The Kingmaker, Pleasance, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Advertised as a Work in Progress, and the unfinished nature of the piece was strongly emphasised by the performer ('Mouse') before she began. This will end up being a much longer performance when completed, so this was only the first half. Despite which...

This is a fascinating hour and only left me wanting more. Mouse is a charismatic performer and is sure to be engaging once the show has some polish applied. It's her tale of joining, belonging to, and eventually leaving, a religious cult in the US. That fascination comes from her explanation of how ordinary people can be attracted into these movements, and then persuaded to stay. She went willingly, stayed willingly, and... well, sadly, it's how she left that is the big missing element. And one of several reasons why I sincerely hope that The Kingmaker, in it's completed form, is back for Fringe '27.  

Churchill's Urinal, EICC, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Rosie Holt has built up a huge online following in recent years with her sharp parody videos of a Tory MP character.  Good satire walks hands in hand wirth reality and perhaps her biggest tribute is from the huge number of people fooled into thinking she was the real thing.

This play takes that original format, and twists the character into a Labour MP who becomes the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer (with apologies to Rachel Reeves!), and picks up on a real life fact and plays with the idea that it could turn into a viral incident.  In the Chancellor's en suite is urinal, a symbol of the patriarchy she'd prefer to do without.  But there's a problem. Churchill used to piss there so would it be an insult to national hero if it were to be removed?

The story is leaked, an interview ends badly, and immediately the media turns on her, along with the full propaganda force of the far right's social media, whipping up a frenzy of fake 'patriotism'. A Chancellor under siege. And a talking urinal, as the old war leader speaks from both grave and porcelain, along with a few other voices. Is there a strategy to turn things around?

The basic premise is sound enough, but this isn't sharp satire I had hoped for. Although sprinkled with contemporary references, there's an old fashioned feel to the script, descending into farce at times. Some of the humour seems laboured (pun intended), it's rarely hilarious.

It's certainly not all bad though. There's an effective attack on the hagiographical mythologising of WC, who truly was a racist alcoholic, and an effective demonstration of the power of social media to blow everything out of perspective. Plus a few decent jokes, especially the one about Fabricant. Holt's performance is energetic, and engages with her audience, but tends towards the chaotic at times. There's excellent support from Michael Lambourne as the vocal urinal and other voices.

Maybe it was the expectation of something akin to her viral hits that left me feeling disappointed, but I was left with the impression that a solid ten to fifteen minute sketch had been stretched a bit too far...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Cathy, Traverse, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Tommy is dead. He was husband, father and grandfather. But he was also the family peacemaker, and with his influence gone they are free to fracture apart, driven by grief. Cathy misses her man and takes it out on those around her. The daughter she's never really liked. The granddaughter heading for single motherhood. And her well meaning but ineffectual son in law. She's no time for vague concepts like 'trauma', or sharing . She's too busy correcting people.

It takes happenstance, and connection from an unexpected place, to change direction, to begin healing. Realising that sharing grief is beneficial, and the empathy to see how other people suffer as much as oneself. In this sense Cathy has a fairly predictable redemptive story arc, with a cosy ending. But it's a bittersweet ride to get there. And very, very funny. There are sharp lines, digs at sectarianism, generation gaps and a suitably traumatic event to bring people together.

At the centre of it all is Elaine C Smith's Cathy, sharp edged and brittle, with a soft centre, and a wonderful comic performance, backed up by a strong cast. If you don't expect anything revelatory this is a laugh out loud hour with some uplifting emotional moments. You come out feeling better about yourself, and that's always nice, isn't it?

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

DYING STARS

Two people in a field in the dark.  He's trying to find a supernova in the telescope.  She's brought the hobnobs.  Two friends interested in astonomy.  Or is one of them for another reason?  Some men can be a bit slow to catch on.  Vary funny.

BORE

A girl sits reading in a pub.  She sees a couple come in and sit near her, and it seems that not all is well between them.  But their conversation is interrupted by an unwanted visitor.  Can Greg get rid of him and save the situation?  Or is he too boring?  A laugh out loud look at social awkwardness.  And the bookreader gets the punchline...  

HERE SHE COMES

It's almost time for the bride to go down the aisle, so it's natural that she's nervous.  Her brother and stepfather both help and hinder, and the wedding adviser keeps butting in.  There are laughs, but sadness too.  A bittersweet little drama.

STARDUST

 A woman calling roadside asssistance finds the AI chatbot to be a bit oversensitive, and unwilling to provide the help she needs.  A humourous comment on the way AI is taking over so many aspects of life. 

NARRATIVELY SPEAKING

What would we sound like if we spoke like caharcters in a novel, complete with thoughts and asides and descriptions?   Could we handle that level of honesty?  Three women find their speech conventions challenged when one of them decides to revolt.  A comedy that plays on the boudaries between life and fiction.

And that's another look at the Bite-SizeBreakfasts for another Fringe.  Some new faces in the cast, and plenty of exceelent writing.  Lots of laughs, and some subjects to ponder.  It remains a must see for us, and one of the most reliably entertaining shows.  If you only have time to see one of thier shows this year, I'd recommend Menu 1.

See you next year guys!

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

 VOWEL MOVEMENTS

A couple moving in together and very much in love.  She's from Surrey, he's from Leeds, and there's some north/south banter between them.  Then his sister turns up unexpectedly and brings the unexpected with her.  An amusing look at the power of accents and concepts of social class..

COUCH TO NO WAY

A jogger turns up, still looking fresh.  Shortly followed by her friend, who doesn't.  There's some tension between them and it's not just because of their differing speeds.  When a man joins them, looking like he's totally exhausetd, things get even tenser.  A complex love triangle where someone is going to get hurt.  Jealousy, challenges and laughs.

LOVE (TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY)

A dystopian view of the future dating scene.  Two potential mates have ten minutes to make up their minds, guided by the algorithm.  He wants to analyse, she wants feeling, can they find any common ground in such a short time?  Played for laughs, but there's a chilling edge to this one.

IN TWO MINDS

A cosy night in on the couch, films, maybe a takeaway, but a text message threatens to derail the evening, and maybe more.  What makes this one so funny is that we see 4 actors on stage - the couple and, stood behind them, their inner thoughts.  While the sitting duo say the things they think they should say, the voices behind tell us eactly what they are thinking.  A little slice of domestic disagreement made hilarious by this clever device.  One of the funniest Bite-Size offerings I've seen.

THE MALTESE WAITER

A man asking a psychiatrist for help.  His problem?  He's a superhero... of sorts.  His superpower is be able to turn any situation into a piece of film noir, and it's ruining his realtionship.  Can she help him resolve his issue and make the right choice?  Lighting changes help enhance the switches in mood, the American accents set the scene, and deliver a weird and funny story with a twist.  Great fun to end on.

Another enjoyable quintet of playlets, with In Two Minds standing out as one of the best I've seen over the years I've been going to watch this group.

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

Here we are again.  Another Festival Fringe, and another three shows from the Bite-Size breakfast team to enjoy.  The usual format, of strawberries in the queue, coffee and croissants indie, and five mini-plays ro entertain.  Five actors, three of them familair faces from past shows.  This was a preview show, but, apart from one brief stumble over a line, you wouldn't be able to teel that they weren't already half way through the run.  I remain a fan.  Today's quintet were...

RUNAWAY DRESS

A woman in a wedding dress, seeing how she looks.  A panic when she hears a knock at the door.  All is not what it should be, as two old friends end up sitting down and making a decision.  Some good laughs, certainly an enjoyable watch, but perhaps a tad predictable. 

THE COMMUNITY GROUP

Four members of a neighbourhood chat group relate their posts and interactions.  One is selling a wardrobe, one looking to connect with an old flame, another is seeking attention, and the last is happy to give his views on what's wrong woth the world.  While there's a bit of stereotyping going on I find that forgiveable in a ten minute play where character needs to be dlearly defined very quickly.  And the characters are very recognisable to anyone who has experienced these groups.  Very funny, very familiar, and a sharp comment on the low quality of socail media intercourse.

A PERFECT TWO.

Such a happy couple, they seem to have been made for one another.  But when she suggests they each give the other a mark out of ten it's a clear invitation for things to go wrong, and it will take a lot of numerical working out to try and get back to where they were.  Beautifully played two hander that shows up the dangers of ego within a relationship.

CAFFEINE

A couple sit to have coffee after their meal, looking uncomfortable.  Why are they there?  To meet up with frinds who are late, or is there something else going on here?  As they explore the possibilities there is something happening between them, but will it become more than just chat?  An enjoyably awkward mini-tragedy.  

ON MUTE

It's Greg's big moment, a conference call that could lead to a promotion. But things quickly start to go wrong in a most unexpected manner, and he finds his chances of success dependent on more than just his own talents.  A good one to end the set on, pure farce with a lot of laughs as the unexpected unfolds.

Bite-Size is as worthy of your attention as ever.

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

 A young woman (Julia Murray) in the park, heads for the duck pond, her aim to end her life which feels like it's alll gone horribly wrong.  But an unlikely intervention from a talking swan (Paul McArthur) convinces her to think again, at least for a while.  And if there's time to think, says the swan, there's time for a night out.  Cue a series of bars and clubs and drunken soliloquys.  And songs, lots of songs, for htis is very much a musical.

And that's the problem, at least for someone like me.  When they could be expanding the plot, and exploring what is at heart a very dark theme, they're too busy singing.  he lyrics do help move things along, but not nearly as much as well written dialogue would have.  This cocktail of human frailty, fantasy and redemption deserved a little more depth, less froth. 

Disappointing.

The Events, Traverse

 A warm, happy group, having fun and laughs and tea, bringing the audience into the atmoshpere, by distributing tea and bsicuits.  They sing, a rough and ready choir, there for the enjoyment of using their voices, the minister directing them with humour and affection. 

And then He arrives, The Boy, and all changes.  The choir fade into the background, the conforntation between their leader, Claire, and the stranger, slowly taking shape, him chipping away her secuity with his own insecurities.  He the perperpetraro of a mass shooting, she a survivor, and it become sclear how he has marked her life, changed her.  He offers explanations for his actions, a litany of far right fantasy themes on race and immigration.  She unravels as the memories seep through, the fear and horror of the moment.  The choir, the community, the only anchor she has.

It's a poerful journey.  Sam Stopford is excellent as The Boy, constantly switching in and out of other characters in the story, a threat not through his presence but from his beliefs.  Claire Lamont's Claire gets a little too lost at times, but reamins the humane centre of the tale.  And the choir are there to remind us that events like these affect us all.

Davie Greig wrote The Events in 2013, but the themes it raises are still all too contemporary.  

Inside No 9 : Stage Fright, Playhouse

 A stage adaptation that combines the essential base ingredients of the renowned TV show - comedy and horror - with a dose of nostalgia and references for the cognoscenti.  Not only references because, broken across the show, they recreated the TV episode Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room.  Not only references to their own show, but to other comedians too, such as Morecambe and Wise.  And then there was that night's guest star, with a different one appearing for every show, and indulging in a bit of improv with Reece and Steve.  (Jonathan Watson was ours, and played up over Steve's character's inability to get the name of 2 Doors Down right.)

The opening sketch set the tone beautifully, with that comedy/horror mix, a dose of shock, and a strong warning to the audience on theatre etiquette, all in the opening five minutes.  From then on it was Reece and Sheersmith having fun with words, wordplay, sometimes heading for the groanworthy route, often clever.  Great fun for fans, potentially confusing for the newcomer to their world!  (And for young people, who might be wondering who'd miss a lot of the jokes, rootted in the culture of past TV.)  

Even the curtain call turned into another macabre sketch.  Laughs ands scares from beginning to end, and a sense of satisfaction that this was a wrthy tribute/follow up to one of the great TV series of the century.

Righ Aisgair : The Fisher King (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 2 young women hiking acorss the moors of Lewis.  Lexie (Fiona MacNeil) is on a mission, to fish in the loch where she used to go with her dad.  Effie (MJ Deans)  is, it seems, relauctantly chumming along, and not happy with the pace her pal expects her to go at.  Along the way there are tales of fairies and ghosts and some songs and jokes.  All tied in with a mix of happy and sad memories, and delights and fears.  And as secrets come out the pair learn about one another, and the mysteries of the land.  Ca they make it back safely in the dark, when the mist is swirling and confusing?

This is about the power of myth and how it can relate to real world issues, and about facing up to fears and secrets.  Gaelic is woven into the script, which works quite well, but the jokes lack punch, and the narrative loses it's way at times.  It's an interesting concept, and well acted by both parties (there is a third actor, but their appearance is brief - and weird), but lacks cohesion and a real conclusion.  Enjoyable enough, but not memorable.   

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

 

The PPP series provides 50 minute shows with fairly limited production budgets.  Before I get into reviewing the drama, it feels important to comment on the set.  This provided a really strong visual impact before we'd even begun, with a nod to the chess based theme of the play, and a hint at how impactful the story would be.

Jamie (Testimony Adegbite) turns up in KFC, fast food in hand, portable chess set in his bag, and still in his school blazer.  He's there to play his regular game with his pal.  But, confounding his expectations, the opponent today is Kyla (Yolanda Mitchell), who doesn't even play chess.  She is, though, the girl he has reported to the police as a victim.  Surely that's a good thing?  Kyla doesn't think so, because it's losing her her friends, and social status matters more than truth.

And so the game begins, but with higher stakes and no rules.  Jamie wants to do the right thing, Kyla wants to be popular, both want the other to change their mind.  For such a short play this script offers a lot to think about, concerning the pressures on teenagers today.  Misogyny, racism, sexual objectification and social conformity, with some uncomfortable themes exposed.  

Strong performances from both actors, with some complex choreography to deliver too.  The script has also been given a few Edinburgh references, to make it more identifiable to a local crowd, a nice touch.  Cheapo is the best of this PPP series to date, and sits comfortably in the long line of these productions that have tackled tough subject matter and left the audience with much to ponder on.  Excellent.

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

Deirdre (Louise Haggerty) runs an Irish dance school, but it's struggling to make a profit, so she supplements her income giving online 'lessons'.  But her costume sporting nipple tassels is a clue that the site is something similar to OnlyFans.  But she thinks she has a way of making her school a success a way - training the winner of the next world championship.  And she'll go to any lengths to make it happen.  Her mother Maura (Julie Coombe) want to help, but is sceptical of Deirdre's plans.  And daughter Aoife (Leah Balmforth), once their star dancer, has left and won't come home.  Or will she?  

With onstage musical accompaniment from Brian James O'Sullivan, this is a black comedy with a thin and farcical plot, and jokes that come complete with big signposts. Subtle it's not, at times reminiscent of a '70s sitcom.  And Balmforth's more naturalistic performance sits uneasily with the OTT delivery of the other women.  O'Sullivan is good though, with perfect timing of music and sound effects, and some hilarious announcements.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh.  It was fun at times, and very much in the light entertainment mould.  But  I've come to expect more from PPP offerings, so it does suffer in comparison.  One of the least memorable in the series.

Our Brother (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

Pol Pot, communist dictator of Cambodia, has agreed to meet with a US journalist, and a Scottish academic.  The American only gets a short time granted her, and is frustrated, but not surprised,  by the lack of cooperation.  But the Scot is a different matter.  He’s written about Pot, about the revolution, and supports the policies of returning Cambodia to an agrarian society.  He’s there to learn the truth first hand, to prove to the rest of the world that the Khmer Rouge are not the brutal regime that the outside world sees them as.

The structure gives us snippets of the discussion between the Scot (Bobby Bradley) and the self-styled Our Brother (David Lee-Jones), and the frustration of the journalist (Nicole Cooper) at her companions inability to see through the propaganda version he’s being fed.  She also provides linking and background narration, and there photos from the period displayed..  

Lee-Jones gives an enjoyable performance as the the seemingly reasonable dictator with a sharp edge to his moods.  But his closing speeches feel heavy handed, and no real conclusion is drawn.  We already know that brutal dictators are bad men, and that often the ideologues are the worst of all, but there’s nothing new here.  Or am I asking too much from a 50 minute drama?

Margolyes & Dickens: More Best Bits, EICC, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Outspoken, hilarious, talented and with her heart in the right place, Margolyes is always good valuie to watch.  This show mixed stories from her life, with short performances of Dickens characters, bring them fully to life within a few seconds.  Her ability to swap around during dialogue, to introduce the right levels of pomposity, or avarice, or innocence, the swiftly changing body language, is a mini master class.  And the intonation and expressiveness of her voice shows just why she is in such demand to record audio books.

As an added bonus there was a short Q&A session, with her tour manager reading out a few queries from the audience.  As unfiltered as ever Miriam was swift to give her opinions.  It was good to hear a prminent Jewish voice condemning outright the current criminal and genocidal actions of the Israeli government, and saying what needs to be said about the likes of Trump and Farage - she is very defintely not a fan of either of these manipulative liars.  

Wonderful entertainment, a standing ovation, and it all felt far too short a time...

LOLA: A Flamenco Love Story, EICC, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

A Spanish widow leaves Franco's Spain for London, seeking a job which will allow her to send money back to her poor parents and children.  She gets a job as a cleaner, is miserable, desperate, and then finds love.  That's about it for a plot, simply conveyed with screen subtitles over the Spanish narration.

But this isn't really about the story, less so than an opera might be.  This is the vehicle for dance and music, prinairly flamenco style, but with modern touches.  The dancing is impressive, especially the male lead.  The music is good, and the use of flute for solos was a nice touch.  The singing is traditional flamenco style, well done, but an acquired taste.

It did get repetitive at times, and I'm not sure diehard flamenco fans would be impressed by the 'flamenco lite' approach.  But overall it was entertaining enough to avoid boredom, and had several highlights in the dance..

The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness, Surgeon's Hall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Starring Jasmin Gleason as the eponymous Philomena, this is the story of Irish nurse, reluctantly so, in Britain during the second world war.  She has drifted into the profession, largely because her mother had been one before her, but McGuinness is a different character to her mum.  She's a bit more of a dreamer, like her dad.  She describes herslef as a poet (despite haven written no verse), others are always calling her 'flighty'.

But she's faced with the harsh realities of nursing in wartime, of trying to fit in, of making friends, and of trying to remain who she sees herself as.  If she feels a bit of a phoney at first there is more than enough opportunity for that feeling to pass.  Her experience grows, but can that poetical soul, that flightiness, survive?

This is a story about who we are, how we, and others, see ourselves.  About women in wartime, and wider society, having to be so many things to different people.  Gleason is superb in making us feel we know this young Irish woman, and in portraying several other characters along the way.  She even finds time for a bit of audience interaction.  

A tremendous acheivement, an hour of laughs and sadness and a sesne of questioning.  Highly recommended.

Ordinary Decent Criminal, Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Frankie (Mark Thomas) is in prison.  Maybe not your typical con, as he's botha writer and a political activist.  But also a drug user, and, the thing that got him inside, drug dealer.  He's in a new prison, a much nicer one than the old Victorian institutions, with one prisoner to a cell and decent sanitation.  Frankie looks to survive as best he can, make firneds weho might protect him, make himself useful.  A writer is often in demand. 

There's a wide range of characters he interacts with, some violent, some needy and vulnerable, and a female prison officer with her own agenda.  Thomas plays them all, all carefully crafted and well delineated.  He also goes off script, true to his stand-up roots, and interacts with the audience to provide extra laughs.  It's a high energy performance (in a very hot room) that never falters and keeps the aiudience constantly engaged.  There's prison politics and the poutside world.  Reminders of revolution, of British political violence in Northern Ireland (one of the characters may, or may not, be a previous member of the IRA), the excesses of the Thatcher period, a prisoner who is in touch with the realites and hardships of the real world.

Funny. scary, thought provoking and never dull, this is an impressive perfromance of a wide ranging and well considered script.  Great stuff.

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

 For us the first was last, completing our viewing of this year's menu trio with number one on the list.  Which turned out to be the best of the set.

SUCH DREAMS AS STUFF IS MADE ON

When robbery and snobbery work together.  If you're going to be robbed you want it to be one that's going to impress the neighbours.  Even if that means giving the thieves a helping hand.  An amusing satire on social climbing and class pretensions.

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING ON THE PHONE

Two people on a bus, both on their phones, each with their own issues to deal with.  The one-sided conversations interlace to hilarious effect, but underneath are two tales os sadness.  Clever stuff, beautifully played.

THE GAFFER

It's the FA Cup final so you'd expect everyone to be keyed up and ready to go.  So why is the manager of the underdogs sitting it out and not bothering to give a team talk?  His assistant, and the club's psychiatirst, trt to understand to cajole, to bully if neccessary, but nothing seems to work.  A surreal twist provides the truth, in a world where reality and virtual reality are so hard to tell apart.  

EMERGENCY CONTACT

His ex has turned up at the hospital because she's still, years after they split, listed as his emergency contact.  So when she finds that it's only a broken arm she's not too happy at having to come.  And even less happy when there seems to be some manipulation going on.  Very funny comedy with a twist and killer punchline.

ANNND SCENE (OF THE CRIME)

When the police are called to the theatre to invesigate a murder within an improv group, they find that the actors are not going to behave like normal witnesses.  So if you can't beat 'em...  Very funny comedy with some excellent dialogue and an interesting premise.

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

 Strawberries, croissants and coffee.  And the next five plays on the menu.

SOMEPNE'S SITTING THERE

She's on a Tinder date, in a busy pub, and he's late.  The battle to keep him a seat is getting on her nerves.  So when he does eventually turn up... will it work out?  Because she has already shown us her high expectations.  This one was fun, farcical at times, but with a feelgood factor.

DADDY ISSUES

Finding the right sperm donor for a gay couple's pregnanacy can be tricky.  But what if the answer is close at hand?  Maybe you can even keep it in the family...   An unexpected proposition has unexpected consequences, and a moral dimension that's given as much thought as you could expect from a ten minute drama.  A nicely balanced piece.

FIGHTING MISS RIGHT

A first date, and she's sure she's found what she's looking for.  But the other she has bneen bured too often, and she has rules, hurdles to be overcome, before a relationship can move on.  Is there a way to jump those hurdles faster?  She'll do everything she can to find out...  Awkwardness, inventiveness, the minefield of dating, an intrgiuing take on what people will do to find and resist love.

TOP FLIGHT

On a plane to Gdansk two people are brought together into sharing the reasons for their being there.  Escape being one of them, so when the flight is forced to turn back there's reason to be concerned.  But sometimes the solution presents itself, and offers something neither party had thought might happen.  A short play with a twist.  A special mention to Rosie Edards for her hilarious cameo as the stewaress.

THE APPLE INSPECTOR

A farcical black comedy set on a cider farm.  Apples, romance, murder and legal complexities.  A bit daft really, and probably the weakest of the quintet, but a bit of fun to ned the show on.

Homo (sapien), Assembly Roxy Snug, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 A one man coming of age play written by, and starring, Conor O'Dwyer.

Joey is a bad gay.  At least he thinks so, primarily because he's in his early twenties and still hasn't had sex, despite several opportunities.  But maybe life is a bit more complicated than one night stands?  Maybe he just needs to understand himself a bit better.

O'Dwyer gives an energetic performance, with a cast of characterts well delineated, and emotional depth.  There are a lot of laughs, moments of pathos, and a solid reflection of what it's like to gorw up 'different', when you're not too sure who'll accept you as you are.  

Highly recommended, as both entertaining and thought perovoking.