Edinburgh 2016

Chris Dugdale: Full Circle

 

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14/08/16

Assembly George Square, Edinburgh

‘I don’t believe it!’

I seem to be turning into Victor Meldrew. Those words have just tumbled, unbidden, from my lips. Because on a small stage, just a few feet in front of me, magician Chris Dugdale has made something impossible happen. And it’s just one of a whole series of impossible things. As I watch, entranced, objects vanish and reappear, cards mysteriously change suit, a scrambled Rubik’s cube appears to solve itself right in front of me. And it doesn’t stop there. There are also the mind control elements. One poor woman is manipulated into a state where she is unable to read a simple word on a card. A brief gesture from Chris and she can read it. Another flourish and once again, she’s tongue-tied. Don’t even ask about the bottle of wine…

We first encountered Chris Dugdale at last year’s fringe and were impressed by his show, but Full Circle is even better. Chris is a likable chap with a roguish air who has an easy rapport with his audience. He charms us, he baffles us and he sends us on our way asking each other, ‘How did he do that?’ Tricks appear to go wrong, but then he reveals that the illusion was way more complicated than we supposed. You thought we were doing this but… it was actually THIS! Cue the gasps of astonishment from everyone watching. ‘No way!’ I hear somebody whisper and I agree one hundred percent.

For a final close up magic routine, Chris invites a whole bunch of us onto the stage to witness his incredible sleight of hand techniques. I watch intently, determined to spot something… anything that will give me a clue as to how he is doing these unbelievable things. But there’s nothing. He must be made of magic. There’s simply no other explanation. One hundred years ago he’d have been burned as a witch.

If you see only one magic show at the fringe this year, go for Full Circle. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Rhys Nicholson: Bona Fide

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13/08/16

Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh

We chanced on Nicholson at last year’s festival and were glad we did, as he seemed to offer something fresh and invigorating (I’m making him sound like a shower gel!) to the world of stand up. This year, he’s graduated to a bigger performance space and his presentation is stronger, more confident than before. He presents an unlikely figure in the dank confines of the Delhi Belly at Cowgate, impossibly skinny and clad in a sequinned jacket. What is it about Newcastle Australia that turns out such interesting characters? Both Nicholson and Sarah Kendall appear to have had almost the same childhood – overweight, bullied and unable to step onto a beach (about the only thing to do in Newcastle Australia) without breaking out in hives.

Nicholson has a bitchy, ironic way of telling a story, that’s as caustic as it is funny, even if the content isn’t particularly original. Subjects range from Rhys getting horribly drunk at a wedding reception, through the observation that the various factions of the gay community seems to be acquiring more letters as a way of describing themselves, to a long treatise on the subject of masturbation, something he claims to be a world expert at. He also talks about voicing a gay reindeer in a commercial for Aardman Animation and then being blamed for setting the world of gay rights back by years with that ‘ridiculous voice,’ even though he was only using his regular speaking voice! Go figure.

Nicholson is a real talent and nearing the top of his game. Amidst the plethora of comics currently treading the boards at this year’s Ed Fest, he’s one that’s well worth seeking out.

4.4 stars

Philip Caveney

 

Orlando Baxter: Suspensions, Detentions and Summer Vacations

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13/08/16

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

Orlando Baxter used to be a teacher, the sort of teacher whose vocation is founded on a desire to ‘give back,’ to provide the same inspiration to troubled teens as a former mentor did for him. Mr Miller, name-checked in the show, clearly did a good job: young Orlando rose from his disadvantaged roots (absent father, drug-addicted mother, poverty, the projects) to be the first in his family to graduate from high school, then college, before making a career for himself as an educator.

It’s clear throughout that he really cared for the kids he taught, even if, ultimately, his ambitions lay elsewhere. Comedy was, he tells us, always where his heart really lay – and his students called him out on his ‘follow your dreams’ inspirational shtick, pointing out he wasn’t following his own advice. And so he did. And education’s loss is comedy’s gain.

Okay, so he doesn’t seem quite like the finished product: a lot of his set is purely anecdotal, sounding a lot like the unvarnished truth without that extra push towards a punch line that would elevate its comedic impact. But he had a strong stage presence and is immensely likeable; he certainly has the potential to be very good indeed. He has an easy manner and interacts effectively with the audience, generously allowing time to explore one particular man’s response to what must surely have been intended as a rhetorical question. He handles this well, making space to find the joke without derailing the show.

Baxter may be critical of the US education system, but ultimately he’s a good ambassador for it. I think this man is one to watch.

3.9 stars

Susan Singfield

Stuart Goldsmith: Compared To What?

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13/06/16

Liquid Rooms Annexe, Edinburgh

We’re familiar with Stuart Goldsmith’s name mostly through his Comedian’s Comedian podcasts, where he interrogates a whole host of comics at every level of their game, something he’s clearly very good at. But the inevitable question is, does he cut it as a stand-up himself?

Well, on this showing, yes, very much so. He’s appearing on the Free Fringe at the Liquid Room Annexe and it’s a good job we arrive early because by the time the lengthy queue has shuffled inside, it’s standing room only. Goldsmith has a lively and attractive personality and he’s written some excellent gags for this show. The content is broadly observational, much of it centring on his new role as a parent. In his worldview, having a child is pretty much synonymous with the end of any enjoyment in life and I can’t help hoping he’s exaggerating for comic effect. There are some terrific one-liners. ‘We’ve lost some great rock items this year. Lemmy, Prince, David Bowie. Sting… hopefully.’ He also bangs on about having to leave London and move to ‘the country,’ as though there’s no such thing as life outside the capital. We beg to differ!

There are plenty of laughs to be had here and, as is customary at all gigs on the ‘free fringe,’ you pay what you think the show is worth. Our ultimate verdict? Worth queuing for.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

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

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