Queen Dome

A Ghost Among the Living

13/08/26

Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), Edinburgh

There are regular visitors to The Fringe who we wouldn’t dream of missing. Box Tale Soup are one such company.

We first encountered then in 2023’s Casting the Runes, which we loved. 2025’s 1984 was even better. It’s not just that the two central performers are so accomplished. And it’s not that they make all the intricate sets themselves from recycled materials. It’s more that we’re always excited to see where they’ll go next.

This year they take on Edgar Allan Poe. We’re in!

Our narrator (Noel Byrne) takes to the stage and begins to recite Poe’s best-known poem, The Raven. But as he’s talking, a woman dressed in black (Antonia Christophers) prowls into the room and watches balefully from a distance as the narrator segues into another Poe classic, The Tell-Tale Heart. It’s clear that he’s aware of her presence and that her proximity has unnerved him… but who exactly is she? And what has drawn her to this event?

As the stories continue, she becomes the narrator’s assistant, helping him to manipulate those incredible puppets which illustrate each successive story in more detail. As ever, I marvel at the complex and brilliantly designed props that the twosome have conjured up; the incredible attention to detail. Every figurine, every lighting effect, every drape of fabric is a holistic part of the whole, so that there’s never any confusion as to where we are and who is who. As the narrative moves inexorably towards Poe’s masterpiece, The Masque of the Red Death, so the various pieces of the final puzzle slot perfectly together.

This may be Box Tale Soup’s finest achievement to date and I would urge lovers of horror, theatre, puppetry and set design to hurry along to the Queen Dome, where an absolute feast comprising all those different ingredients awaits you. 

But a warning for those of a nervous disposition: this is wonderfully creepy.

If you like it as much as we do (and I’m confident you will), please pass the word on. Productions like this are what the Fringe is all about.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

The Shocking Truth about Flat Earth

10/08/26

Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), Edinburgh

Most years at the Fringe we chance upon a show that’s so unashamedly good-natured and uproariously entertaining that it’s impossible to resist its pull – and more often than not, that show can be found at the Pleasance Dome. Coincidence? Or are there darker forces at work? (Cue eerie music.)

This year, that show rejoices under the unlikely title The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth – and the fact that the Queen Dome is absolutely sold out suggests that word has already got around about this feel-good lunchtime production. Meet Sharon Hargreaves (Emma Norman), a woman of a certain age, who – like a lot of characters at this year’s Fringe – is coming to terms with a bereavement, though in this case, it’s her beloved dog Sam who has… trotted off. Sharon is spending a little too much time on YouTube and is getting particularly interested in the titular topic, because – well, why not? You have to pass the hours somehow. Sharon’s best friend, Debs (Emma Thornett), is worried about Sharon and impulsively books two tickets for a trip to Las Vegas to watch Adele in concert. As you do.

But at the hotel where the twosome are staying, a Flat Earth Society is having a convention and somehow Sharon gets mistaken for guest speaker, Angela (Leonie Wall). Before she quite knows what’s happening, Sharon has er…agreed to lead an expedition to Patagonia to establish once and for all that the world really is flat. Accompanied by dim-witted online influencers, Bobby (Tom Dickerson) and Brodie (Wall, again), along with ‘just-passing-by’ explorer Dave (Michael Joseph), the intrepid Sharon sets off with high hopes and absolutely no skills whatsoever.

With a book and score by Alex Moneypenny and Adam Tuffrey, this Wolverhampton Grand Theatre production takes off at a sprint, Karl Steele ensuring that his directorial foot is kept firmly on the accelerator throughout. The five-strong cast work their socks off to deliver a hilarious and exhilarating series of songs, dances and quick-fire asides. There’s plenty of audience interaction, the singing and dancing is surprisingly impressive and, while we all kind of know that the expedition is going to ultimately slam into a brick wall because… flat earth… it matters not one jot. Bobby, Brodie & Co. have their red Make Earth Flat Again caps on and huge grins on their faces as the audience delivers a heartfelt standing ovation.

If you’re looking for something deep and meaningful, well, maybe look elsewhere. If on the other hand, you’re seeking an hour of pure unadulterated enjoyment, head for the Queen Dome without further delay – and don’t forget to take your protein bars. It’s a long hike to Patagonia.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney

One Man Musical

16/08/24

Queen Dome, Assembly, Edinburgh

Flo & Joan are established Fringe favourites, loved by many. I enjoy their quirky songs which are celebrations of all matter of unlikely subjects – waiting for an Amazon delivery, the weirdness of their parents’ ornaments, the pressures when siblings make music together… seemingly trivial subjects mined for their sheer silliness. But I’ve often wondered if they might one day apply their undoubted talents to a single theme.

One Man Musical is exactly that, a look at the life of a VERY famous musical theatre entrepreneur – let’s call him “Andy”. He’s played by George Fouracres with such absolute assurance, I can’t help wondering why he hasn’t come to my attention before. He sings, he dances, he tells jokes, he plays the world’s smallest piano and he gives a priceless demonstration of how not to talk to a member of the audience…

Flo & Joan (or Nicola and Rosie Dempsey if you prefer) take a back seat for this one, providing solid support on keyboards and drums respectively and somehow maintaining those trademark impassive expressions. (God knows how, since the sell-out audience spends pretty much the entire hour convulsed with laughter, me included.)

This is wonderfully irreverent stuff and the selection of songs, though as witty as ever, seem to benefit from sticking to one central premise. “Andy”, it turns out, has seen more successful days and is now coasting on his back catalogue. He strives valiantly not to be bitter, but his efforts are in vain. When he sees former partners doing well with other musical collaborators, he can’t resist sticking the knife in.

And he’s keen to point out that a humble white, upper-class, privately-educated lad like him, from a palatial home in England, has really had to struggle to make it in the cut-throat world of musical theatre. A soulful ballad to this effect almost makes me start to feel sorry for “Andy”… until he weighs in with the next bunch of sour grapes.

One Man Musical is an absolute delight and anyone in need of a good laugh should make their way to the Queen Dome where – unless the real “Andy” issues them with an injunction – the show will continue.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney