Underbelly Cowgate

The Man on the Moor

06/08/17

Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh

The Man on the Moor is a monologue, written and performed by Max Dickins. And it’s really very good indeed. Inspired by the true story of an unidentified body found on Saddleworth Moor in 2015, it examines the idea of what it means to ‘go missing’ – and the impact a disappearance has on those who are left behind.

Dickins plays a man whose life has been profoundly affected by his father’s disappearance more than twenty years ago. He sees his father everywhere and, when he reads in the news about the body, he becomes absolutely convinced that the mystery body on the moor is, in fact, his dad. This belief quickly builds into an obsession.

It’s beautifully written – every word carefully weighted, the rhythm perfectly honed. And it’s performed well too: Dickins’ acting is at once compelling and understated. It’s a serious subject, emotionally charged. There are teary moments, and there is dread. But there is also humour, a mix of light and shade to leaven the atmosphere. The piece is nicely judged, and holds the audience’s attention throughout, no mean feat considering the unholy racket bleeding in from the corridor outside.

It’s sobering to be told that someone goes missing in Britain every eight minutes – and that every year, two thousand people disappear and never return. Shows such as this demonstrate the important role theatre can play in illuminating the pain and heartache of dealing with such loss, and maybe go some way towards encouraging people to actually try to make a difference, not least by raising awareness and collecting money for The Missing People charity (missingpeople.org.uk). A worthwhile project, and an engaging production.

4.7 stars

Susan Singfield

 

Yuri

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24/08/16

Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh

Who is Yuri? It’s a good question and one that lies at the heart of this entertaining and unsettling farce from August012, in association with Chapter Arts Centre and the National Theatre Wales. Maybe he’s exactly what he appears to be – a teenage Russian orphan, discovered by Adele (Carys Eleri) sitting amidst the pretty Christmas things in Lidl, all ready to be taken home. Or perhaps he symbolises the inevitable fears and anxieties visited upon any couple when they become parents for the first time, bringing a demanding, wordless stranger into their home and relationship. In any case, Adele and her husband, Patrick (Ceri Murphy), have been wanting a child for ages and now, it would seem, they have been blessed with one. But Yuri (Guto Wynne-Davis), is challenging to say the very least…

Despite being staged in one of the scuzziest venues on the Fringe, Yuri is a warm, absurd and, in many respects, rather scary play, that exerts a powerful pull on the audience’s emotions. The cast work hard to embody their characters – and do a fabulous job of it. There is a certain deftness at play here, which makes the complex issues at the heart of this piece seem somehow light and whimsical. It’s fascinating to watch. We might not always be entirely sure of what’s going on, but by golly, we aren’t bored for one moment.

This is a challenging piece that’s well worth seeking out.

4.8 stars

Philip Caveney and Susan Singfield

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

 

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

 

John Robertson: The Dark Room – Symphony of a Floating Head

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19/08/15

Underbelly, Cowgate, Edinburgh

Fancy watching a genuine phenomenon? One that’s built around a love of those text-based 80s video games where you are invited to choose various options in the hope of winning? Well, essentially that’s what The Dark Room is all about. There’s a £1000 prize on offer… and before you say something like ‘yeah, that’s not going to happen,’ let me assure you that host John Robertson told me that the prize has been won twice (on two consecutive nights) in 2015. So chew on that.

Let me set the scene for you. You’re in a damp, rather smelly room on Cowgate. Images flicker up on a rumpled screen. Then in strides Robertson, dressed in a manner that makes you think he must have loved Mad Max: Fury Road. (Well, he is Australian.) He climbs onto the stage and quickly takes control of the sizeable crowd. Robertson is very funny, slick, sharp-tongued and a bit of a bully. He immediately chooses his first contestant which as luck would have it, is me. He gives me the name Darren (he gives everyone this name) and I start haplessly choosing options while Robertson hurls abuse at me for everything I do. Inevitably, I am dead after just a few goes and I am assured that this is the fastest round ever played on the Fringe (i.e. I’m completely useless) He gives me a prize (a plastic starfish) and promptly moves on to other victims.

It’s fast, frenetic. One contestant has clearly had way too much to drink and starts to get lippy, but Robertson deals with him expertly, turning the man’s churlishness back on himself. A thirteen year old girl has a go and Robertson walks an expertly balanced tightrope between what’s acceptable in such a situation and what clearly isn’t. Apparently the game gets a lot of repeat custom as punters come back, having decided that next time they’ll surely make the right choices.

I’ll be honest, we really didn’t think this one would be for us… neither of us have played those text-based games or have the first idea of strategy, but it hardly matters. This is enjoyable stuff, often laugh-out-loud funny and it’s not long before you’ve memorised Robertson’s repeated lines and are shouting along with him. ‘You die, you die, you DIE!’

4.2 stars

Philip Caveney