Edinburgh Fringe 2023

Mystery House

09/08/23

Gilded Balloon Teviot (Turret), Edinburgh

Mystery House is screenwriter Wendy Weiner’s account of a genuine place, Winchester House. Created by the widow of the man behind ‘the rifle that won the West’, it has been a source of conjecture since its foundation stones were laid in 1866.

After her husband died from tuberculosis, Sarah ‘Sally’ Winchester devoted her life to creating this bizarre sprawling mansion with over two hundred rooms, where building work continued non-stop for thirty eight years until her death in the 1920s. 

Was it because she was terrified of what might happen to her if she ever allowed the work to cease? Well, that’s the official line, anyway… Because, of course, the Mystery House is said to be haunted. In fact, Weiner begins her talk with a disclaimer. If anything of a supernatural nature should occur, she cannot be held responsible for our safety. This sounds weirdly promising, though the show doesn’t really deliver on that score.

Instead, Weiner shines a light on the ways in which women are so often diminished, their pursuits limited purely because they are women – something that Weiner herself has experienced in her brushes with the House of Mouse (Disney Studios). She skilfully interweaves other narratives into her presentation too: the story of her father and his battle with cancer and an account of Abraham Lincoln’s widow, Mary Todd, and the shoddy treatment she received after her husband’s assassination.

Weiner is a confident and likeable performer and she handles the various strands of the story with aplomb, cutting effortlessly back and forth as the narrative unfolds. And yes, the Winchester House does seem a fascinating place to visit, even if the promotional guides have amped up some of the creepier details.

The promotion for this monologue suggests that it’s heading into darker territory than it actually visits, and there’s part of me that would like to see that side developed a little more – but this is nonetheless a fascinating insight into the place that was the inspiration for Disney’s Haunted Mansion.

3.8 stars

Philip Caveney

The Baron and the Junk Dealer

03/08/23

Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

Okay, so the Festival doesn’t officially start until the 4th, but it would seem rude not to fit in an extra show when it’s right there for the seeing. The Baron and The Junk Dealer comes from the team behind The George Lucas Talk Show and concerns the adventures of two mysterious fugitives, who are the only survivors of a disastrous crash-landing on a desolate planet. It’s the kind of premise that traditionally calls for a decent production budget but this is the Fringe, and the charming shonkiness of the props somehow works in its favour. A ‘rescue pod’ which is actually an adapted one-person tent, operated by a stagehand, is a particular delight.

The Baron (Connor Ratliff) is a self-important sort, who dresses like a cross between an archbishop and a death metal guitarist. By contrast, the Junk Dealer (Griffin Newman) is twitchy and paranoid, liable to kick off at the slightest thing – and considering the two of them have virtually no provisions, he kicks off quite a lot. It’s also clear from the outset that both characters are hiding something about their respective pasts. As the two men wait for rescue a sort of Godot-like atmosphere prevails.

The snarky, deadpan script, written by Ratfliff, incorporates some interesting twists and turns, and makes wry observations about the nature of storytelling. It’s by turns acidly funny and thought-provoking.

However, as this is a play where we need to hear every word clearly, it’s a shame that Newman is hampered by a novelty elephantine nose, which hangs in front of his mouth and sometimes obscures what he’s saying. The acoustics are further impeded by a noisy air-conditioning unit.

Despite these reservations, I thoroughly enjoy the play and its clever observations. Fans of science fiction in particular will find this play suitably diverting and, for a non-believer like me, BATDD makes for an interesting and unusual start to Fringe 2023.

3. 2 stars

Philip Caveney