FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews at a Glance
For full length versions of these reviews see list.co.uk/festival
Antiwords ●●●●● The play tells the story of a meeting between a brewer and a persecuted politician, and relies on exaggerated gesture and intimate physical moments to communicate its storyline. This piece requires an open mind and some intense concentration, but there is value in it. If you do go, let’s hope you’re the type of person who enjoys a quiet beer. (Rebecca Monks) Summerhall, 560 1581, until 30 Aug (not 24), 8.25pm, £12 (£10). As Is ●●●●● Thirty years after its premiere Off-Broadway, William M Hoffman’s Tony Award-nominated play about the impact of HIV/AIDS on the LGBT community in 1980’s New York still has the power to move and infuriate, in this often brilliant production at the Bedlam Theatre. The play’s message is love: love of life, the love of one another. (Alex Eades) Bedlam Theatre, 629 0430, until 30 Aug, 11.30am, £10 (£8). Back to Blackbrick ●●●●● By the end it’s a truly poignant reflection on memory, family and fate, brought vividly alive in a big, warm hug of a show. It has the same crisp, incisive direction (here from Alex Howarth) that Patch of Blue have showed in a string of previous Fringe successes, and a fine, multi-part- playing cast. (David Kettle) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 3.30pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9). Blake Remixed ●●●●● Hip hop performer Testament is disarmingly charming. His story contains dramatic episodes and the rapping, even when he is impersonating the young offenders, is on point. Yet until the drama and the mundane are integrated, this remains a work in progress. (Gareth K Vile) Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 29 Aug, 10.15pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Blow ●●●●● Less sordid than its name suggests, this black comedy monologue is less about the sex and more about the fantasy. Peppered with cleanly drawn characters, so bad they’re good similes and a sinister twist, Blow reveals a man whose actions must catch up with him. (Susannah Radford) Run ended. Disorder ●●●●● Bipolar disorder is still a subject of much confusion, fear and stigma for many. Based on the experiences of one of the writers, Disorder looks at the subject with delicacy and honesty in a touching, if flawed, play. It is good to see a subject tackled that deserves a good deal more attention. (Alex Eades) C nova, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 2.30pm, £8.50– £10.50 (£6.50–£8.50). Boris: World King ●●●●● David Benson bears an uncanny resemblance to Boris Johnson, superbly capturing the stuttering mannerisms for which he is now famous, led on by a script that, while humorous, also reveals the character as a quietly dark and predatory figure, which lends the piece a more sinister and creepy tone. (Alex Eades) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, £8–£10.50 (£7–£9.50). Eating Seals and Seagulls’ Eggs ●●●●● Don’t be put off by the subject matter. ‘Ireland’s most hated woman’ of this show’s Fringe programme description is Peig Sayers, a peasant from the Blasket Islands off the country’s west coast. Caitríona Ní Mhurchú (superb as a defiant, arrogant Sayers) and co-star Louise Lewis deliver a compelling hour of moving, challenging theatre, as theatrically inventive as it is intellectually rewarding. (David Kettle) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 24), 1.05pm, £7–£10 (£6-£9). Electric Dreams ●●●●● You’ve got to admire theatre company Dumbshow’s ambition. Transforming the ideas in Naomi Klein’s vast and incendiary tome The Shock Doctrine into a convincing piece of theatre is an overwhelming undertaking, but they’ve pulled it off magnificently – and succeeded in bringing a lot of emotion and humour 88 THE LIST FESTIVAL 20–31 Aug 2015
What I Learned from Johnny Bevan
into their pitch-black mix too. (David Kettle) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 24), 3.50pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10). Filthy Talk for Troubled Times ●●●●● Neil LaBute has a reputation for macho scripts: this, an early piece that roves around the club scene of 1990s’ America, does nothing to dispel that perception. The ugliness of the attitudes displayed, however, is expressed without judgement. It is a bleak vision of the world, and a sharp contrast to the increasingly sympathetic and intimate stories of contemporary theatre. (Gareth K Vile) Basic Mountain, 226 0000, until 31 Aug (not 25, 27), times vary, £10–£13 (£8–£10). The Great Downhill Journey of Little Tommy ●●●●● Billing itself as ‘a coming of age performance told in songs and live drawings’, following the very basic storyline is a task in itself, as it’s diluted by the mish-mash of things happening on stage. That said, the performers, notably Jonas Vermeulen and Boris Vanseveren, bring the right amount of talent and enthusiasm to the piece, and if you can’t experiment at the Fringe, where can you? (Rebecca Monks) Summerhall, 560 1581, until 30 Aug (not 25), 10.30pm, £10 (£8). Hannah and Hanna ●●●●● If this debut production is anything to go by, CultureClash theatre have a bright future ahead of them. John Retallack’s Hannah and Hanna is set in Margate in 1999, when tensions erupted between the local community and incoming Kosovan refugees, and two girls with the same name become friends despite it all. Cassandra Hercules and Serin Ibrahim are impressive as the two 16-year-olds, and the play feels just as relevant now as it did when it was first written 14 years ago. (Yasmin Sulaiman) Assembly George Square Studios, 623 3030, until 30 Aug, 1.20pm, £9–£11. Jack Rooke: Good Grief ●●●●●Jack Rooke has a bubbly, winning personality. This is a promising debut and a lively hour. His maturing may lead to more incisive theatre, and a more expansive vision of the world that goes beyond his own experience. (Gareth K Vile) Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 30 Aug, 4pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). My Stratford Friend ●●●●● Weaving facts and historical events from Shakespeare’s life through his thread of fiction, Dominick Reyntiens has a relaxed presence and is clearly passionate about his subject. It’s a pleasant hour that works best as a taster session for Shakespeare enthusiasts who are keen to explore another angle on the Bard. (Susannah Radford) Café Camino,523 0102, until 29 Aug (not 26), 5pm, free. Nell Gwyn: An Epilogue ●●●●● Gwyn was renowned for her stage presence, so it’s ironic that this play should lack it so. There’s no doubting Lucy Formby’s talent, and moments of humour do land well, but ultimately this play, unlike Gwyn, is not likely to go down in theatre history. (Rebecca Monks) Sweet Grassmarket, 243 3596, until 30 Aug, 4.55pm, £9 (£8). On Track ●●●●● Kristien De Proost delivers her intelligent, thoughtful monologue while constantly moving. She explores every aspect of her life, from her facial structure to her decision not to have children. It is self-reflective and perfectly put together: often funny but never overly poetic, the audience are in the palm of her hand as she regales them with her personal diatribe on modern life. (Rebecca Monks) Summerhall, 560 1581, until 30 Aug (not 20, 23 & 24, 27), 8.30pm, £10 (£8). Ross & Rachel ●●●●● Although Richard Curtis and Notting Hill are referenced, this is not a feelgood play in any way, but more of a blurred snapshot of two people struggling with separation and togetherness. A promising piece, but some further work on the text is required to provide a clear dissection of the internecine nature of an intense relationship. (Eddie Harrison) Assembly George Square Theatre, 623 3030, until 31 Aug, 12.30pm, £9–£11. Skins and Hoods ●●●●● Played between shimmering video projections and real-life actors, it takes an oblique, metaphorical slant on questions of racial identity through some touchingly realistic performances: it’s brief and to the point, with seemingly not a word or gesture wasted, but the points it raises – both lyrical and sophisticated – live long in the memory. (David Kettle) Institut français d’Ecosse, 225 5366, until 31 Aug (not 24), 2pm, £12 (£10). Shakespeare in the Garden: What You Will ●●●●● In compiling scenes from the Bard’s most powerful plays, Shakespeare in the Garden succeeds in capturing the emotional heart at the centre of the works. It is all presented with the minimum of props and no scenery apart from the lush green lawn of C south’s garden. (Robin Hodge) C south, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 6.30pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£5.50–£7.50).
Tripped ●●●●● It’s a tightly written script, with lots of biting comic lines and the threat of an imminent violent death creating plenty of tension. The cast deliver skilled performances, bringing depth and empathy to their characters as their shared fate wears away their defences. In a particularly touching scene, they write farewell messages to their wives and children. (Rowena McIntosh) C south, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 8.55pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£6.50–£8.50). What I Learned from Johnny Bevan ●●●●● Performance poet Luke Wright’s first play is a powerful evocation of Britain in the late 1990s, shot through with the swaggering of Britpop and the optimism of Tony Blair. Unsurprisingly, it’s a deeply poetic monologue, about a jaded churnalist who finds himself in a gentrified ex-council estate in which an old friend, Johnny Bevan, once lived. Wright puts in an impassioned, elegant performance, full of humour, sadness and political fury. (Yasmin Sulaiman) Summerhall, 560 1581, until 30 Aug, 4.55pm, £12 (£10). Where Do Little Birds Go? ●●●●● Based on the true story of Lisa Prescott, an 18-year-old girl kidnapped by the notorious Kray twins in London during the 1960s, the premise of Where Do Little Birds Go? is undoubtedly dark. Though brutal, and at times difficult to watch, this engaging work of theatre is not one you’re likely to forget in a hurry. (Rebecca Monks) Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 30 Aug, 8.55pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Willie and Sebastian ●●●●● Willie Donaldson and Sebastian Horsley were two legendary real-life rakes, sharing excess and seedy glamour. The formula is well-worn but it’s surprisingly soulful. Director Sam Kane’s staging also contains a few bawdy surprises – particularly for some brave souls sitting at the front. (Lorna Irvine) Gilded Balloon, 622 6552, until 31 Aug, 8.15pm, £12–£14 (£10–£12). Woolly Eyed Turtle, in 3D ●●●●● UK-based Irish comedy duo Maeve Bell and Emily Johnson unleash their absurd brand of physical humour in this entertaining comedy about returning home. While some threads of this production could be more fully developed to form a tighter piece, creating a number of endearingly stupid characters is no mean feat. (Susannah Radford) Café Camino, 523 0102, until 29 Aug (not 24), 7.30pm, free.