Evil

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12/08/16

Spotlites, Edinburgh

Evil is nobody’s idea of a fun day out at the theatre. It’s an emotionally demanding piece.

A searing monologue, adapted by Benny Haag from a novel by Jan Guillou, it’s brilliantly performed by Jesper Arin. It’s the story of Erik, a young Swedish boy who has been systematically brutalised by his father (‘the old man’ as Erik habitually refers to him), ritually beaten on an everyday basis. When the chance finally comes for him to escape to a prestigious boarding school, Erik jumps at the chance; but it isn’t long before he realises that the institution – Stjarnhov near Stockholm – is every bit as vicious as the place from which he has recently fled.

Arin is a compelling actor – he lays out the story in a cool, matter-of-fact tone, never flinching from detail, drawing us completely into the narrative. Perhaps it’s the fact that I had a school background that was horribly similar to the events outlined here, that made this story so personally affecting; or perhaps its simply that it’s so beautifully written, it would have the same affect on just about anyone. Whatever the case, this is a remarkable piece of storytelling that deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible.

Just don’t expect to come out laughing…

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney

The Free Association Presents: The Wunderkammer

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12/08/16

Gilded Balloon @ The Counting House, Edinburgh

The Wunderkammer by Do Not Adjust Your Stage is an improv show with a difference. Rather than responding to audience suggestions – a formula we’re surely all accustomed to by now – the eight-strong team relies instead on invited guests speakers to provide them with inspiration.

It’s an interesting strategy, adding another dimension to the show and unleashing the potential for ideas to fly in all directions.

First up today we have magician Kevin Quantum. His tale of a half finished PhD and a discussion on the ethics of magic are both fascinating, if somewhat overshadowed by the impressive magic trick he performs at the end (how did he do that?), and pave the way for the troupe to develop some outlandish improvisations. Next up is Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, knighted for his role in cloning Dolly the sheep, who talks about gene selection and designer babies. It’s a more serious topic, perhaps too serious for the improvisations it sparks, which inevitably trivialise the scientific work that inspire them. There are some laughs though, not least when Matthew Stevens steps in, in role, to question the validity of the pseudo-science being spouted.

It’s a neat idea, with the benefit of built-in callbacks to ideas from the speeches, and, if it’s a little ramshackle, it’s endearingly so. These young performers aren’t quite as fluent as improv veterans such as Stu Murphy or Garry Dobson, but they’re entertaining nonetheless, and show a lot of promise. If you’ve a spare hour at lunchtime, you could do a lot worse than spend it here.

3.5 stars

Susan Singfield

Paper Hearts : the Musical

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11/08/16

Underbelly Med Quad, Edinburgh

Paper Hearts is the story of Atticus Smith (Adam Small), a lowly bookshop assistant who, in his spare time, is banging away on the keys of a manual typewriter, trying to write a bestselling novel. His life takes an interesting turn when he meets and promptly falls in love with Lilly Sprockett (Gabriella Margulies), who, it transpires is working for (and having a relationship with) Atticus’s villainous Dad, Roger (David Mullen), the head honcho at mega-publishers, Random Books. Atticus and Roger have been estranged for years. When Atticus learns that his father intends to buy the bookshop – probably with the intention of turning it into luxury apartments – he starts to think that his life is ruined. But then he hears about a book competition offering a huge cash prize… a competition that is funded by Random Books.

Anybody hoping for a realistic exposé of the publishing business should look elsewhere. The plot is quite ridiculous; no publishing house in the world has ever carried on in such an unprofessional fashion. If, on the other hand, you have a liking for plaintive songs, brilliant musicianship and a shot of good old-fashioned romance, then this just might be the show for you. I sat there entranced as the ten-strong cast moved effortlessly around a stage with the general dimensions of a postage-stamp, singing, playing instruments, swapping costumes and switching roles with consummate skill. This production could have been designed purely to illustrate the meaning of the word ‘ensemble.’ Choreographer Lindsay McAllister deserves a lot of praise for making this flow so effortlessly.

I like the way the story cuts back and forth between Atticus’s own story and Angel Star, the Dr Zhivago-esque novel that he’s working so feverishly on. I loved the concept of a literary face-off between rival members of the cast and the suggestion (so true) that writers use their fiction to put right the things that never go well for them in real life. Like most others attending this packed performance, I left with a big smile on my face, humming the closing number. Which, for a show like this, is exactly as it should be.

If you like books and you like musicals, then there’s every chance that you’ll enjoy Paper Hearts just as much as I did.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney (ahem… novelist)

Bridget Christie: Mortal

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11/08/16

The Stand, Edinburgh

Bridget Christie’s 2016 Edinburgh Show, Mortal, is essentially a rallying cry – yes, it’s funny and yes, she’s still shows she’s one of the best comedians of the modern age, but this is really a post-Brexit call to arms. “We risk the total collapse of social cohesion in this country,” she says – and we need to do something about it. We can’t rely on our politicians; they’ve proven themselves to be corrupt and incompetent. But we are not powerless, and we can, for example, stand up and object when we see acts of racism (which have increased five-fold since the ‘leave’ side won – and no, of course not every leave voter is racist but, by God, those who are certainly feel empowered).

She’s angry – that much is clear. So angry about the reckless way that David Cameron has gambled with the nation’s future, that she has abandoned her planned show about mortality and written this new one in response to the Brexit debacle. It’s too important – too compelling a subject for her to ignore.

Christie has an energy that somehow makes her apoplectic rants endearing; she physicalises her fury like an impotent toddler, which aptly symbolises the way many of us feel in the wake of the EU referendum. An extended routine lambasting Michael Gove’s “people in this country have had enough of experts” nonsense is both hilarious and devastating, and her take-down of the Daily Mail is particularly acute.

Hurrah, then for Bridget, and commiserations to us all. We’re totally fucked. But at least she makes us laugh while she articulates the shit we’re in.

5 stars

Susan Singfield

John Robertson: The Dark Room (2016)

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10/08/16

Underbelly, Cowgate, Edinburgh

We hardly ever go back to see the same show again, but in John Robertson’s case we made an exception (and besides, this show is different every time). Incredibly, he’s been hosting this weird text-based adventure game in the same location every August for five years. But clearly his fame is spreading. On this rainy Edinburgh night, the dark dinghy ‘White Belly’ room is packed with fans and it soon becomes apparent that a lot of them are return bookings. Some might say they’ve simply been lured by the prospect of winning the £1000.00 prize money. A couple of people have actually won it but really, winning is hardly the point. The pleasure to be had here comes from the interplay between the insanely potty-mouthed Robertson and his luckless victims (AKA the audience).

He strides on in his leathers and fairy lights and proceeds to take the place apart. Pretty soon he has the whole place roaring along with him and he seems to feed on the energy of the crowd, becoming ever more manic, ever more animated. Between this and his ‘Arena Tour’ standup show, it’s been a great year for Robertson at the Fringe. Go along to the Dark Room if you’re up for a good laugh, because that’s exactly what you’ll get. If you’re lucky enough to be chosen as a contender, he will pick on you, he’ll sneer at you and he’ll even call you Darren. What’s not to like?

4.8 stars

Philip Caveney

 

The One Legged Man Show

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10/08/16

Spotlites, Edinburgh

Nils Bergstrand is the one-legged man in question, and this auto-biographical show charts his attempts to come to terms with losing a limb. He was shot in a bar in Thailand one fateful New Year’s eve (wrong place, wrong time – the bullet was never meant for him), and the subsequent amputation changed his life forever. Here, he uses musical theatre as a kind of catharsis, performing a series of original cabaret songs that take us through the dark times until we emerge to see a present that looks remarkably bright.

Bergstrand has a lovely singing voice, and there are moments here that evoke real tears (the song where he begs his girlfriend not to leave him alone is a standout). His diaries from the past reveal  a tendency towards the poetic, and it’s certainly an affecting tale.

It does all feel a little earnest, a little – dare I say? – American, with the kind of self-help vibe that always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. And the piano is too loud at times, so that I can’t hear all of the lyrics to some of the songs. But, overall, it’s a story worth hearing, and it’s great to know Nils has the happy ending he deserves.

3 stars

Susan Singfield

 

James Acaster: Reset

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09/08/16

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

James Acaster establishes a positive atmosphere within seconds of appearing on stage. ‘You’re my ideal audience,’ he tells us, ‘Exactly this audience. Each of you. Sitting in those exact places.’ It’s a ridiculous conceit, but it works – and ensures an easy rapport that serves him well throughout the set.

Despite being in one of the Fringe’s larger venues (the 320 seat Pleasance One), the show’s a sell-out and that’s no surprise. Acaster’s TV presence means that people have heard of him and, when there are so many shows to choose from, familiarity is a simple short-cut in the selection process. But his popularity is deserved: his observational humour operates on a micro-level of scrutiny, and his flights of fancy are charming and well-controlled.

The concept here is ostensibly starting over, ‘resetting’. What would you do differently if you could erase the past and begin again? But it’s not really much about that at all. There’s an extended bit about a honey-scam that’s very funny indeed, and some wry asides about Brexit and peppermint tea. It’s all very accessible and good-natured, and the hour flies by far too quickly. My nephew, who’s with us tonight and has seen Acaster live before, says the 2014 ‘Recognise’ show was even better, but this one is well worth watching nonetheless.

I’d urge you to get a ticket, but you probably can’t. He seems to have sold out his whole run. Kudos to him; he deserves it.

4.7 stars

Susan Singfield

Tom Neenan: Vaudeville

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09/08/16

Underbelly, Med Quad

Tom Neenan is a brilliant raconteur. At last year’s festival he beguiled us with his riff on the Professor Quatermass stories of Nigel Kneale. This year, his influences seem to have come from the Amicus portmanteau films of the 60s and 70s.

We are seated in near darkness when Neenan, dressed as a security guard, enters by torch light. We quickly learn that it’s his birthday and he sits down to enjoy a celebratory Lucozade – then does a wonderful double take as he realises he’s not alone.

He tells us that we are in an old theatre and that there are many stories associated with it. He goes on to regale us with three dark tales in which, as ever, he plays every character, switching effortlessly from role to role. We’re told about a lovelorn magician and his evil ventriloquist’s dummy, Mr Nibbles (shades of Cavalcanti’s Dead of Night, here) then there’s the story of a celebrated Shakespearian actor and his deadly rivalry with a critic (Theatre of Blood?) and finally the tale of an ambitious teenage ballet dancer prepared to give everything in order to win a regional prize. As is customary in such constructions, there’s a final, brilliant twist in the tale, one that ingeniously makes us, the audience, part of the show. It’s brilliant stuff. I read recently that Neenan started off in a double act with Nish Kumar and I would be fascinated to see how that worked, since I can’t think of two more diverse performers.

Vaudeville  was sold out the afternoon we saw it and fully deserved to be. If you can get a ticket for this, do so. You won’t be disappointed.

4.8 stars

Philip Caveney

The Trial

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08/08/16

Summerhall, Edinburgh

Adapted by People Zoo Productions, as part of the Rose Bruford College season at Summerhall, Franz Kafka’s ultimate tale of paranoia and alienation is presented here as an absurd farce with the volume cranked up to eleven. On his 30th birthday, Josef K (William J Holstead) wakes one morning to find himself under arrest. He has no idea what his supposed crime is or even exactly who is accusing him, but he has embarked on a slippery downward path that will eventually lead him to his own destruction.

This stylish and thought-provoking production has already won a couple of prestigious awards at this year’s Manchester Fringe Festival and it’s easy to see why. There are elements of physical theatre here (the stage combat is particularly assured) and characters are played in a grotesque, almost cartoonish fashion. The scene in which K is instructed to beat three teenage girls in order to prove his innocence is particularly chilling. I liked the simple but effective staging of the story and the way in which the six strong cast switched effortlessly from character to character, providing their own musical accompaniment along the way.

It’s always daunting to take on such a famous work but People Zoo rise to the challenge. This powerful and effective play, ably directed by Craig Sanders, is definitely one to watch at this year’s fringe.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

Sarah Kendall: Shaken

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08/08/16

Assembly George Square Studios, Edinburgh

I am in awe of Sarah Kendall. Her story-telling skills are extraordinarily good. There is real artfulness in the way she manipulates her audience, expounding all the tricks she employs before using them to full effect. It’s clever, canny stuff – and I love it.

In Shaken, she returns to her adolescence in Newcastle, Australia – a topic that served her equally well in last year’s A Day in October. The hapless George Peach even puts in another appearance, although he’s very much a bit player in this year’s tale. This time, Kendall is ostensibly analysing why storytelling is so important to her, but the main focus is an account of a lie she told when she was just thirteen, and how the resulting attention was so intoxicating, it made her careless of the consequences. And we know all along that it’s not quite true (“The gist of it is true,” she tells her therapist in an opening sequence; she’s clarifying her position right from the start), but she draws us in, beguiles us with a Google ‘fact check’, makes us laugh and squirm and, in the end – damn it, she’s done it again – she makes us cry.

Sarah Kendall was by far the best comedian we saw at last year’s Fringe, and Shaken is another triumph. Her performance is spell-binding, deceptive in its apparent simplicity. She deserves the attention she so clearly craves. Give it to her. Buy a ticket. It’s not a purchase you’ll regret.

5 stars

Susan Singfield