Edinburgh 2015

Sophie Pelham: Country Files

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25/08/15

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

Down the stairs in the cellar of the Pleasance Courtyard, Ms Vanessa Bluwer is waiting to greet you with a glass of cheap sherry and a miniature sausage roll. It’s a wonderfully informal start to this affectionate slice of character comedy. Ms Bluwer is, of course, just one of several people played by Sophie Pelham, all of them from rural Wiltshire and all doubtless based on observation of real people – or at least, so it seems. The characters include retired model-turned-Mum, Sulky Waterboat, the lecherous Lord Ponsonby and a pony-mad eight year old girl addicted to biscuits. There’s even a couple of animal characters thrown in for good measure, a relocated urban fox and a rapping badger (yes, really!)

There’s a meagre crowd for this event, which is a great shame because this charmingly ramshackle show is all based around Pelham’s hilarious exchanges with the audience and in the intimate confines of the cellar, this would have worked a whole lot better if there’d been more people for her to talk to. Her characters are nicely drawn and there are some genuinely funny lines in there, but it’s by no means perfect. She needs to find a way to streamline the proceedings and give us something more to do during her many costume changes, but overall there’s loads of potential here and I rather enjoyed the performance (even the bit where Ms Bluwer chose me as an assistant with whom to demonstrate mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!)

If you’re looking for something quirky and eccentric, this could be just the thing. And if you’ve a taste for sherry and sausage rolls… this line is made for you!

3.5 stars

Philip Caveney

old man’s Gift

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25/08/15

Venue 13, Lochend Close, Edinburgh

old man’s Gift (capitalisation theirs) is billed as a dark comedy. It tells the tale of four friends, using a birthday celebration to seek vengeance on the ‘old man’ who abused them in the past. It’s a student production, featuring four under-graduates from Trinity Saint David University in Carmarthen, and it’s clear that they’ve worked very hard to bring this drama to the fringe.

Sadly, however, it doesn’t really work. There are issues with all aspects of the production, from the script to the set design, from the direction to the performance style. None of it is quite convincing, and it doesn’t hang together well.

Let’s start with the set. It’s supposed to be a garden, or a patio, I think: the grounds of the old man’s house. There are chairs and a table, and – for some unfathomable reason – a fence. The fence stretches across the front of the stage, creating a barrier between the audience and the performers, which seems an odd thing to do in such a venue, where intimacy is perhaps the biggest selling point. It blocks a lot of the upstage action too, so that we cannot see the actors’ faces during several crucial scenes.

The script is problematic too. It’s not funny enough to work as a comedy, and there’s a strange intensity to the whole thing – a kind of teenage-angsty-melodrama vibe, where the emotions are cranked up to full volume throughout, with all four characters  yelling, hyperventilating and flouncing off the stage at every opportunity. Despite all the histrionics, it’s a curiously empty play, and none of the heartbreak feels even remotely real. The characters’ motivations are spurious (really – why does Liz swallow the condom instead of just hiding it in her hand?) and their relationships are somehow ‘off.’

The direction is also weak. There are so many exits and entrances that it’s almost like a farce – but without the precision and humour that a farce demands. The constant traffic isn’t helped by the fact that the stage is a wooden box, and the actors all wear ‘solid’ shoes, meaning that the sound reverberates around the room. The performances look like acting, with none of the natural ease that makes a drama good.

All in all, this play just didn’t work for us. It’s an ambitious project, but one that – this time – hasn’t quite paid off.

1.5 stars

Susan Singfield and Philip Caveney

Tom Neenan: The Andromeda Paradox

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24/08/15

Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh

Professor Bernard Andromeda has devoted his life to researching strange phenomena – so when a mysterious prehistoric artefact is discovered in a disused London tube station, his curiosity is immediately aroused – especially when said artefact is inscribed with his name. He sets about trying to discover its origins and finds himself embroiled in a mystery that will challenge his scientific beliefs to the core, one that leads to the realisation that alien forces are at work. Soon much of the population of London has been turned into hordes of zombies all chanting his name and he is the only man who can avert disaster…

Tom Neenan has written a wonderfully affectionate parody of Nigel Kneale’s landmark sci-fi tale, The Quatermass Experiment, in which he plays all the characters – from a strange German professor who has taken his experiments with flowers a bit too far, to Andromeda’s adoring female assistant who is prepared to use her feminine charms to help him solve the mystery. Neenan is an expert story teller and he milks the comic potential of the 50s setting with great skill, aided and abetted by a script that is laugh-out-loud funny – the scene where one of Neenan’s hands transforms into an adorable alien creature… ‘no bigger than my hand,’ is a particular delight. There’s wonderful stagecraft here too. A whole range of locations are evoked simply by the positioning of a table and chair and Neenan’s sweet posh-boy persona is exploited to the hilt.

The performance is peppered with plenty of in-jokes but you don’t need to be familiar with the original material in order to enjoy this deliciously silly slice of nonsense, which is designed to appeal to people of all ages. Fabulous stuff, I urge you to catch it.

4.5 stars

Philip Caveney

Tuk Tuk

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23/08/15

Leven Street, Edinburgh

Tuk Tuk, located at the top end of Leven Street, offers what it describes as ‘Indian Street Food.’ In essence this means that the diners select several small dishes (they recommend three to four per person) along with the usual sides of rice and naan, and everyone tries a bit of everything. The restaurant is spacious and roomy and there’s no licence, which means you’re encouraged to take your own alcoholic drinks (no corkage is charged.) This is refreshing because we all know that buying beer or wine on the premises can generally double your bill. There were four of us to dine on a Sunday evening, so  the place wasn’t particularly busy, but it took a while to get the attention of a waiter. When he came, however, he was perfectly affable.

We decided just to select two items per diner, which we would add to if needed and after a short interval, the dishes began to arrive. It quickly became apparent that some of them were very good, others average and one or two of them, rather unpleasant. The good dishes first: the Butter Chicken was deliciously creamy and satisfying, as was the Paina Lamb Karahi and the two Lamb Chops we were served were succulent and deliciously spiced.  Rather less successful were the the Bengali Fish Cakes, which were stodgy and flavourless, while the Bun Kebabs (two mini-burgers served with chips) had the consistency of fried hockey pucks while the chips were greasy and overcooked. Worst of all was something called Golgappa. The menu described it as a ‘very famous dish from Benares, you will have to taste it to experience it!’ Well, we followed the advice and that’s an experience we won’t be repeating any time soon.

The sides were rather average as well. The steamed rice was just so-so, while the naan breads (both plain and peshwari) were of the thin and disappointing persuasion. The bill, when it came, was very reasonable, around £15 per head, but I left with the conviction that with some attention to detail, this could be a more satisfying dining experience than it was.

3 stars

Philip Caveney

Edith in the Dark

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23/08/15

Momentum @ St Stephens, Stockbridge, Edinburgh

I was looking forward to seeing this play. I loved E. Nesbit’s books when I was a child (although, even at eight years old, I used to laugh at their over-privileged world-view – expecting readers to identify with a family whose idea of poverty means only being able to afford the one servant to do all the cooking and cleaning), and was intrigued to learn that she had also written a collection of ghost stories for adults. The play’s premise is strong: Edith meets a fan, and reads some of these stories to him, allowing us some insight into the author’s world, as well as bringing the ghostly tales to life.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t really work here. We’re told that the stories are dark and horrifying, but then they are played for laughs; the tone is so muddled it becomes incoherent. It’s not funny enough to work as a comedy, and it’s not frightening at all. Playwright Philip Meeks acknowledges a debt to the old Amicus horror films (“They’re schlocky and almost camp…”) and that’s clearly the angle director Keith Hukin is aiming for here, but he doesn’t really pull it off. It all ends up seeming just a little bit silly, which is a shame, because it could have been so good.

Blue Merrick, as Edith, is clearly a talented actor, and she manages to hold the piece to some extent. But she’s wasted on this material, and her fellow actors don’t fare as well in their supporting roles. It’s dispiriting stuff: four people walk out half way through the piece, and I can’t say I blame them. It’s a rare sunny day in Edinburgh, and there are far better places to be than this.

2 stars

Susan Singfield and Philip Caveney

Fully Committed

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24/08/15

Underbelly Potterrow (Venue 358)

We all know Marcus Brigstocke as a stand up comedian and radio show host, but can he act? On the strength of Fully Committed, the answer is a resounding yes. This sprightly one-hander tells the story of Sam Peliczowski, an affable out of work actor who, for the moment at least, has the more mundane task of running the reservation phone lines at Manhattan’s most exclusive restaurant. We join him at the beginning of an absolute day from hell, when his co-worker has failed to turn up and Sam is left to run the show single-handed. But didn’t I say that this was a one-hander? Well, yes, because the trick here is that Brigstocke voices all the characters that Sam speaks to on the phone lines (40 of them in total) supplying their respective accents and mannerisms into the bargain. It’s a monumental undertaking and the script must have been a nightmare to memorise, but Brigstocke handles it effortlessly, giving us amongst others, a foul mouthed Bronx chef, an anxious female socialite and his own father. Most of the characters are American and the wonder is that the audience never struggles to know which character is speaking at any given point.

For the first few minutes, I wasn’t sure the play was going to work, but once into his stride, Brigstocke manages to convey the madness and anxiety of the situation spelled out in Becky Mode’s frothy script, snapping from character to character at lightning speed and as the demands on Sam become ever more frenetic, you can’t help feeling for him.

This is classy stuff and Brigstocke seizes the opportunity to extend his range. Catch it before it’s gone.

4.2 stars

Philip Caveney

Markus Birdman – Grimm Realities

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22/08/15

Canon’s Gait, Edinburgh

There’s an absolute multitude of acts available on Edinburgh’s Free Fringe this year and we rather liked the sound of Grimm Realities, even though it meant squashing ourselves into a hot and sweaty cellar room in order to experience it. Birdman is an interesting character. He’s done plenty of regular stand up work, over the years, but because he’s also an illustrator (as a child, he was made to draw bible stories by his preacher-man father) he decided this year to integrate his artistic endeavours into his set. And it works well.

It’s mostly about a father’s anxieties as his 10 year old daughter takes her first tentative steps into adolescence, and Birdman’s sly, witty patter is punctuated with extracts from two illustrated books he’s produced, twisted versions of the classic fairytales Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Pages from the books are displayed on a screen by way of a visualiser –  essentially a souped up version of an OHP. As you might expect, Birdman’s versions are franker than the originals, spelling out the issues that the Grimm brothers could only allude to. (If you’re in any doubt, Birdman makes regular use of an insert with the words ‘This is an metaphor’ printed on it.

It’s appealing stuff. When Birdman asks if there’s a father and daughter in the audience, Grace and I seem to be the only ones who qualify (or at least, the only ones willing to own up.) This let’s us in for plenty of comic asides and knowing looks. And as a father who published a book that was originally written for his daughter, I found a lot here to identify with.

So, if you’re in Edinburgh and your finances are running low, make your way to Canon’s Gait and grab a pass for the afternoon show. It’s cheek by jowl down there, but well worth the effort.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

Alfie Brown: -ism

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22/08/15

The Box, Assembly George Square Theatre, Edinburgh

Alfie Brown exudes promise. He’s seething with potential brilliance, and some of this uneven set is genuinely great. There’s real ambition on show here; this is not a cosy, resting-on-the-comedy-laurels kind of gig at all. And when it works, it really works.

Brown has an engaging intensity; he clearly sees comedy as a vehicle for challenging perceived wisdoms, and pushes himself (and the audience) to think beyond the obvious. He never seems to go for the easy laugh – even when, quite honestly, it might help the show along. There are some routines, such as the brutally honest tale of his relationship with Jessie Cave, where he is in total command of his material, and the audience responds really well. But the set lacks a coherent structure, and peaks and troughs in odd places. The final section, an attempt to discuss political posturing and the pointlessness of preaching to the converted, has the makings of a fine routine, but is derailed somewhat by the audience’s reluctance to answer his question about our own political views (I, in fact,  did volunteer a response, but I was the only one), and never really recovers from this, failing to reach any sort of conclusion, or even provoke a lot of thought. Still, I’d rather watch this ambitious young comedian experiment with an idea that doesn’t quite come off, than sit through an hour of safe crowd-pleasing with someone better-known (and there’s a lot of that about, of course).

Take a chance; give him a go. I think he will be really big one day.

4 stars

Susan Singfield

Aunty Donna

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21/08/15

Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh

I didn’t think I liked sketch comedy. I don’t, much, when it’s on TV – when ideas and catchphrases are repeated throughout an entire season, and it all gets a little bit dull.

I discovered tonight, however, that I might like sketch comedy when it’s live – I liked this sketch comedy, anyway. They’re certainly popular; the venue was packed. It’s great to see strong acts getting the audiences they deserve.

Aunty Donna are three Aussie blokes (Broden Kelly, Zachary Ruane and Mark Samual Bonanno) and their frenetic, silly, high-octane antics kept the audience truly entertained. There was never a let-up in the pace (within minutes the trio were raining sweat upon the front row) and the sheer variety of sketches was most impressive. Standouts included the Bubble Bath Boys (who’d hijacked the show), a scene about taking in a ‘stray man’ and the recurring trope of ‘the man who…’ – a delightful piece of whimsy, which really made me laugh.

The ideas are all drawn together nicely at the end, making this a perfect choice for a Friday night show: it’s energetic, irreverent and a whole lot of fun.

4 stars

Susan Singfield

Sarah Kendall: A Day In October

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21/08/15

Assembly, George Square, Edinburgh

You’ll find plenty of stand-ups at the Fringe, good, bad and indifferent but Sarah Kendall works differently to most other comedians. In ‘A Day in October’ she gives us what is essentially a protracted exercise in skilful storytelling, something that’s clearly based around real life experiences she had in her youth, in Newcastle, Australia. From her vivid descriptions of the inhabitants, it wasn’t on the tourist routes. This is the story of George Peach, a boy at her school who was constantly bullied and it’s about the awful accident that turned his life around.

Kendall really excels here, building the story piece-by-piece, layer-by-layer, dropping a whole bunch of clues that really should warn us about what she’s going to do, but at the same time, expertly misdirecting us so that the final twist, when it comes, is absolutely shattering. I don’t want to give the impression that this is not brilliant comedy: it is, and those in search of a good laugh will not be disappointed. But there’s also a deeper intelligence at work here, something which elevates this show above much of the competition.

The term ‘comedy gold’ is often used but rarely as thoroughly deserved as it is here.

5 stars

Philip Caveney