasance Dome (10 Dome), Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 A poet for our opening show, and one with whom we're already familiar, have seen several times before. And he's so much more than a poet. Comedian, raconteur, showman. Even, as he demonstrates in this show, a bit of a dancer.

Wright explains that he had to choose the title, Joy!, almost a year ago, when he was feeling particularly joyful with his life, both personal and professional. But writing joyful material proved a lot harder in the chilly greyness of a January afternoon when he made a start. So this is not a parade of joys, but a look at the ups and downs of life. Because without misery how can there also be joy? Life is all about context.

So there's sadness, anger, affection, guilt, love, mundanity and, yes, joy, in Luke's writing. He shows off his technical mastery of complex verse forms, makes us laugh, makes us think, makes us feel. There's a lot cleverness, both linguistic and emotionally, and much to ponder on. How our words can affect others, how the ephemera of social media is a joy killer, how much family and friends are important to a joyful life. Even a bit of song and dance and an audience singalong!

It's a fast paced hour that never drags in the slightest, and makes you feel involved with a witty and very humane man. Highly recommended.

James Brown is Annie, Piccolo, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Funk for our Festival finale.  Local band JBiA played to a packed out Piccolo and raised the roof.  Nowadays a seven piece outfit, with drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, two sax players (tenor and alto) and a lead vocalist.  Or one lead of the lead vocalists, for that role flits about through the pianist, guitarist and tenor saxophonist, with all bar the other sax player contributing backing vocals as well.  Plenty of variety in styles and sounds, although none of the others can match the vocal talents of Debs out front.  

There's not much subtelty to the magic.  Get a groove going and keep it going.  Get the audience on their feet.  Throw in a few solos.  The sax solos, from both players, all received warm applause and cheers, but my personal favourite came from the bass - she played a big part in the band's overall sound throughout.

They're a tight act, with humour and joy important components of their set.  Great fun and a great end to JazzFest '24.

Blues Afternoon (Jerron Paxton, Doug MacLeod, Mark Harrison Band), Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Mr Paxton opened proceedings.  At previous festivals he's gone by the name 'Blind Boy Paxton'.  The name may have altered, but he remains as entrancing as ever.  Musically adept, vocally smart, and with thowaway humour to spare.  Guitar, 2 banjos (one of 1848 vintage!), harmonica and piano.  Plus those relaxed vocals .  Paxton is a comfortable performer with his very own laid back style who can manage an audience and plays gorgeous old fashioned blues.  It felt like this performance should have been in monochrome, so strong was the feeling of an old back porch in the 1920s or 30s.  Wonderful, and should really have been the headline act.

I've seen Doug MacLeod a couple of times before, the last occcasion six years ago.  So it was a bit of a shock to see how those years have aged him, and that smooth voice has lost some of it's ability to charm.  But the guitar playing and storytelling faculties are undimmed.  He has a long history as a bluesman, one of the traditional kind, even though he sings only self-penned material.  That brings with it a welath of tales and personalities he's encountered, many of them transformed into lyrics.  MacLeod may not quite be the force he once was, but still a marvellous entertainer.

Mark Harrison is an odd bird, especially for a headline act of a Blues Afternoon.  From Coventry, abd backed by upraight bass and drums, Harrison sings, playes guitar, and tells stories, voices opinions.  He's certainly not the quality of musician that we'd seen with paxton and MacLeod.  Nor is is singing voice that great really.  Some of his opinions seem more like moans.  The song lyrics often lack imagination and so many of the basic riffs seem similar.

And yet... The deadpan humour works well, and can make him easy to identify with.  Both drums and bass offered up excellent solos.  The songs were decent enough to get the toes tapping and there were plenty of laughs.  So maybe this was a performance that was better than the sum of it's parts.  Low key enjoyable.

Mr Sipp, Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 Castro Coleman, aka Mr Sipp, back in the Spiegeltent for another powerful session of Mississippi Blues.  With backing from bass, keyboard and drums, Sipp launched into some classic blues songs.  Low on lyrics (and, sometimes, morality!), but high on muiscality and panache.  He doesn't talk a lot, but his comments are usually funny, occaisonally informative.  I usually feel a bit short changed by performers who don't give something of themselves in between numbers, explaing why this song or that tune made the set, becasuse that's the key to understanding their personality.  But Sipp is an exception - his performance IS his personality!  Part of which includes his walkabout through the audience (and in whoich he used me as a cushion at one point!) on an extended extemproised solo (he uses a wireless guitar pickup) to spread the love.

If there was a criticism it was the sense that the gig was back to front, and it would have been better to have the second half first and vice versa.  The later set included gospel ballads, gentler numbers, and audience participation.  While the first felt a lot roickier, and included that walkabout.  It also had an excellent solo from the drummer, which hinted at further solos to come from keys and bass - but nothing emerged.  

But if the only real fault I can find lies in the structure of the gig, well, I think it can still be amrked down as one of the best of the festival.  The singing is good, the playing excellent, and the vibes top notch.  Go see this guy.

Rose Room, Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 

Scotland's leading Gypsy Jazz band features Seonaid Aitken on fiddle and vocals, Conor Smith on lead guitar, rhythm guitarist (and occasional singer) Tam Gallagher, and Jimmy Moon on upright bass. Not a tribute act, but a loving evocation of the era and music made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli. They played numbers from the canon, their own versions of other jazz standards, and the odd modern composition.

Aitken has a sweet voice, perfectly suited to the crooning style, and if she doesn't quite match Grapelli (but who does?) she does a mighty fine job of trying. Plenty of imagination in her phrasing, and technical excellence. the arrangements are clever too. Smith is more than her match, with a lovely touch and inventive style. Their duet sections were a delight.

Gallagher got up for one song, a joyously rendered version of Everybody Wants to be a Cat, from Disney's Aristocats. That got the audience involved! And while Seonaid did pretty much all the talking, introductions and jokes, Tam had his sort, relating the tale of how the band came about, but without the modesty that Aitken had been using to cover up the real story. Tam had wanted her as a violinist, and the discovery of how good her vocals were was a huge bonus _so that the money could be split four ways rather than five!

A wonderful ninety minutes that got a deserved standing ovation.  

Blues Afternoon (Al Brown and the Bluelighters, Grainne Duffy, King Size Slim), Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 An afternoon featuring two rocking blues bands and... something else.  I'm not entirely sure what the latter could be called, but it was certainly memorable and entertaining!

Al Brown and rthe Bluelighters are a 4 piece Scottish band featuring Brown himself on lead vocals and electric guitar, backed by acoustic guitar, upright bass and drums.  A good start to the session, being a more than competent blues band, mostly playing standards, who could also put on a bit of a show.  Brown has his amusing moments, while the bassman was a joy to watch at times.  Decent solos from all four.  Brown took the bulk of the lead guitar parts.  Which was a shame, as my preference was for the purer sound of the acoustic instrument, rather than the dirtier tones of the electric.  But no matter, it was an enjoyable set to get things going.

Next up an Irish blues guitarist and singer, with an excellent voice and strong rocking style.  Backed by a drummer, a very cool looking bass player, and another guitarist who pplayed his solos in a more grungy style to the leader, Duffy sang a selection of her own material and the odd classic.  Her rendition of Etta James' I'd Rather Go Blind was one of the best I've heard, both vocally and in the empathetic nature of her guitar solo.  A step up in quality from the first act, for sure, but a trifle over amplified.

King Size Slim are another four piece band, from Hastings on the south coast, comprising drums, upright bass, sax and guitar.  On the latter was leader and singer Toby Barelli who, it seems fair to say, is a hard man to classify.  Which applies to the band as a whole.  Musically they were less striking than either of the preceding acts.  But for sheer entertainment they were in a class of their own.  Funny, unpredictable, drawing in their audience and making them a part of the show.  The songs are decent enough, but it's all about the poerformance.  Hilarious and memorable.

Blue Milk with Craig Ralston, Piccolo, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Blue Milk are a Glasgow based blues outfit comprising Johnny McGiffen (lead vocals and guitar), Taylor Whyte (drums), Ike Malinki (bass) and Leo Glaister (harmonica). However the evening opened with Johnny accompanying an old friend, Craig Ralston.

Ralston has a quiet speaking voice, which makes the gruff power of his singing all the more surprising. It's a fine blues sound, rough and characterful, and he gave us four enjoyable numbers with McGiffen fleshing out the sound on his guitar.

Then came the band. And a considerable increase in volume and tempo. This is proper rockin' blues, steeped in sixties and seventies traditions, and full of power and passion. (Too much passion for some it seemed, for the crowd thinned out a bit after the interval - it certainly was loud!)

Ralston joined the band for that second half, this time playing lead guitar, and providing a grungey alternative to the clarity of McGiffen's playing. Overall a great sound, with Glaister's harp providing the character that marks out the Blue Milk sound. Solid back from the contrasting rhythm section, Malinki an isolated pool of calm and stillness, Whyte a manic grinning presence at the back (and full of funny quips during the gaps).

Visceral blues rock that provides such a beat that the audience can still feel it in their bodies as they leave. Great stuff.

Blues Afternoon (Sandy Tweedale Band and Gus Munro, Big Boy Bloater, Martin Harley Trio), Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 Opening act was the trio fronted by one of Scotland's best known, and best, blues guitarists, Sandy Tweedale. Backing from drums and electric bass. But Sandy largely stood aside and let his guest, Gus Munro, take the spotlight. No bad thing, as Munro has a good blues voice, his own style of guitar playing, and an engagingly laid back stage persona, complete with dry humour. Tweedale's guitar solos still took the plaudits though, and gave us the ideal start to our three hours.

Next up came English act Big Boy Bloater. Another singer and guitarist backed by bass and drums. He certainly is a big boy, and has an enjoyably sub-Waits edge to his vocals. The backing is tight, the guitar playing decent enough, and he engages with the audience. But this is one set that never quite made the connection with the audience, and it all felt a big flat after BBB's time on stage.

Fortunately Woking's Martin Harley was in anchor position and saw out the afternoon in style. Less rocky, more bluesy, and so laid back. Drums and bass once again provided the backing, but Harley is a very different guitarist from what came before, as well as being a much better singer and songwriter. And a good raconteur too. Acoustic blues guitar, and dobro on his lap, provided a purer sound, and he's a master of the slide. This set took us to different worlds and soundscapes, and raised the tone considerably. If Harley is back next year then I want to see him.

Nirek Mokar and his Boogie Messengers, Spiegeltent, George Square, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

 

A French, four piece, multigenerational line up. Drums, guitar, sax and the titular star on piano. Mokar is in his early twenties, and stated that wind man Claude Brand was 74. The latter's high energy performance belied that fact.

Boogie Woogie features in their name, and in their repertoire, but there is so much more to their overall performance. Jazz, swing. blues, even some rock influences, make for an eclectic sound. Mostly original compositions, but the odd classic thrown in.

I mentioned energy before, and that, and virtuosity, are the hallmarks of their stage presence. Tremendous solos from all four members, but with Mokar always the pick of the bunch for his power, sensitivity and imagination. He's a decent enough vocalist too, and can be pretty funny in his slightly stilted English.

The standing ovation at the end was well earned and wholly deserved. Great music, great show, great theatre. If Mokar returns in future then so will we.

Recital de Guitarra Portuguesa, Tourist Office, Faro

 

If you've been to Portugal you've probably come across Fado, the (mostly) mournful singing that is a national institutuion.  But the vocals are only one elelment of Fado, with the 12 string Portuguese guitar the complementary companion.  Hearing the instrument without the voice sounded interesting, and it was only for 40 minutes, so we went along to see what it might be like.

And emerged delighted with our decision.  Joao Cuna is a Fado virtuoso, and a custodian of the form's history.  His set went well beyond mere entertainment, with the music intersperesed with an audio-visual presentation that explained the history of Fado (which dates back around 200 years) and the instrument associated with it.  The different types of Fado and guitar, the working class roots of one form and elitist origins of the other.  The music provided examples of thse differences, along with more recent melodies which help keep the tradition alive.  Both the story and the music were fascinating.  The music itself seemed alien at first, but the ears adapted, and more modern pieces were more accessible.  But Cuna's virtuosity was never in doubt.

As an added bonus the man had a more familiar 6 string guitar available for anyone in the audience who played.  A young Frenchman voluteered and together they jammed a couple of numbers at the end, a fun way to close an interesting set.  Well worth seeking out if you are ever in Faro.

André and Dorine, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2023)

 The eponymous couple have been together for many years, and their tolerance of each other's behaviour has eroded over time. He gets irritated when she plays her cello while he tries to write, and she hates the sound of his typewriter as she tries to play. When their son comes to visit he gets caught up in the middle of the storm, literally pulled both ways.

But when Dorine is diagnosed with dementia their world changes. In a series of flashbacks we see André recall how their younger selves first met, got married, were deeply in love, his ongoing irritations now tempered by his memories.

That outline only hints at the deeply emotional story that unfolds on stage. Wordless and faceless, 3 actors (Jose Dault, Garbine Insausti and Edu Carcamo) portray 11 characters using exaggerated masks and wigs, minor costume changes, and the power of body language. There is never any doubt about who's who, or what their reactions to events are. This physical theatre provides many moments of brilliant comedy, through to genuine pathos. There is a dance sequence towards the end that moved me to tears of emotion and will stay with me for some time to come. André and Dorine is a celebration of real-world love.

Madrid's KULUNKA Teatro have produced a truly beautiful theatrical performance that shouldn't be missed, and seems destined to become my outstanding memory of the 2023 Fringe.

André and Dorine is on in the Assembly Rooms until 20th August.

Maggie & Me, Traverse

 Already a successful memoir in print, this is not a straight stage adaptation of the original, but a look at how Damian Barr faced up to his childhood traumas in writing the book.  

Barr (Gary Lamont) is trying to write his memoir, but having problems facing up to the truth of the traumatic abuse he suffered as a child.  His partner Mike (Douglas Rankine) is sympathetic, but uncertain.  So Barr starts to revisit his past in fantasy enactments, guided by the ghost of the Wicked Witch of Grantham, whose brutal actions dominagted the policital landscape of his formative years.  Notably the vile Section 28.

With Thatcher as his guide to separating fantasy from reality, the adult Barr watches his teenage self interact with friends, family, school, all the while shying away from the events he most needs to revisit if he's to make his memoir honest.  he gets there in the end, of course, but it's an effective illustration of how difficult the process must have been for hom.  Along the way there are plenty of laughs, a bit of song and dance, and moments of pathos and tragedy.  An entertainment show with a dark underside.  

In general this structure works well, if a little forced at times, and the writer writing about his writing is a better idea that a straight retelling of the memoir.  Enjoyable, but not as memorable as the book.

John McCusker & Friends, Kings Place, London

 John McCusker has been a mainstay of the Scottish, and UK, folk scene for decades.  A key figure in several bands, an in demand producer, and a regular with Mark Knopfler's live band.  So it's no surprise that he has a great number of talented friends to draw on for this gig.

In addition to John, we also got Mike McGoldrick, Toby Shaer, Kris Drever, and Simin Thoumire.  Plus a variety of guests who came and went as the occasion demanded - Roddy Woomble, Kim Carnie, Jackie Oates, Sam Kelly.  So we had a strong linneup of top Scottish and English folk talent.

Greast sets, greart songs, great craic.  Effectively a brief reunion of supergroup Drever, McCusker, Woomble.  And some songs for the audience to join in on.  A perfect evening.

James V : Katherine, Eastgate Theatre, Peebles

This was a very different offering to the previous plays in series. They were full length plays, with complicated and impressive sets, dramatic costumes, big casts and star names. Playing to big audiences. Everything about #5 reverses those attributes. Minimalist set and costumes, a cast of four, playing six parts, a run time of less than ninety minutes, no big name star. And the titular king only features towards the end.

So a very different creature from what went before, and expectations need recalibrating. As before it does take it's starting point from real events. In this case the death of Scotland's first protestant martyr, Patrick Hamilton (Benjamin Osugo). But the story is centred on the impact of said death on his sister, Katherine (Catriona Faint), and her avoidance of the same fate as her sibling. This is where fiction takes over, as Katherine battles with her conscience, the social impact of her (female) lover (Alyth Ross), and the influence of the king, leading her to choose love and life over faith.

When I say the set was minimalist I mean there was one wooden bench, and little else. Costumes were sombre, with barely a nod to period. But the theatricality is still there. The early scenes, with preacher Patrick in full rant at times, felt overly polemical, but the drama took over and improved as things progressed. It picked up markedly during Katherine's trial and the intervention by the young king (Sean Connor), with his speech bringing threat and comedy and a sense of balance. And a strong ending to conclude.

There were several contemporary themes that resonated, as is usually the case from Rona Munro's pen. The conflict between ideologies, and love and humanity (with love winning out in this case). Societal dangers of clashing religious extremes. The casual corruption of power. All so familiar right now.

My initial sense was one of disappointment, but that was only because expectations were not being met. Recalibrated, and with the script delivering more as time passed, I enjoyed the experience. It might be the weakest of the James series to date (will there be a James VI?), but there's still plenty to entertain, and ponder over. Worth seeing.

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Festival Theatre

I hadn't been to a recording of 'Clue' for almost twenty years.  But here I was again.  New chair, new panellists, but same producer and pianist.  Same games, same audeince responses required.  And the same comedy that can leave an audience aching with laughter.

If you don't know what ISIHAC is about then where have you been?  It's been running on Radio 4 since 1972, and this was a recording of episodes five and six of series 81.  The Festival Theatre was sold out within a few days of the show being announced, as are all their appearances.  This is cult attending as well as listening.  

So the format is well worn, predictable, comfortable.  The producer (still John Naismith, who was there for all the shows I have been to before) comes out to do a bit of warming up.  The teams take their seats and tell a joke each.  Tonight we had Rory Bremner, Pippa Evans, Milton Jones and Fred MacAulay.  On comes the regular Chair, Jack Dee, and piano accompanist, the much abused Colin Sell.  Two shows are recorded, one in each half, with more than enough material to be edited down into a tight 30 minutes radio broadcast.

John and Colin were there for all the shows I saw, all those years ago.  The others were new for, sadly, the Chair and regular panellists of those times are dead now, other than Graeme Garden.  But noithing else is new.  The format is the same, the games are the same, and the silliness is identical.  because silliness is what this show is all about, and something the audeince is encourage to particpate in.  Jokes and puns and wordplay.  Songs sung badly.  (Although Evans has a very impressive vocal style.)  The chair's disdain for the teams, the pianist and the audience.  The 'laser dispay board' and the lovely Samantha.  All still there, all still essential elements of the fun.

It goes worng at times, but that just makes it funnier.  There's the odd politcal comment, but nothing too in depth.  The emphasis, the entire ethos, is about fun, laughter and determined silliness.  Long may it contin ue to be so.  A night at a Clue show is a night to treasure, whoever is up on stage.

Nye, NT Live

 

An NT Live show, live theatre beamed into the cinema.  A focus on the great Nye Bevan.

But what sort of beast was this play?  Biography? Social History? Political Polemic? Entertainment? A bit of everything, including a full blown song and dance routine.

Social History - Events around one of the most important events in UK history, from the perspective of a leading member it's most important government. Showing socialism can work. Showing the huge improvements it brought.

Political polemic - very much so, and necessarily so, at a time when the NHS, as a principle, is under attack more than ever. When the need, and underlying principle, remain as much as ever. It may have gone a bit wayward, but that's the nature of all big beasts over time.

Entertainment - definitely. Funny, warm, human, with great performances.

Structure has Nye dying, and dreaming of past life. Childhood, union leader, councillor, backbench MP and maverick, Churchill opponent, Minister and pioneer. Lover too. But always clear what period he's in, be it with his dying dad, or Clem as PM.

And Biography?  Partly so.  It does tend to hagiography at times, but still gives some of Nye's imperfections as a human being. Getting women to look after him. His inability to compromise (up to a point). But the passion for socialism is there, the things that made him a great man are very much there.

The performances are strong, with Sheen magnificent and at his passionate best.  If anything grated it was have Clem Attlee played by a woman.  Nothing wrong with that in itself - but the voice made hom sound too much like the Wicked Witch of Grantham at times, a later, lesser, PM who was not fit to lick Attlee's boots, and did so much to detroy his achievements.

The play is structured around Bevan slowly dying in his bed.  In an NHS hospital of course (which does not reflect the actual event).  In dreams and conversations and rants he takes us through tyhe events and struggles that brough about the dream of free health care for all, for a service that did as much for the poor as for the rich.  Of course the story is romatnticised, but it was, in many ways, a romantic ideal in itself.  Most of all it feels ocntemporary, necessary.

How we need his likes again.  But what chance, when a good man like Corbyn is charater assassinated into oblivion by the right wing media?

Alice Howe and Freebo, Traverse, TradFest

 

The equal billing reflected the content of the show.  While Howe did the most songs, it was as much the Freebo show, with a lot of his own material too.  Their own songs, with the exception of Alice's perfect rendition of Jonie Mitchell's A Case of You.  Good songs too, mostly with a country music inflection, but other influences present.  Personal songs, with a story behind them, which both related with great humour.  And in Freebo's case, a couple of funny songs which had the audience laughing.  Howeve plyed guitar, mostly as accompaniment, but plays well.  Freebo is the more virtuosotic of the pair, playing both guitar and electric bass.  It's first time I've seen someone play lead guitar parts on a 5 string bass, and it was a pleasure to be induced to the sensation.

So both were entertaining, more than competent musicians and singers (Howe has a wonderfully clear and pure voice, with excellent phrasing), and provided us with a memorable hour.  And she can say 'Edinburgh' pretty good for an American!

Police Dog Hogan, Glasshouse, Gateshead

 It had been well over a decade since we first saw PDH.  There had been tickets bought since, but going unsiued due to force majeure (heavy snow in one case, covid in another).  So this was eagerly anticipated, and I wonderted what changes there would have been.  

A different line up for a start, with only three of the original group still there, and acting as the front men of the band.  James Studholme (guitar and lead vocals), Tim Dowling (banjo, electric guitar, backing vocals and occasional lead vocalist) and Eddie Bishop (fiddle and mandolin, and backing vocals) have been there since the beginning, and have developed over the years into slick entertainers, as well as much improved in the musicianship.  They have been joined by Shahen Galichian on keyboards and accordion, Don Bowen on bass guitar and Alistair Hamer on drums, with all of this trio also adding to the vocals.

I recalled, from that long ago gig, that PDH were competent musicians, who played within their limits, wrote excellent songs with memorable lyrics, and were good entertainers.  Much of that description still applies.  But they are even more entertaining, with some slick comedy built into the act.  The musical abilites have improved with time, so that their limits are higher than before.  Galichian adds another level, as the standout talent of the line up.  And the songs lyrics remain of a high standard.  Fummy, sad, ruminative, with clever structures and rhymes.  The melodies are decent too.

The style is derive from country, bluegrass and folk, with a West Country twist here and there.  A very Englsih form of Ameicana.  Studholme sings well.  Not the greatest voice technically, but distinctive, characterful, with imaginative phrasing.  Dowling impressed with his songs too.  

There was a good mix of the familiar, including the nearest they've had to 'hits' (Shitty White Wine and West Country Boy), and newer material.  Regular changes in tempo and sentiment and themes kept it all feeling fresh.  From the whimsical, like returning to Devon on the A303, to the melancholy, with reflections of the death of fathers.

I hope it isn't another decade before I see them again.

Brian Bilston and Henry Normal, Assembly Rooms

 Henry Normal in the first half, Bilston in the second.  A strong start when Normal came on to the Thurderbirds theme - he's very much of my generation!

Poetry and stories and jokes from Normal, in his own understated style.  Mostly very funny, but with occasional moments of thoughtfulness or sadness, or even anger about the horrors of the world.  And love.  His style is generally whimsical, full of clever puns.but there's some steel lying under the covers.

Bilston is more acerbic in his language, with well direxcted poetic gems against the monsters of today, like Trump and Johnson and the ridiculous Musk.  He's stronger on wordplay and structure and double meanings than Normal, with, at times, an intentionally cerebral approach, challenging his audience.  Well structured set that moved on rapidly across the wonderful and the bizarre.

A very enjoyable, and at times thought proviking, two hours.

The Scaff (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 Personal politics on the playground and the pitch. The Scaff features four aspiring school footballers, and social misfits, in a story of insults, jealousy, revenge and catharsis. Liam (Benjamin Keachie) has overheard star striker Coco (Craig McLean) calling him a Scaff - the worst possible insult. Egged on by mates Jamie (Bailey Newsome) and Frankie (Stuart Edgar), he targets his tormentor with a brutal tackle, and an injury that will keep Coco on the sidelines for months to come. Inevitably he is ostracised, not only by the whole school, but by his two supposed friends as well. And, being from a poor one-parent family, Liam is easy to put down.

But schoolroom relationships are complex, and malleable, and things don't stay that way for long. Over fifty minutes we learn the real reason for Coco's use of the hated insult, why Frankie and Jamie bend with the wind, and if Liam can rehabilitate himself. And maybe even be the hero of the hour?

While there are elements of social commentary sitting in there, this script is all about the laughs, and the play is extremely funny. The odd moment of pathos, and the feel of a Boy's Own storyline, are thrown in, but what you leave with is a memory of high energy, slick interactions, audience involvement, and some very funny lines. All four performers give a good account of themselves, as much a team on stage as on the ball.

A very enjoyable, if lightweight, end to the PPP season.